The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Busy line-up for judges at farming highlight of year
Final preparations are under way for next week’s Royal Highland Show.
The event, which takes place on June 21-24 at Ingliston, near Edinburgh, has been well publicised with an iconic image of last year’s Blackface breed winner from Lanarkshire farmer Malcolm Coubrough. classes Many at of this the year’s livestock show have attracted record entries, and the task of placing these livestock will be in the hands of 41 judges from Scotland, 47 from England, 11 from Wales, nine from Northern Ireland and one from Ireland.
The overall sheep interbreed championship will be judged by James Sinclair, from Crookston in Midlothian, and the overall pairs and young handlers
by James MacGregor, of Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie, Glasgow. In the beef rings, the overall interbreed individual and teams will be decided by Kelso farmer Tom Arnott, and the native interbreed teams by Orkney farmer Liam Muir, of Upper Onston, Stenness. And in line with 2018 being the Year of Young People, young cattle breeder Laura Green, of Corskie Farm, Garmouth, Fochabers, will judge the beef young handlers.
Her sister, Jemma, aged 18, will attend the show for the second time in her own right with entries from her Corskie flock of Texels.
She said: “I enjoy showing sheep and it’s a good way to advertise the flock. However, I am also really looking forward to the social aspect of the show as people gather from all around the country.”
Another young exhibitor is 25-year-old Chrissie Davidson, from Barns Farm, Perthshire, who is showing Aberdeen-Angus from the Barns view herd she established with her boyfriend, Glenn Thomson. She said: “It’s the highlight of the showing year, and I can’t wait to get in the ring and compete with the best cattle in the UK.”
Show manager David Jackson said: “The Highland Show has a loyal audience and we are incredibly proud that year after year the farming community support this event to make it the success it is.”
“It’s a good way to advertise the flock”