The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Ingrams of Inverurie celebrate a Charollais clean sweep
Sheep entry numbers hit 10-year high of 2,031 on a day of perfect conditions
A bright and breezy day made for perfect conditions around the sheep rings on day one of the Royal Highland, where entry numbers hit a 10-year high of 2,031.
Inverurie-based Charollais breeders Willie and Carole Ingram, their sons Gregor and Bruce, and daughter Amy enjoyed a clean sweep within their breed.
The team secured the top four awards in the Charollais sheep section, ensuring their best result in more than 25 years exhibiting at the event.
Top of the board, taking the overall championship was their two-crop ewe, while their gimmer finished reserve overall.
Both home-bred, from the family’s 80-ewe flock, the gimmer was sired by Rhaeadr Orlando, which was breed champion last year and took the male championship this year.
Securing his first Suffolk championship, was Jim Innes, Dunscroft, Huntly, who runs 10 Suffolk ewes, alongside his pedigree Texel flock.
Best here was a January-born ewe lamb by Strathbogie A Kind of Magic, on his first show outing and brought out by shepherd Michael Leggat.
Best in the Jacob section were Gordon Connor and Scott Dalrymple, with the three-shear ram, Dun-Mor Ace, home-bred from their 60-ewe flock at Bridgend, Linlithgow.
Meanwhile, Cupar’s James Orr, of Foodie Farm, took the reserve rosette in the commercial ring, with a March-born Texel cross ewe lamb – his best result in seven years exhibiting here.
Jack and Morna Cuthbert, Ardoch House, Fossoway, Kinross, stood reserve in the Hebridean section, with Ardoch Elouise, a home-bred four-horn gimmer, from the couple’s 60-ewe flock.
New for 2017 was a Blue Texel section, which was won by the breed’s record price ram, the 18,000gns Joes Alvin, from Paul Tippetts and Christine Williams, Lodge Hill Farm, Park Lane, Shifnal.