THE Royal Melbourne Horse Show gave lovers of horses the chance to see many of the rarer breeds.

There were some lovely horses on display during the first two days of the four-day show, which began on Saturday and finished yesterday at the National Equestrian Centre at Werribee Park.

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Shetland breeders are fearless, like their ponies, and will take their chances.

David Ross is not known as a Shetland specialist, but his winners were of classic type and the highest quality.

The champion and reserve stallions, Irene and Narelle Hogg's Lentara Media and Carly Thomas's Careal Great Expectations, have been at the top in most big feature shows.

The owners held the same positions in the colt championship, with the Hoggs' Pilinta Park Showman champion and Carly Thomas's Careal Mr Celebrity reserve.

Carly took home the mare championship with Careal Georgia and Stuart Ryan's Thorpeville Trendy was champion gelding.

Dr A. Shoobridge's Smash Hit (Imp) was champion Warmblood stallion and also champion ridden in the section.

The champion Warmblood mare was B. and D. Williams' Lady De Luxe.

The history of Victoria shows the Cleveland Bay was here in solid numbers back when coach horses were needed.

Numbers dropped dramatically when the car appeared on the scene. Worldwide, the breed is now on the endangered list.

At the Royal Melbourne Horse Show there were no purebreds, and six part-breds were shown led and under saddle, with Ms M. Alexander's Gift of Killarney winning the champion led and ridden awards.

In the Arabian classes, Jenny Campbell and Future Farms' Rom Tokyo Joe was supreme champion derivative and Krishlah Arabians and Future Farms' Rom Vaya was supreme led exhibit.

Stuart Ryan's magnificent Australian Pony, Kooyong Amethyst, repeated her supreme championship in the Australian pony section. Classic in type, she is a poster-perfect example of her breed.

The Welsh breeds are traditionally divided into four sections: Welsh Mountain; Welsh Pony; Welsh Pony of Cob type; and Welsh Cobs.

The four champions come together for the judging of the supreme of the Welsh breeds, and this was won by the Halloran Family's Marconi Chanel, the champion in the Welsh Pony section.

The champion Welsh Mountain pony was Charmosa Pony Stud's Osory Spit Fire and champion Welsh Cob, or Pony of Cob type, was Ms M. Paine's Pennant Gallant Bess.

Riding ponies are always well-supported and are usually judged in ring one, nearest the trade area.

This year, however, they were placed in ring eight. Would-be spectators faced a walk that required a cut lunch and compass to complete, so judge Bruce Flood worked through his classes with only the competitors for company.

His choice of champion show pony stallion was Argyl Stud's Kolbeach Royalist.

C. Nowak and D. and L. Hayes' Kolbeach Gizelle was champion show pony mare.

Miss L. Fraser's Holly's Tribute was champion led gelding and won the supreme championship for led show ponies.

The supreme champion led show hunter was L. Greshner's Beauparc Exquisite and under saddle, the champion ridden pony was G. and S. Elliott and D. and L. Hayes' Kolbeach Promise.

The Standardbreds, without exception, were nice horses and there were some attractive part-breds.

Ms K Wilkins' handsome Go Bananas was champion led stallion and also took out the ridden class.

Ms R. Aldous' Box Thorn Grant was champion part-bred Standardbred.

There were fewer buckskins on show than usual, but some quality horses and ponies took the ribbons.

Ballanbrae Stud's Marconi Encore was champion male, and Mr A. Cincotta's Amaki's De Ja'Vu was champion female and supreme led Buckskin.

Mr A. Reid's Weston Park Cointreau has no trouble winning in strong open classes and took the champion ridden Buckskin award.

Justin Morgan was a little bay stallion that built his own name and the name of a breed by producing hard-working attractive small horses.

Two hundred years later, some of his descendants were on the Werribee Park turf last weekend.

Ms N. Brodie's Moonbah Tempest Cruise was champion purebred Morgan and Ms K. Henderson's Mt Tawonga Zac was ridden champion.

Racing trainers, and people who think a Thoroughbred horse's life is limited after racing, would have been shaking their heads looking at the blue-blooded breeding of some of those on parade.

Champion stallion was M. Cerchi 's Seek The Stars and A. and K. Cartner and B. Noonan's Cavaggio was the top mare.

The Irish draught and sport horse group didn't show in large numbers, but had nice animals on display.

Tullow Stud's Richmondlea Delia was senior champion and Icarus Park Stud's Baltydaniel Breeze was ridden champion.

It was nice to see that the show hunters were given a section for themselves, and good to see just how much interest has developed since these classes were created at the Barastoc Horse of the Year show 12 years ago.

Both the champion female and male led show hunters have both been big winners under saddle.

Ms B. Richards' Dymondz was champion at the Royal Melbourne Show this year, while Ms S. Hanger's War Wind was champion at both the Royal Melbourne and Sydney shows.

Meanwhile, while one expected to see limited numbers of the rare breeds on display, it was disappointing the owners of horses from breeds that have been widely used in Australia did not take the opportunity to put what they breed on display for a wide audience.

Where once it was common to see 20 or more purebred Arabian stallions dancing their way around the ring, classes this year were lucky to have more than two.

Warmbloods fared little better, with just three in the stallion class.

Are people just too precious to have their animals stand side-by-side for comparison, not only by the show judges, but also by potential breeders?

Maybe a program revamp would help.

This show is a chance to showcase breeding stock beyond the narrow audience of a single-breed show.