The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Sheep breeds to the fore at Lodge Park gathering
Texel gimmer from Perthshire breeder named champion of champions
Braco Show’s busy sheep rings produced the event’s supreme champion of champions – a Texel gimmer from local breeder Cammie Gauld, Cairn Farm, Auchterarder.
The gimmer had to fight off competition from across central Scotland to win the sheep interbreed honour, with strong representation from Blue Faced Leicesters, Border Leicesters, well-supported classes of Blackfaces, Scotch Mules, commercial sheep, Beltex, Cheviot, Zwartbles, Ryelands and Suffolks.
Reserve interbreed sheep champion was the Blackface champion from T and M Paterson, Dunruchan Farm, Muthill.
Their winner was a two-crop ewe by an Oldhouseburn sire and out of a Midlock-bred ewe who was on her first show outing.
The support in the sheep rings was in stark contrast to the turnout in the show’s cattle section.
There were classes for Aberdeen Angus, Charolais or any other breed, but they failed to attract any entries and there was just a solitary Simmental entry.
The commercial cattle section was strong though and attracted considerable interest, and it was the commercial champion that won the beef interbreed award.
The winner was Randerson Jasmine, a 22-month-old Limousin heifer from Stewart and Lynsey Bett from Castleton Farm, Stirling.
This daughter of Emslies Galileo was no stranger to championship rosettes, having already won awards at Drimmin, Gargunnock and Stirling.
In reserve interbreed place was the Limousin champion, a three-year-old heifer who was shown with her bull calf.
She came from Ronald Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling, and she too has had championship success at Drimmin Show this year.
Braco Show chairman Alistair Smith, a farrier at Kinbuck, said sheep and horse entries were booming and a lot of effort had gone into trying to persuade more cattle breeders to take their stock to the show.
“We’ve had a successful day and great weather, lots of trade stands and the Scottish Ferret Club is here running races this year, so it has been great, but we have struggled with cattle numbers which is a bit disappointing,” he said.
In the heavy horse ring the winner of the interbreed John Maxton trophy was the Clydesdale champion West Bank Ruby Tuesday, a nine-year-old brood mare from Kevin Wilson of Blackford.
She was shown with her two-monthold filly foal, Blueton Willow, who seemed to find the judging tiring and could be seen stretched out having a nap between classes.
Ruby Tuesday, who was bred by Peter Keron of Madderty, won a first prize at Doune and Dunblane and a reserve championship at Stirling before her top award at Braco. She is entered for Perth Show at the beginning of next month.
Reserve heavy horse was the miniature Shetland mare from Adele Stewart, Grange of Elcho Farm, Rhynd.
This five-year-old mare was second at the Royal Highland Show and the novice champion at the breed’s central group show last year.