Juniors sweep boards at lively Strathardle Show

British Blue cross Limousin bullock overall winner

The future of livestock showing looked secure on Kirkmichael’s Bannerfield at the weekend as junior enthusiasts took on their seniors and swept the boards at Strathardle Show.

The show, confined to stock within the local area, enjoyed one of the best days of the summer and attracted crowds to ringsides and the neighbouring Highland Games, creating gridlock in Kirkmichael.

Champion of champions was a 10-month-old British Blue cross Limousin bullock called Bill Black, shown by 12-year-old Ruby Simpson from Mains of Creuchies, Alyth, who reared him from a calf.

Ruby was repeating her success at Strathardle last year with another calf, Jimmy Black, and has been a regular at shows all summer, competing at Fife, Alyth, Kirriemuir and Perth and winning the young handlers championships at Alyth and Kirriemuir.

In reserve cattle place was a Marchborn Limousin cross bullock from Neil Drummond, Cloquhat Farm, Bridge of Cally. He said he remembered as many as 90 cattle being entered with classes of 19 animals when he first started showing at Strathardle, and welcomed the enthusiasm of this year’s young cattle and sheep exhibitors.

The show’s top sheep, and reserve champion of champions was the cross ewe, one of a pair of Texels “with a tiny bit of Beltex” from 11-year-old Ben Macdonald, Meadows of Ballied, Blairgowrie. He also won the prime lambs class with a pen of March-born Texel cross Beltex lambs.

The North Blackface winner, an April-born tup lamb by an Achdregnie tup and an Achdregnie-bred ewe, came from Alan Petrie, Ruthven, Alyth. He said it was the best lamb to be born on the farm this year, and is destined for the Perth Ram Sales in October.

Showing at Strathardle for the first time, Snaigow Estate took the reserve championship with a tup lamb off a Calla loan by a £3,500 Haughton and out of a home-bred ewe by a £3,000 Calla.

The South Blackface champion from Balnabroich was a two-crop ewe off a £2,000 Troloss. She was champion at Alyth this summer.

In reserve place was Glenfernate Estate with an April-born ewe lamb by a £2,200 Lurg sire and out of a dam by a £3,000 Elmscleuch.

A scene from the sheep judging.

Pictures: Steve Brown. Top left: All the judges were involved in choosing the show’s champion of champions. Above: Ruby Simpson and her supreme champion, Bill Black. Below: Ben Macdonald with his cross sheep champion.