Argyll farmers contribute greatly to the Royal Highland Show
ACCLAIMED as one of the best days out in Scotland, the Royal Highland Show has once again done the business.
There was plenty of business done over the four days of the event, held at the Ingliston showground between Thursday and Sunday June 23 and 26 – but the emphasis was on competition and fun for most of the 188,810 people who went along.
Argyll and the Isles were well represented across many aspects of this huge show, and the region’s sheep farmers were making their presence felt in the busy show rings.
Argyll hill farmer Davie Jackson performed judging duties among the blackface breed, and he awarded the MacGregor family of the Dyke, Milton of Campsie, the blackface championship for their aged tup.
Travelling from Iona, Andrew Prentice was placed first with his tup lamb, while J&J MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, Loch Awe, also featured, securing sixth place for their own tup lamb.
The MacPhersons’ unshorn ewe with lamb at foot was placed fourth in her class. The ewe, off a £6,000 Connachan sire, was a winner at last year’s Lorn, Mid Argyll and Dalmally shows.
In sixth place in this class was a ewe shown by Andrew Campbell from Lochgoilhead.
The judge said: ‘A lot of people have said it was the strongest show of blackies seen here for a number of years, and I would agree.
‘Overall the standard was very good and pretty level and it was quite difficult to decide, but the champion tup from the Dyke had a great conformation and was very correct.’
Shown by farm manager John MacLachlan, traditional type bluefaced Leicesters from J&M Turner, Kildalloig, Campbeltown, performed very well.
Mr MacLachlan was delighted to come away with first prize for his ewe lamb, which was later awarded the overall reserve female champion title. The Kildalloig team also won fourth for their tup and sixth for a ewe.
Among the crossing type bluefaced Leicesters, powerful two-shear tup Midlock Knight Rider was placed first. Coowned by Andrew Campbell from Lochgoilhead and Drymen’s Jamie Pirie, the tup is off Midlock Mustang.
Huge entry
Great supporters of the show are the MacLean family from Heylipol Farm on the Isle of Tiree. Among a huge entry of Beltex sheep, in which Maybole farmer John Barclay had the unenviable task of placing the winners, Alasdair MacLean achieved a fifth place rosette with his ewe lamb in a 48-strong field. The winning lamb is by Callacrag Wise Crack out of Tiree Sophie.
Across the showground, the Highland cattle lines saw some familiar Argyll faces.
Willie MacLean from West Ferlochan, Benderloch, was there with daughter Lynne showing cattle from Michael Poland’s Mottistone fold. Lynne proudly led two-yearold bull Eoin Mhor 15th of Mottistone – an animal that was male champion at both Stirling and the Doune and Dunblane show in 2015 – to a third prize in his class.
There was another Argyll connection among the prize winners. Catherine MacKechnie, originally from Kilfinan but now farming at Gartocharn, had show success with her Highlanders. Among a clutch of rosettes, Mrs MacKechnie won the young bull class with Dochie 1st of Gartocharn, also deemed best junior Highlander.
Among the horses, Fraser and Lorna Boyd from Ardentinny are show regulars.
With their Highland pony mare Peggy of Combebank, they secured fourth in the yeld mare in-hand class.
Since her supreme championship at Drymen this year she has been nursery novice ridden champion and reserve novice ridden champion in the Picton finals at the National Pony Society show at Strathallan Castle, qualifying for the finals at Malvern in August.
David and Callum MacPhail, the Moy, Campbeltown, won a first prize in the Clydesdales for their mare Garcal-fra Sweet Chloe with foal at foot, with their foal – by Dillars Top Gun – also winning the reserve female champion title.
Duncan McPhail of Skernish, Glenbarr, was also there with Clydesdale horses in harness, competing in the harness and driving open single cart class among had a field of 24, said to be the largest assembled in Britain.
There was much more for Argyll to be proud of at the Highland Show – including a recruitment first prize for the Argyll district young farmers; a woodland award for Kilfinan community forest and some fantastic food exhibits.