Banging the drum for a great British breed
The Field|June 2024
From warhorse to workhorse to show horse to riding horse, the mighty Shire has come full circle and its future looks bright
- Carolle Doyle
Banging the drum for a great British breed

DYFED Shire Horse Farm sits between the Preseli Hills of Pembrokeshire and Newport Bay and is the home of a family who, with a certain amount of stubbornness and pride, breed Shire horses. The 'Great Horse' of knights, tournaments and battle, the draught horse that tilled the fields and fed the nation, the cart horse that carried anything and everything during the Industrial Revolution, is now a rare breed.

There are but 3,000 Shire horses in the entire country, of which Huw Murphy has bred one or two foals every year for four decades as a testament to his grandfather who began the Dyfed bloodline in 1981. It takes a degree of doggedness to breed horses whose work on the land has been replaced by tractors. However, the charismatic nature of Shires has given the family a living, for in 1992 the farm was opened to the public who come to hear the story of the Shire horse, get close to Murphy’s ‘gentle giants’ and take a ride in a carriage pulled by Alfie.

Here there are plaques and stories of the Dyfed Shires, and you begin to realise that these great horses are family just as much as Murphy himself. The latter’s pride grew a little in June 2023 when he watched two of his Shires, the drum horses Major Apollo and Major Juno, lead the King’s Birthday Parade – a role they will reprise this year, so long as they remain fit and healthy. Juno is the third and latest Dyfed Shire to become a drum horse, following in the hoofprints of Apollo (‘Ed’ to his friends) and the late, great Major Mercury, who began life in the fields of Pembrokeshire as ‘Celt’.

この蚘事は The Field の June 2024 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は The Field の June 2024 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

THE FIELDのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
Fodder
The Field

Fodder

Local fare with the feel-good factor.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
Celebrating the game changers
The Field

Celebrating the game changers

Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross

time-read
3 分  |
November 2024
Rory Stewart
The Field

Rory Stewart

The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024
The first civil engineer
The Field

The first civil engineer

John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever

time-read
6 分  |
November 2024
School spirits
The Field

School spirits

From grey ladies and ghostly gardeners to more malign entities, public schools are a rich repository of unnatural phenomena

time-read
8 分  |
November 2024
'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
The Field

'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'

Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Top of the pups
The Field

Top of the pups

Canines in all their guises were celebrated at The Field Top Dog Awards lunch at Defender Burghley Horse Trials whether eager on the peg, patient at home or perpetually making mischief

time-read
6 分  |
November 2024
Angling for success
The Field

Angling for success

It’s never too early to shape up for next season’s salmon and trout, and these top fishing schools are here to help

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Talking scents
The Field

Talking scents

The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Wall-to-wall excitement
The Field

Wall-to-wall excitement

Criss-crossed by formidable drystone walls, the High Peak Harriers’ scenic country provides a day out with an exhilarating difference

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024