The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sunshine all the way for show duo
Large crowd enjoys parade of livestock champions and entertainment in the main ring at ‘outstanding’ event
The sun failed to break through the clouds in an otherwise fine day at New Deer Show on Saturday.
But it was sunshine all the way for show enthusiasts Blair Duffton from Huntly and Rebecca Stuart from Insch who swept up virtually all the interbreed beef cattle championships in a remarkable tour de force.
But the duo had to give way when it came to the “champion of champions” title which was awarded by the judge, retired auctioneer Philip Reid, to the sheep interbreed champion, a two-crop Texel ewe shown by Willie Knox and his two sons, Graeme and Andrew, from Mid Haddo, Fyvie.
“I had three interbreed champions before me from the horse, cattle and sheep sections and any one of them would have been a worthy winner,” said Mr Reid. “The winning sheep was a very smart, nice ewe and I just fancied her from the start.”
The ewe won the interbreed title for the second year running and added to the Knox family’s successful show season along with another ewe which gave them their first Highland Show Texel breed championship last month.
A Caithness-bred North Country Cheviot gimmer from brothers, Stewart and Harry Sleigh, St John’s Wells, Fyvie, stood reserve for the sheep interbreed title, while the Haddo flock won the award for the best group of three sheep, with the reserve going to a trio of Charollais from sisters Eilidh and Erin Duncan, Barnyards, Mintlaw.
Leading the charge in the beef interbreeds was a three-year-old Charolais cow bought by Mr Duffton in Northern Ireland for 8,000gn and owned jointly with Gary Patterson, Upper Forgie, Keith, who led her to her breed and interbreed successes on Saturday.
Running the champion all the way to stand reserve was the Duffton-Stuart partnership’s cross cattle champion, Shaniqua, a Limousin-cross yearling heifer, which has already won a string of championship awards at recent shows, including the interbreed at Fettercairn and reserve interbreed at Echt.
“We have 17 cattle here and it’s been a fantastic day for all the team who help me,” said a delighted Mr Duffton, who also carried off the awards for the best group of three beef animals and the best pair.
The only major honour to elude him was the reserve award for the best group which went to the Aberdeen-Angus trio from Graeme and Fiona Willox, Oldmeldrum.
There was also praise for the show of carcase cattle which is always a feature of New Deer Show with its location in the heart of Buchan beef country.
“It was an outstanding show – I thought I would have to toss a coin to decide which was best in some of the classes,” said judge Andy Ingram.
Champion in the horse section was the Clydesdale leader, seven-year-old gelding Collessie Full Monty, from Jim Gibb, Clola, Mintlaw.
The favourable weather drew out the crowd who enjoyed the parade of champions and entertainment in the main ring during the afternoon.
“It was a tremendous day and I’m pleased with how it went,” said show president Alistair Kindness, Southfield, New Deer. “The weather stayed fine and the attendance was up.”