The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Skye and calf win praise from judge
Highland cattle in the spotlight at charity event
Highland cattle breeders had a bonus event to round off this year’s summer show season this year.
A charity event held at Balnabroich, Strathardle, attracted entries from many of the top folds in the country for a morning’s showing followed by a farm tour, a garden walk and a dinner for 180 people.
The event was organised by Sir Michael and Lady Sally Nairn and raised more than £45,000 for new medical charity PATCH which has been set up to support specialist palliative care for hospital patients.
Tayside GP and consultant in palliative care, Dr Pamela Levack is medical director of PATCH and Sir Michael is chairman of the board of directors.
Presenting the champions with their prizes, Dr Levack said: “We are hugely touched at the amount of thought and hard work which has gone into this weekend.
“The exhibitors, the spectators and everyone here at Balnabroich have been fully on board and made this a wonderful event.”
The championship trophy, a bronze of a Highland bull’s head sculpted by Lady Sally, went to Donald MacNaughton, Kelty, for his four-year-old cow, Skye 4th of Rannoch.
A frequent prizewinner as a heifer, this Fergus of Isle of Bute daughter was also the female champion and reserve overall at the first National Highland Cattle Breed Show. She was shown on Saturday with her March-born heifer calf by Beinn Lyell of Earn at foot.
The reserve overall championship was collected by David Soutar, Strathellie, Alyth, with his two-year-old bull, Fionn Mhor of Strathellie.
Mr Soutar, who was farms director at Strathmore Estates before he retired, has 16 cows in his new fold and this was the first calf born into it.
Fionn Mhor is by Douglas of Roisbhen and out of a cow from the Glamis fold.
The judge, Archie McArthur from Ormsary, Lochgilphead, said: “This has been a good show of Highland cattle.
“The champion is a well-balanced cow with a very good calf at foot.”