D&H was proud to support The National Shire Horse Show at Stafford Showground earlier this month and what a fantastic celebration of these magnificent horses it was! We were delighted to see so many familiar faces and meet new ones while witnessing the incredible dedication that goes into Shire Horse showing. We were beaming with pride that 29 of the top 3 placings at the show were awarded to horses fed on D&H, reinforcing our commitment to providing excellence in nutrition.
Introducing Poppy Sewell – Our Heavy Horse Expert
Horses are at the heart of everything D&H and Team D&H member, Poppy Sewell, is passionate about heavy horses, playing a key role in ensuring that they receive the best nutrition. Her love for heavy horses began with her own Clydesdale X mare, which sparked a lifelong appreciation for these incredible breeds. Over the years, she has worked with many heavy horses and now has two of her own Shires at home, Albert and Tom with Albert being a grass sickness survivor.
When it comes to nutrition, Shire horses share similarities with lighter breeds, but their needs can vary. Their sheer size means they require larger feed quantities, but like all horses, they can be both good doers and poor doers. There is also a strong tradition in heavy horse feeding, and Poppy often works with owners to modernise their approach while respecting the heritage of these breeds.
At D&H, we are proud to offer high-quality products that meet the needs of Shires and other heavy breeds, providing concentrated nutrition to support their size and workload. Poppy has worked closely with customers like Caroline Eagle to create the best feeding plan for her Shire horses. Caroline explains why she chooses D&H: "I feed D&H to all our horses as it delivers excellent results. I get energy when required without fizz, and I can easily adjust their diet based on each horse’s needs throughout the year. I know they’re receiving a well-balanced diet with all the essential nutrients, without the need for additional supplements.”
Show Results
We are incredibly proud to share the results achieved by D&H-fed horses at the Shire Horse Show 2025.
Open Purebred Winner
1st - Jono Fryer
2nd - Twilly Whitehouse & Sammie Griffiths
Best Turned Out
5th - Kalyia Dewing
Gentleman’s Two-Wheeled Cart
6th - Kevin Morris
Concours d’Elegance
1st - Twilly Whitehouse & Sammie Griffiths
2nd - Caroline Eagle & Neil Andrews
4th - Michelle Downham
Newcomers Handler
6th – owned by Neil Andrews
Novice Ridden
1st - Jo-Ann Clubley
3rd - Lisa Masters
5th - Michelle Downham
Ridden Champion
Champion - Twilly Whitehouse & Sammie Griffiths
Reserve - Jo-Ann Clubley & Abigail Wagstaff
Pairs Trade Turnout
4th - Kevin Morris
Single Ag
1st - Carolyn Truss
2nd - Neil Andrews
3rd - Rob Clarke
Fancy Dress
1st - Neil Andrews, Gayle Shapcott, Rob Clarke
5th - Carolyn Truss & Jo Grant
Senior Geldings
6th - Carolyn Truss
Two-Year-Old Stallions
4th - M Butterworth
Three-Year-Old Geldings
2nd - Abigail Wagstaff
3rd - Twilly Whitehouse
Traditional Harness
3rd - Kevin Morris
7th - Neil Andrews
8th - Jo Grant
9th - Paul Dewing
Geldings Junior Reserve Champion
Reserve - Abigail Wagstaff
Novice Two-Wheeled Cart
2nd - Caroline Eagle
Youth Two-Wheeled
2nd - Anja Morris
Senior Stallions
5th - Neil Andrews
Ag Implement
1st - Neil Andrews
2nd - Rob Clarke
Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year
1st - Abigail Wagstaff
5th - Jono Fryer
6th - Twilly Whitehouse
Yearling Fillies
5th - Michael Butterworth
Two-Year-Old Fillies
1st - Paul Clayton
Three-Year-Old Fillies
10th - Michelle Downham
Pairs Ag
1st - Rob Clarke & Carolyn Truss
Ladies Two-Wheeled
3rd - Neil Andrews
Senior Mares
2nd - Mark Richardson
3rd - Michael Butterworth
5th - Lisa Masters
7th - Jo Grant
10th - Neil Andrews
Teams of 3 or 4
3rd - Kevin Morris
Reserve Junior Champion Mare
Reserve - Paul Clayton
Reserve Champion Female
Reserve - Mark Richardson
HOYS Qualifier
2nd - Mark Richardson
Congratulations to all the competitors and thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with us at the show. D&H is proud to support horses of all breeds, and we are dedicated to keeping them happy and healthy through excellence in nutrition.
A huge thank you to the Shire Horse Society also for all their hard work in bringing this show together and for everything they do to protect and promote this wonderful breed.
Photos courtesy of Real Time Imaging and Les Key.
