The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Silver Belle reigns supreme at classic
Although there was not a huge show of cattle at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic yesterday, judges Scott Watson, Carnoustie, and Harry Woods, Bowland Foods, Preston said the quality was excellent and their champion was an outstanding show beast as well as a butchers’ animal.
Taking supreme was Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff, who, despite having shown here for more than 20 years, has lost none of his enthusiasm for the job.
His winner was Silver Belle, a Charolais cross heifer by Balthayock Nicolas. Wilson explained: “I bought her mother, a Limousin cross British Blue, from Ronnie and Graham Mackie at The Ross, and this calf must have been in-utero.”
She was first in her class at Agriexpo and second at Livescot and sold for £4,200 to Scott Watson for Anthony Kitson of Harrogate.
Reserve was another heifer, this time a Limousin cross named Jager Bomb from 19-year-old Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, Peterhead.
She was purchased from Orkney breeder Balfour Baillie at the Spectacular in the spring and was being shown for the first time since. She made £3,200 to S and K Mackie Butchers, Aberlour.
The best steer was a British Blue cross, scaling 654kg from Blair Duffton, Huntly.
This one, out of a Limousin cow, was bred at Shewglie Farms and sold for 350p/kg to an undisclosed buyer. Reserve steer was a Limousin cross scaling 596kg from J and D Fraser, Easter Clune, Nairn, which sold for 300p/kg to Bowland Foods.
Wilson had a good day, as he also won the butchers’ championship with a 592kg Limousin cross heifer bred by the Robertsons at Newton of Logierait by their stock bull, Glenrock Inferno.
She was reserve champion at the Limousin event in August. Yesterday she sold for £4,000, also to Kitson. Wilson’s native champion, an Aberdeen Angus cross heifer bred by David Works and called Works Wonder, scaled 608kg and made 510p/kg to J Masonfield, Bridgend, Islay.
David Work, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny, brought out the reserve butchers’ champion, a Limousin cross steer by Lodge Hamlet, also bred by Balfour Baillie and bought at the Spectacular. This was her first time out since, and she made £2,700 to Jamie Scott, Paisley.
The Young Farmers haltered cattle was dominated by girls, with 15-year-old Tilly Munro from Invercharron, Ardgay, taking the championship with her British Blue cross heifer, Teenage Tantrum.
This heifer was bought from Shewglie Farmers at Dingwall last October and swept the boards in Young Farmers classes throughout the summer, winning at Latheron, Caithness, Sutherland, Nairn, the Black Isle and Grantown, including supreme commercial champion at Nairn. Bruce of the Broch Butchers in Fraserburgh bought her for £2,900.
Fourteen-year-old Anna Fettes from Braes of Enzie, Buckie, was showing for the first time and was delighted when her black British Blue cross steer, bred by Stevie Mitchell, Bancraig and bought at Thainstone last November, came reserve. This one also went to Kitson for £2,000.
Ms Fettes also had the reserve champion heifer with a 654kg Limousin cross bred in Orkney, sold to Kitson for 330p/kg.
Reserve steer was a Limousin cross British Blue bred by Ian Miller Farms brought out by Caly Harper, Westholme, Deveron Road, and sold for 340p/kg to Kitson.
Ms Fettes enjoyed further success in the Young Farmers unhaltered section with a Limousin cross heifer bought at Dingwall in the spring and scaling 628kg, selling for 360p/kg to John Stewart Butchers, Banff, while reserve was Stuart Ross, Wardhead, Strichen, with a 594kg British Blue cross heifer which made 420p/kg to Bankhead Farms.
In the open unhaltered classes, it was Anna’s dad Ewan who took the honours with a 720kg Aberdeen Angus cross heifer bought here last October and sold for 460p/kg to Forbes Raeburn, Huntly. Reserve was another Aberdeen Angus cross heifer, this time a 17-month-old weighing in at 596kg from Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch.