Shires could have lucky trump card at top show

A renowned stud is hoping three of its home-bred Shire horses will be stars of the show at the country’s top competition.
While the Moss family at Hillmorton Farm, Eaton, have been familiar faces at the Horse of the Year Show for decades, the last time one of its Shires was crowned champion was in 1980.
But that might change at the NEC in Birmingham next month when two mares and a stallion are vying for top honours in the arena.
Six-year-old mare Hillmoor Roxy qualified at the recent Moreton-in-Marsh show in the Cotswolds, while Hillmoor Lucky, another mare aged eight, qualified at Ashbourne Show. Nine-year-old stallion Hillmoor Trump Card won through at Newport.
Veteran breeder Phillip Moss, who has just turned 87, said: “I’m absolutely delighted! To think that three Shires all bred in Eaton are going into the Horse of the Year Show!”
Hillmorton Farm has been breeding Shires since 1945 when it was run by Mr Moss’s late father Tom, who acquired the farm in 1942.
He died in 1990, when Phillip took over, and it is now run by his own son Phillip Jr (31).
“He does the graft and I do the organising!” his dad joked.
As well as breeding Shires, Hillmorton is still a working farm and has 60 head of cattle.
Phillip said the continuation of Shire breeding was not only important for his family but for the breed itself, which he said had been in decline for some years.
“There were concerns that Shires would become extinct in the 1950s as farms turned from horse power to tractor. There wasn’t a need for horses to work the land any more.
“Years ago, every brewery had Shire horses. The nearest one now is not so far away – Robinson’s in Stockport – and the only remaining brewery Shires in Lancashire are at Thwaites’ brewery.”
Recalling the last time a Horse of the Year title was brought back to Hillmorton Farm – 44 years ago – Phillip said: “That was when my dad Tom was in charge, and we’ve only had seconds, thirds or fourths since. There’ll be 17 shires competing at this year’s show, so hopefully one of our three will be lucky!”
The 2024 Horse of the Year Show takes place at the NEC from Wednesday, 9th to Sunday, 13th October, the Shire horse competition being held on the final day.
(Photo: Hillmorton Farm).