Ladies reign supreme at Thainstone Christmas classic

Renowned cattle showman Harry Brown junior took the supreme championship at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic today with heifers sweeping up all the major cattle titles.

 

Harry, of Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, Peterhead bagged the overall championship and heifer title with Beldie, a 20-month-old British Blue cross named Cabrach Radio.

 

His champion was originally bred by Rory Hood, of Middlehill, Glen Clova and weighed in at 600kg. It was later sold for a sale topping £6,000 to show judge and champion butcher Gary Raeburn and his father Charles of Forbes Raeburn Butchers, Huntly.

 

The reserve supreme championship also went to a heifer, Red Snapper, an 18-month-old Limousin cross, from Donald Morrison, Cairn Nulla, Burnside, Kinlochbervie, which had stood second to Beldie in its class and in the heifer championship.

 

Originally bred in Cumbria, this 622kg entry was sold for £3,800 to butcher Andrew Gordon, of Chattan Place, Aberdeen.

 

The butchers’ championship went to another heifer from Don Anderson of G and D Anderson, Brucewells, Netherley, Stonehaven, with a 23-month-old, 514kg Limousin cross which also sold for £3,800 to show judge Alan Healy, of Aubrey Allen, Coventry.

 

The reserve butchers’ champion also went to a heifer from Blair Duffton of Bogie Street, Huntly with Gee Whizz, a year-old Limousin cross originally bred by Lloyd Fowlie, of Guise, Tough, Alford. Weighing 568kg, it sold for £2,200 to Andrew Gordon.

 

Continuing the clean sweep by heifers was Reece Simmers, of Backmuir, Keith, by taking the title in the young farmers’ haltered championship with Honey Boo Boo, a 15-month-old Limousin cross originally bred by Michael Durno, Auchorachan, Glenlivet. This 508kg entry was sold for £2,000 to Fraserburgh butcher, Bruce of the Broch, Broad Street.

 

The young farmers haltered reserve champion was also a heifer from Anna Wilson of Wester Cairnglass , Gollanfield,  Ardersier, with a homebred 19-month-old Limousin cross, weighing 590kg and which sold for £2,600 to Orkney showman Balfour Baillie, of Sebay Cottages, Tankerness.

 

The overall steer championship went to Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart with Super Ally, a 19-month-old Limousin, weighing 640kg. This entry, originally bred by the Robertson family at Easter Fodderletter, Tomintoul, was a prolific winner during the summer show season and sold for £2,240 to the Bognie Arms Hotel, Forgue, Huntly.

 

Taking the reserve steer title was Donald Morrison with Black Scabbard, a 16-month-old Cumbria-bred 65kg Limousin cross which sold for £1,670.25 to David and Val Buchan, of Savoch, Longside, Peterhead.

 

The overall champion and heifer champion in the open unhaltered cattle was another success for Blair Duffton with Jinky, a 19-month-old Blonde D’Aquitaine originally bred by T Harrison & Sons, of Thorneybank, Penrith. It weighed in at 604kg and sold to £1,890 to Bruce of the Broch.

 

Taking the overall reserve unhaltered championship and steer title, for the second year in a row was 10-year-old Craig Buchan, of Nether Savoch, Longside, Peterhead, with a 19-month-old, 702kg Limousin cross which sold for £1,995 to ABP of Perth.

 

The young farmers’ unhaltered championship went to Jack Hendry, of heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith, with a 15-month-old 548kg Limousin cross heifer which was unsold.

 

The young farmers’ reserve unhaltered title and steer championship went to Anna Wilson with a homebred 14-month-old Limousin cross steer weighing 610kg and sold for £1,647 to ABP of Perth.

 

Caithness exhibitor Calum Angus, of West Mey Farm, Mey, by Thurso, took the overall championship in the prime sheep competition with a pair of Beltex cross lambs weighing 44kg each and selling for £200 each to Backmuir Trading, Keith.

 

The reserve prime sheep title went to husband and wife Ross and Kirsty Williams of Upper Tullochbeg, Huntly, with a pair of Beltex cross lambs weighing 41.5kg each and selling for £190 each to A Wright, of Hillhead, Glen of Newmill, Keith.

 

The butchers’ lambs title was another success for Ross and Kirsty Williams with a pair of Beltex crosses weighing 44kg each and selling for £320 each to A Wright.

 

Ryan Shand of Lythebrae Croft, Aberchirder, took the reserve butchers’ lambs title with a pair of Beltex lambs weighing 42kg and selling for £150 each to Scotbeef (Inverurie).

 

The young farmers prime sheep champion was Morag Brown, of Hilton of Culsh, New Deer, with a pair of Texel lambs weighing 46kg each and selling for £170 each to Backmuir, Keith.

 

Nicola Wylie, of Balbrydie Farm, Kirriemuir, was the reserve young farmers prime sheep champion with a pair of Beltex lambs weighing 47kg each and selling for £140 each to Scotbeef (Inverurie).

 

The pedigree sheep show and sale saw an excellent trade with 14 entries fetching four-figure prices to a high of 2,400gns.

 

That top price was paid by Douglas Webster, of Lower Reiss, Reiss, Wick, to James Innes & Sons, of Dunscroft, Huntly, for a Texel gimmer, which was reserve champion and sired by the 40,000gns Glenside Razzle Dazzle.

 

The Texel champion was a gimmer, also sired by Glenside Razzle Dazzle, from Graham Morrison’s Deveronvale flock at Inchbruich Farm, Cornhill, Banff, and sold for 2,000gns to Wendy Willox, of Home Farm, Druminoir, Rhynie.

 

Graham Morrison also received 2,200gns for another Texel gimmer from John Sutherland, of Sibmister, Castletown, Thurso.

 

The Suffolk champion, a gimmer from Graham Christie, of Newton of Balquhain, Inverurie, sold for 1,800gns to Sarah Finlay, of Newseat, Balthangie, Cuminestown, Turriff.

 

Reserve Suffolk champion was a ewe lamb from Pat Machray OBE, of Bilboa, Daviot, Inverurie, which sold for 500gns to J & L Scott, of Wester Biffie, Maud, Peterhead.

 

The Charollais champion, a gimmer from W & C Ingram, of Logie Durno Farm, Pitcaple, Inverurie, sold for 300gns L& A Anderson, of East Cairnton Farm, Drumoak, Banchory.

 

The Beltex champion was a gimmer from Colin Mair & Partners, of Muirfield, Everton of Auchry, Cuminestown, which sold for 400gns to A Johnstone & Partners, of Tannachie, Stonehaven.

 

Top Beltex price was 750gns for a class winning ewe from Stuart Wood of Woolhillock, Skene which was bought by A & J Millar, of Wester Duncanstone, Insch.

 

Leading price in the dispersal sale by Kevin Moir’s Rosebrae flock was 700gns for a 2 crop Beltex ewe while in the Blue Faced Leicester dispersal sale by RE and RF Scott’s Drumpark flock, the top price was 800gns for a one-crop ewe.

 

Overall pedigree bull champion and Charolais champion was the 22-month-old Ugie Hallmark from Colin Stuart, Belnoe, Braes of Glenlivet, Ballindalloch, which sold for the sale leading price of 7,500gns to George Wilson, of Turtory, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly.

 

The Limousin champion was the two-year-old Murrays Goliath from Ian Murray of Doonby, Westside, Glassel, Banchory, which sold for 4,200gns to Victor Roger, Tillybrig, Dunecht.

 

Simmental champion was Corskie Duke 12, a 21-month-old entry from Jimmy Green at Corskie, Garmouth, Fochabers, which sold for 4,00gns to John Watson, Overton, New Pitsligo, Fraserburgh.

 

The any other breed champion was a 20-month-old Aberdeen Angus bull, Schivas Mack, from Schivas Estates, Ythanbank, Ellon, which sold for 3,800gns to James Kellas, Bankhead, Rhynie.

 

In the dairy sale, the top price of 2,300gns went to Stuart Mair & Sons, of Kinnermit, Turriff, from John Shand of G Shand & Son, Chapelford, Buckie, for a heifer.

 

The same consigner also received 2,200gns from J & A David, of Tarbothill, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen. Another 2,200gn bid went to Colin Mair of Everton of Auchry, Cuminestown, again from John Shand.