Butchers out in force for the Aberdeen Christmas Classic

Limousin cross heifer Cinnamon spices up sale with £5,000 price tag

Butchers flocked to the Thainstone Centre, near Inverurie, for the show and sale of prime cattle and lambs at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic yesterday.

Leading the sale at £5,000 (781p/ kg) was the overall prime cattle and heifer champion, as judged by Jamie Chapman, of James Chapman Butchers in Wishaw, and Frank Yorke, from Yorkes of Dundee butchers.

Put forward by Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, from Huntly and Insch, the sale topper was the May 2018-born Limousin cross heifer Cinnamon.

Weighing 640kg, she is by Maraiscote Lothario and was bred by Gordon Cameron, Acharacle, Argyll. She was bought in October 2018 for £4,000 when she was champion at the weaned calf show at Thainstone, and sold to Yorkshire butcher Anthony Kitson.

Next best at £3,500 (565p/kg) was the young farmers’ prime cattle champion, judged by Anna Forsyth, from WTS Forsyth & Sons Butchers in Peebles.

This was the 620kg January 2018born Limousin cross heifer Merida, from Thomas Hall, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud. She sold to Raeburn Butchers in Huntly.

The butchers’ cattle champion made £3,100 (524p/kg) selling to Bruce of the Broch butchers in Fraserburgh. Put forward by well-known Perthshire breeder Wilson Peters and shown by his partner Kim Stretch, was the home-bred 592kg September 2018-born British Blue cross heifer She Za Diamond. By Diamond Blue Isambard, she was second at LiveScot.

Next best at £3,000 (450p/kg) was the reserve overall and bullock champion from Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart.

This was the 666kg March 2018-born Limousin cross Gazza, by Pabalo Mr Muscles. Bred by Gary Bell, Haaside, he sold for £3,000 to Yorkes of Dundee.

Wilson Peters made £2,500 (438p/ kg) selling his reserve butchers’ champion to David Comrie Butchers in Comrie. This was the home-bred 570kg May 2018-born Limousin cross heifer The Wee Housewife, by Anside Hawkeye.

Averages: heifers, 32, 330.9p/kg; steers, 14, 278.66p/kg.

Kim Stretch holds the butchers’ cattle champion, from Crieff breeder Wilson Peters, which sold for £3,100 at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic yesterday.