Preston based owner breeder Enid Lord's Irish Draught brood mare, Balineen Glen Abbess made history with her success by becoming the first of her breed ever to win the coveted supreme in-hand title at Harrogate.

The reserve champion was Sue Grimshaw of Great Ayton's Riding Pony Brood Mare Kitty Kelley and the second reserve went to Yorkshire's Scott Gibbons with his Welsh Section D bay stallion, Tymoor the Tramp.

Scott, based in Ossett, bred the horse himself and has also competed in riding classes with him. "To get the Cob championship was fantastic and now to get second reserve in this was marvellous," said Scott.

The winner of yesterday's Cuddy Supreme In Hand Championship qualifies for the final to be held at the Horse of the Year Show. The winner yesterday also received the F W Furness Memorial Trophy given by Mrs G A Furness in memory of her husband Colin.

Earlier in the day, in very muddy conditions in the White Rose ring, a home produced pony from Amotherby, Malton, won the Champion Show Pony award in the Ridden Open Show Pony section.

Heather Hulme's chestnut mare, Daldorn Fairytale, ridden by her daughter Zoe,11, took first place in the 12.2hh class and won the Championship, qualifying for the Horse of the Year Show.

Mother and daughter were "over the moon", especially as Zoe had been out of action earlier in the year with a broken arm and they have only been able to compete in three or four shows so far this summer.

Reserve place went to Mrs C M Spencer's bay mare, Millwood Grange Penelope ridden by her daughter Henrietta, from Bury St Edmonds.


Managing water may prevent flooding

MANAGING water run-off to rivers and streams could be the solution to mitigating the devastating floods of the sort that hit much of Yorkshire a year ago.

Farm Integrated Management plans, or FIRM, is a Newcastle University project intended to reduce the speed of rivers and stream after heavy rainfall by creating run-off ponds and wetland areas which only fill during storms.

Mark Wilkinson, from the university, speaking at the Great Yorkshire Show yesterday, said it was important that while run off ponds collected water from storms, they should be designed to gradually empty within six to eight hours.

"If the pond remains full and then there is another storm the water will simply shoot across the top and you have achieved nothing," he said.

The FIRM project will store, slow and filter run off water on farms at source.

Jennine Jonczyk stressed that the project was not about creating large areas of boggy farmland, but about controlling flows.

Part of the wetlands could benefit from environmental payments.

Water quality would be improved by preventing silt from getting into water courses. Silts can then be collected and spread on the land as a valuable source of nutrient.

The floods in June and July after torrential rain last year covered thousands of acres of farmland and caused flooding to more than 55,000 homes and businesses across huge areas of Yorkshire.

Insured losses are approaching £3bn, according to the Environment Agency, but many farmers were not insured.

A common way to protect urban areas and known vulnerable farmland is to build flood defences but if there is to be more intense rainfall then new methods will need to be examined.

The university sees its project as one solution to flooding.


Widower wins trophy tribute to late wife

Winning the Wool on the Hoof for the highest placed Ryeland in the Down Breeds class was an emotional moment for Stephen Hipps, of Bishop Thornton, near Harrogate, when he won a trophy given in memory of his wife who died 14 months ago.

His wife Margaret had established a small flock of Ryelands 20 years ago and twice won fleece competitions at the Show but never Wool on the Hoof.

When Mrs Hipps died her husband, a company director, kept four ewes and when he won the trophy it was presented by his stepson, Paul.

The reserve champion was the Wensleydale of B R Field, of Ferrensby, near Harrogate.