Commanding presence of the Captain secures supreme award at Dalmally

Cattle judges impressed by entry from MacGillivrays of Benderloch, Oban

Dreich weather failed to dampen spirits at Dalmally Show, with an increased Highland and commercial cattle entry.

Ewen MacGillivray and son Ewen’s March-born stot the Captain, of Benderloch, Oban, was picked as overall supreme champion by Commercial judge Jean McKay of Barrhead and Riikkaa Palonen, who owns a large Highland cattle fold in Finland.

A red son of the Limousin sire, Lodge Hamlet, bred from a British Blue cross Limousin dam, this youngster which scooped the overall champion of champions at Mid Argyll Show last month is destined for the Borderway Agri Expo at Carlisle.

Sandy and Tommy Paterson scored a hat-trick in the Blackface section, taking the breed title for a third consecutive year with the same sheep – J-Anna. Champions were as follow. Highland (open): Grace Noble, Lochton of Leys, Banchory, with yearling heifer Duchess of Grace by Duke of Leys, bred from Hazel of Knockendon; reserve – Queenie Strickland, Cladich, Dalmally, with confined champion, the two-year-old heifer Lady Jane of Cladich, by a homebred sire and bred from a previous home-bred Lady Jane.

Highland (confined): Queenie Strickland with two-year-old heifer Lady Jane of Cladich and reserve with four-year-old cow Capleadh Buidhe Beg 4 of Cladich.

Commercial (open): Ewen MacGillivray and son Ewen with the Captain; reserve – Dougie MacDonald of Benderloch with an October-born Limousin cross heifer by Huntershall Jim, out of a Limousin cross British Blue.

Commercial (confined): Stuart Underwood, Stramollachan, Dalmally, with a previously unshown Simmental cross yearling heifer out of a Limousin cross cow; reserve – James McLaren & Sons, Craig, Dalmally, with a Februaryborn black Limousin cross bullock out of an Aberdeen-Angus cross cow.

Blackface (Young Farmers): Roan McVicar, 10, Lephinchapel, Strachur, with an ET-bred one-crop ewe sired by Spectre.

Open: Sandy and Tommy Paterson of Auchloy, Crieff, with J-Anna, a homebred one-crop ewe by a £38,000 Auchloy; reserve – Donald McVicar of Lephinchapel, Strachur, with a ewe lamb by a £20,000 Crossflatt.

Blackface (confined): John Macpherson & Sons, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally, with a one-crop ewe by a £9,000 Midlock; reserve – Tom McKellar, Auch Estates, Dalmally, with a two-crop ewe.

Any other breed: Olivia Bowman, 5, of Mid Cragabus, Islay, with a one-crop Texel ewe; reserve – Iain McKay, Torloisk, Mull, with a North Country Cheviot gimmer by last year’s champion St John’s Kirk Red Mist.

Above: The overall sheep champion was a Texel ewe from Olivia Bowman shown by her uncle Elliot. Below left: Supreme overall champion the Captain, from the MacGillivray family at Benderloch. Below right: The Blackface champion from Sandy and Tommy Paterson of Auchloy, Crieff.