Saturday 30 June 2012

Royal Highland Show 2012!

Ok, so it's being posted a week after the fact but I had over 1500 photos to sort through and Flickr was acting up so I only managed to upload the photos last night! XD

I've got over 400 shots on -Flickr- so have a look and feel free to use any as reference for painting or showing or whatnot - just don't claim as your own, yadda yadda etc etc.

Yeah, so I went last Sunday and god, getting there was a right faff and a half. I'd arranged to go with my friend but due to a horrifc communications fail I was halfway to Edinburgh before I discovered that she couldn't make it. This meant I'd have to get the special service bus to the show by myself instead of getting a lift with her, which I'd never done before but I thought that it'd be easy enough to deal with.

  To cut a long story short, by the time I actually found the bus (absolutely no signs or information at Waverley station, way to go show organisers) time was already against me. I'd made the mistake of not planning ahead with regards to train times and whatnot so I already knew that I was going to miss rather a few classes but hey, it would be fine though because the bus to the show would only take half an hour or something...right?


Nearly TWO HOURS later I finally arrived at the show.

It was now almost ten past three and the last class started at four. (luckily the showground closed at six so I knew I'd have time for some stuff)


Anyway, I wasn't going to have come all that way for nothing so I gritted my teeth for the entry fee and walked as fast as I could (difficult in the conditions!) to the Showjumping rings where I knew I'd be guaranteed some photos. The weather hadn't been good for the show - all week there'd been nothing but rain and I had expected the worst for Sunday but luckily for me it stayed dry, aside from a couple of brief showers later on. Not that it made much difference when everything looked like this:

Mud, glorious mud! 

Mud!

Normally I make a beeline for the Highlands and Clydesdales but as most of them would have gone home by now as all their classes were over I didn't bother. I did see this gorgeous big hunk of a horse en route to the SJ though.

Ridden Clydesdale

It took me a while to get there as I'd managed to arrive just as the Parade of Breeds was going on and all possible paths to the other side of the showground were blocked by a very long queue of cows and bulls of all shapes and sizes.

I got some nice shots.

Cattle Parade

...some were very flattering...

Cattle Parade

...others...

Cattle Parade

...not so much. XD

Cattle Parade

I have no idea what breed this is but just look at that reverse dappling! He looks like a piece of burr walnut!

Cattle Parade

The Highlands are my favourites. :D

Cattle Parade

Cattle Parade

Cattle Parade

This one was being really bolshy and just after this photo was taken he half charged into the fence, prompting a typically subdued british 'Oooh!' from the audience while the poor woman at the other end of the leadrope elbowed him in the neck to bring his head round. XD

Cattle Parade

This little Hereford calf was the most adorable thing ever. ^^

Cattle Parade

Oh and here's the pipe band doing their thing. :D I know it's going to sound really stereotypical but I absolutely love the bagpipes (when played well, mind) and I wish I'd thought to record some of it as it was really good.

Pipe Band



Pipe Band

This isn't the same band but they were at the show too so it'll do. :P (not my vid btw)



Not a horse or a cow or whatever but here, have a spaniel in a suitcase. :P

Dog Days

I finally made it to the SJ rings and assumed my usual place on the sidelines, Nigel in hand.
I really like the junior SJ as you always get a really nice selection of ponies in a variety of types and colours. I certainly wasn't disappointed this time and recognised some of my favourites from last year as well as some new faces. I alternated between the actual SJ rounds and the warmup arena a few feet away.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

The only thing about this combination I didn't like was just how loose fitting the lad's hat strap was - if he'd fallen off, that helmet would have been of absolutely no use to him. :/

Showjumping

Showjumping



Showjumping

You don't really appreciate the scale of the fences until you see photos! O_O

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping


Some rounds went well...

Showjumping



Showjumping


Showjumping

Showjumping
Showjumping
Others...

Showjumping

Showjumping

...not quite so!


Showjumping



I absolutely loved this bay - such a beautiful rich colour and the navy blue really set it off nicely.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Another beauty was this gorgeous appaloosa who I appear to have taken more photos of than anything else!

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

I vividly remember this one from last year as being one of two pintaloosas I'd seen at the show - the only two I'd ever seen in my life!

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

This one (yep, this one AGAIN!) liked to have a buck every now and again.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

This pair had a really good start to their round...

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

...which unfortunately didn't last. :(

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

They were both ok and I saw them back in the warmup a few minutes later but eeep, that could have been a really nasty incident!

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Black horses always look really smart and this one was no exception.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Here's that lovely bay again. (note the helmet still hasn't been fixed. ¬¬)

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

The winner!

Prizegiving

I'm not sure what he's being interviewed for but I think I recognise the guy holding the mic so it might have been for the national news or Countryfile or something.

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Right on time the sun came out and oooft, do those horses shine or what? (The bay at the back's my favourite)

Showjumping

Showjumping

Mmmm, dark bay.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

(look at this one's withers! O_O)

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Between classes I wandered over to the main ring to see the other SJ rounds but it was heaving and as I only had my macro lens with me I couldn't have got close enough to take anything decent so I just stayed in the waiting area for a bit.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Sabinos ftw! :D

Showjumping

I managed to find a space on the far side and got a few shots - the jumps were MASSIVE!

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping 

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping


The winner of this class would have been especially pleased as it was the fifth time in six years she'd won it!

Lap of Honour

Lap of Honour


Meanwhile, back in the smaller ring, the next and I think last, class had begun. The sun was out and it made for a really exhilarating watch.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

LOVE this shot. :D

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

There were a few refusals and temper tantrums in this class - possibly because the fences had gone up and probably due to the mud as it can't have been fun to canter on.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

The little pintaloosa was up next and oooft, could that thing move?!

Showjumping

Showjumping

...and buck!

Showjumping

Sadly if I remember correctly they also put in two refusals and were eliminated. :(

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

It never fails to amaze me that kids that size can jump that high.

Showjumping

This little pony was a right proper snotty thing - head up, legs skittering about all over the place but it could jump the moon!

Showjumping

Showjumping

Well, when he felt like it. XD

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

This welshie was brilliant - short choppy strides, arched neck - I think he was channelling the warhorses of old!

Showjumping

Showjumping

He refused one but I think went clear for everything else.

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

Showjumping

This was the moment she realised she'd won I think. :)

Winner!

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

Prizegiving

I'll leave you with the lap of honour because after that class it was the end of the show and I trudged back to the bus. XD

Lap of Honour

Lap of Honour

Showjumping

Showjumping

More photos -here!-

So yeah, it was pretty much all showjumping and nothing else! XD  I didn't mean to post quite so many on here but I know many people won't bother to look at the whole album on flickr so I might as well. :P

I saw an ad for Hopetoun Horse Trials next month - also in Edinburgh - which has cross country so I'm working on my parents to see if they'd be able to take me as I've never seen XC in person before! (There's dressage and showjumping too but it starts at 8am and there's no way I'd be able to get there in time.)