Kirrie Show pulls out all the stops on perfect day

Farmer rivalry and fun for all family is winning mix

Farmer rivalry and parades of top quality livestock may have been at the heart of Saturday’s Kirriemuir Show but this year’s event pulled out all the stops to attract the general public to a varied day of countryside fun and competition.

The show committee was rewarded with a perfect sunny day which interim secretary Lizzy Baxter described as “brilliantly successful” and crowded with families glued to the main ring entertainment.

For cattle, sheep and horse breeders the real action took place in the smaller rings, and onlookers enjoyed the drama which played out in the interbreed sheep championship when seven judges chose three commercial gimmers over all the pedigree competition to win the supreme award.

The Texel cross gimmers were bred and shown by Andrew Beattie from Tulliwhanland Farm, Aberlemno, and they were on their first show outing.

Commercial sheep judge Willie Stevenson from Coilavoulin, Pitlochry – who wasn’t allowed to vote for them in the interbreed competition – said most of the other judges put them in top position.

“They are three very uniform big, strong gimmers,” he said. “They’re powerful sheep.”

The Beltex champion from Graham and Fiona Burke, Cairndrum Cottage, Edzell, was the reserve interbreed winner. She was the two-crop ewe by Broxty Wishful Thinking which won the Angus show breed championship.

Blackface breeders debated if Mark Simpson’s championship success in both the North and South-type rings had happened at Kirriemuir Show before.

He won the South competition with a three-crop ewe by an £1,100 Dullatur, and the North with a gimmer which had been bred by Cadogan Estates at Auchnacloich, Amulree.

In the cattle lines, commercial breeding also won the day. Wilson Peters’ 13-month-old Doune and Dunblane champion Adora Derriere was judged interbreed champion and is now destined for Braco and Perth shows.

The reserve interbreed winner was Limousin champion Derg Nancy, a 16-month-old heifer from Ranch Livestock at Letham. She was reserve champion at Angus and fifth in a big class at this year’s Royal Highland Show.

The Clydesdales were a major attraction, and Sandy Aitken’s 10-yearold mare Redcastle Pretty Amazing Grace stole the show. It was her first outing this year, but she is a seasoned competitor and won the breed’s top award at the Royal Highland Show in 2014.

In the light-legged horses the Time and Tide salver award went to Hilary Mackie for her thorough bred, King Brex.

Pictures: Paul Reid. Sandy Aitken, right, showing his Clydesdale champion, 10-year-old mare Redcastle Pretty Amazing Grace, with breed judge Calum Mackay from Inverness.

Left: the pig race. Above: Charlie and Ruby Simpson were champion young cattle handlers with their calf Jimmy Blue.