The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Judge Harry Brown wins overall championship
Home-bred heifer praised for excellent top-line and gigots
Fresh from judging the prime cattle at LiveScot, Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, took the overall championship with a home-bred heifer at yesterday’s Christmas Classic at Thainstone.
Judges James and Ross Allan of Malcolm Allan Ltd, Larbert, said it was a tremendous show of cattle and James said his champion, which he purchased later for the top price of £4,600, had an excellent top-line and gigots. It was followed by the reserve, a heifer from Murray Rainnie, Loanhead, Aboyne.
This three-quarter Limousin was bred by the McMillan family, Ardbeg, Islay.
She was being shown for the first time but was a half sister to Murray’s reserve heifer from last year.
She sold for £3,300 to Alastair Bruce, Fraserburgh.
Heifers were the flavour of the day with the butchers champion a 546kg red Limousin cross from Andrew and Reece Simmers, Backmuir, Keith, which sold to Charles and Gary Raeburn, Huntly, for £3,800.
Wilson Peters, Monzie, Crieff, took reserve with another Limousin cross, Tricky Treacle, which had been reserve at several shows in the summer. She scaled 518kg and sold to Louise Forsyth, Peebles, for £3,000.
The butchers sheep champions were a pair of 49.5kg three-quarter Beltex lambs from Helen and Steven Smith, Scobshaugh, Cortachy, Angus.
This was the first show for this pair of lambs but this mother and son duo won the same award at last year’s Christmas Classic. They sold for £250 per head to Jamie Scott, Paisley.
Reserve were David and William Moir, Home Farm, Caithness with a pair of blue Texel cross Beltex lambs scaling 41.5kg each. WG Troup, Sauchen bought these for £220 per head.
Open sheep champion was 11-year-old Seth Miller, The Lurg, Inverurie. He just has eight ewes of his own at home, but his champion pure Beltex lambs were bought in September. They sold for £300 each to judge, Sam Carlisle, Border Meats, Lockerbie.
Reserve was George Stuart, Milltown of Birness, Ellon, with his pair of Suffolk cross Texel lambs by the £10,000 Redbrae Rambo. They sold to the judge for £180 per head.