Horse entries for this year’s Royal Highland Show are up despite threats from exhibitors that they would not participate in the event due to a requirement for all horses and ponies to be vaccinated against equine flu.
Alan Laidlaw, chief executive of show organisers, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), said: “We took a lot of advice on equine flu and came up with a workable solution.
“I think the response has been really measured. We now have a nice problem – significant increases in Clydesdale horses.”
RHASS head of operations, Mark Currie, said: “This year we increased the stables and we are still going to be oversubscribed.”
Mr Laidlaw said 1,692 entries were forward for the light horses section with “solid numbers” across all Hoys (Horse of the Year Show) qualifying classes.
Entries in the Mountain and Moorland Under Saddle section are up 11% to 220, and this year’s Queen’s Cup trophy will be awarded in the light horse section.
Mr Laidlaw said: “The heavy horse section also continues to have a strong presence, with 416 entries.”
He said the show coincided with the year of the Clydesdale Celebration and entries in the males class were up 43% to 43, while female entries dominated at 74.