Store cattle spectacular online

A major show and sale of top quality store cattle which was due to take place this week has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic – but will go ahead as an online auction next month.

The annual Thainstone Spectacular – which acts as a source for many of year’s top performing commercial show cattle – will take the form of a live online sale at Aberdeen ¶ Northern Marts (ANM) centre at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.

John Angus, head of livestock at ANM, said the move would offer sellers the chance to market their stock online and bidders to bid from home or as a registered buyer in the mart.

“We already have a tremendous show of calves with future show potential from regular consignors entered for the online sale and want to give buyers from across the country the chance to source top-quality stock from leading producers,” said Angus.

● Organisers of one of the year’s biggest live/dead shows and sale of stock, the Premier Meat Exhibition, which was due to take place in November have also decided to cancel their event.

The Scottish National Fat Stock Club felt that allowing the competition to go ahead would add unnecessary risks to everyone involved.

“Although this great competition is another event to be cancelled due to Covid 19, the Scottish National Fat Stock Club, Scotbeef and M&S look forward to making next year’s Premier Meat Exhibition one to remember,” said secretary Margaret Gray.