Angus breeders battle it out for top spot

Two leading Aberdeenshire herds battled it out for the top honours at the 13th Black Beauty Bonanza show of Aberdeen-Angus calves and yearlings on Saturday at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.

This year’s show, organised by the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club with attracted a record entry of 128 cattle from 27 herds from as far north as Orkney competing for £3500 in prize money.

The judge, Angus Stovold, owner of the old-established Rosemead herd in Surrey and vice-president of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, praised the quality of the cattle throughout the show which he described as outstanding.

“The Black Beauty is recognised as the best Aberdeen-Angus calf show in the country and I was greatly impressed with the size, strength and fleshing of the cattle and the professional way they were presented,” said Mr Stovold. “The show was a credit to the breed and to all the exhibitors.”

After each picking up four first prize tickets in the 12 classes, the Deveron herd of Hamish and Margaret Sclater at Denhead of Dunlugas, Turriff, and the Auchincrieve herd of the McCombie family at Auchincrieve, Rothiemay, went head-to-head when it came to the heifer championships.

In the end, honours were evenly shared with the Sclater’s winning the heifer calf title and the McCombie’s walking away with the yearling heifer award. The Deveron herd trumped its championship success by taking reserve in both sections while Auchincrieve stood reserve to Scotia Homes chairman, Bill Bruce, Logie, Ellon, for the keenly contested bull calf championship.

Repeating her championship success at the Aberdeen-Angus calf show at the Royal Highland Winter Fair on Wednesday was the Sclater’s heifer calf, Deveron Elize L348, an eight month old daughter of the home-bred Deveron Jackson Eric J283.

The sire was bull calf champion at the Black Beauty two years ago and the first Aberdeen-Angus to be sold at auction with a self replacing index (SRI) of over 60 when sold at Stirling in February for 5000gns. His daughter – one of only two calves sired by him in the Deveron herd – is being retained in the 60-strong herd and is destined for next year’s Royal Highland Show.

Mr and Mrs Sclater also stood reserve for the heifer calf award with the 10 month old, Deveron Lady L339, and the reserve yearling heifer award with the 19 month old, Deveron Proud Imogen K320, a first prize winner as a calf last year. Both were sired by the high performance bull, Blackhaugh Easy Papa G733.

Topping the yearling heifer class was an exceptionally well-grown 20 month old heifer, Auchincrieve Jessie Erica K303, shown by Charles McCombie and his two sons, Charles and Ben. The heifer was first in her class at Banchory Show during the summer and is a daughter of the 7000gns Perth sale purchase, Tonley Esquire F400, bred by Sellars Agriculture managing director, Neil Wattie, Mains of Tonley, Alford.

The McCombie’s reserve bull calf champion was the January-born Auchincrieve Emmerson L364, an AI son of Blelack Prince Consort A286, formerly a herd sire in the Glenbervie and Rosemount herds.

This calf was pipped at the post for the top award by Mr Bruce’s seven month old, Logie Politician L137, a much admired son of Blelack Lord Hildago H972, supreme champion at the Stirling sale in February, 2010, when purchased for the Logie herd for the top price of 25,000gns.

The Logie champion was paraded by stockman, Andrew Reid, who also showed the reserve yearling bull champion, the 20 month old Logie Red Leftback K932, a red son of Netherton Flyhalf G430.

Winner of the yearling bull championship was the massive 19 month old Blelack Equity K452, by the 10,000gns Oakchurch Dominator G035, from Neil and Graeme Massie, Blelack, Dinnet, Aboyne.

Both the champion and reserve will be heading for the spring bull sales at Stirling in February.

Champions

Heifer calf (Sponsored by Farm North East) – Hamish and Margaret Sclater, Denhead Farms, Dunlugas, Turriff, with Deveron Elize L348, by Deveron Jackson Eric J283, and reserve with Deveron Lady L339, by Blackhaugh Easy Papa A069

Yearling heifer (Sponsored by Farm North East) – C and E McCombie, Auchincrieve, Rothiemay, with Auchincrieve Jessie Erica K303, by Tonley Esquire F400; reserve – Hamish and Margaret Sclater with Deveron Proud Imogen K320, by Blackhaugh East Papa G733

Bull calf (Sponsored by Stewart Trailers) – M Bruce and Partners, Logie, Ellon, with Logie Politician L137, by Blelack Lord Hildago H972; reserve – C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Emmerson L364, by Blelack Prince Consort A286

Yearling bull (Sponsored by Stewart Trailers) – N F Massie and Sons, Blelack, Dinnet, with Blelack Equity K452, by Oakchurch Dominator G035; reserve – M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Red Leftback K932, by Netherton Flyhalf G430

Best pair of calves – Hamish and Margaret Sclater; reserve – C and E McCombie

Best pair of yearling – M Bruce and Partners; reserve – Hamish and Margaret Sclater

Class results

Heifer calves

Jan 9 – March 5, 2011 (Sponsored by Turriff Feeds) – 1 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Lady L339; 2 A and K Rhind and Son, Newton of Struthers, Kinloss, with Newton-Struthers Junerin L366; 3, 4 and 6 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Lady Inferno L371, Auchincrieve Elaine L394 and Auchincrieve Lady Image L382; 5 David Walker, Galcantray, Cawdor, Nairn, with Galcantray Pheasant L406

March 6 – 19, 2011 (Sponsored by East Coast Viners Animal Nutrition) – 1 and 5 Mr and Mrs Neil Gillanders, Newfield, Hatton, Peterhead, with Newfield Red Blossom L005 and Newfield Princess Champers L010; 2 M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Lady Black L096; 3 and 4 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Jacqueline Erica L347 and Deveron Lady L345; 5 N F Massie and Sons’ Blelack Ebolass L608

March 20 – April 4, 2011 (Sponsored by Harbro Ltd) – 1 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Elize L348; 2 Mr and Mrs Neil Gillanders’ Newfield Premium L012; 3 Cavan and Kim O’Dwyer, Craigour, Glassel, Banchory, with Craigour Roby L143; 4 A and K Rhind and Son’s Newton-Struthers Pinky Poly L432; 5 and 6 Schivas Estates Ltd, Schivas, Ellon, with Schivas Evanoll L995 and Schivas Frances L996

April 5 – May 24, 2011 (Sponsored by A M Phillip Agritech Ltd) – 1 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Jumbo Erica L432; 2 Alex and Philippa Davie, Bankhead, Perkhill, Lumphanan, with Perkhill Kutie Pixie L108; 3 and 5 Neil Wattie, Mains of Tonley, Alford, with Tonley Princess L761 and Tonley Fiona L781; 4 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Ethelle L443; 6 Mr and Mrs Neil Gillanders’ Newfield Preference L018

Yearling heifer

March 4 – August 24, 2010 (Sponsored by Ovaflo Cattle Breeding Services) – 1 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Jessie Erica K303; 2 and 5 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Proud Imogen K320 and Deveron Red Lady K306; 3 M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Elegant K889; 4 Alex and Philippa Davie’s Perkhill Eyrie K084; 6 Phyllis Hepburn, Messigate, Tankerness, Orkney, with Burnside Barbara K436

Bull calves

Jan 11 – March 7, 2011 (Sponsored by Johnston Carmichael) – 1, 2 and 3 Auchincrieve Emmerson L364, Auchincrieve Eric L367 and Auchincrieve Jaeger Eric L385; 4 A Fordyce and Sons, Bridgefoot, Kemnay, with Bridgefoot Blockbuster L681; 5 Mr and Mrs Neil Gillanders’ Newfield Pirate L001; 6 Henk and Helen Rennie, Westfield of Ardoyne, Insch, with Ardoyne Junta Eric L017

March 8 – March 15, 2011 (Sponsored by Norvite) – 1 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Essien L405; 2 M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Roddam L105; 3 Mr and Mrs Neil Gillanders’ Newfield Pilot L006; 4 Sandy Anderson, Strypes, Elgin, with Strypes Elgin L807; 5 Richard Paterson, Craigelea, Westcraigie, with Craiglea Earl L097; 6 Schivas Estates’ Schivas Edward L964

March 16 – April 4, 2011 (Sponsored by Bank of Scotland) – 1 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Preston L349; 2 A Fordyce and Sons’ Bridgefoot Bertie L707; 3 Neil Wattie’s Tonley Vettel L757; 4 Sir Moir Lockhead, Glassel Farms Ltd, Banchory, with Glassel Blackbeard L865; 5 Schivas Estates’ Schivas Lord Jock L968; 6 N F Massie and Sons’ Blelack Evelix L612

April 5 – April 19, 2011(Sponsored by John Watson Seeds) – 1 and 4, M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Politician L137 and Logie Extra Special L136; 2 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Jackpot Eric L439; 3 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Jarrow Eric L354; 5 Sir Moir Lockhead’s Glassel Justin Eric L889; 6 Henk and Helen Rennie’s Ardoyne Dakota L198

April 20 – May 23, 2011 (Sponsored by NFU Mutual) – 1 Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Penzance L360; 2 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Lord Income L144; 3 Ballindalloch Home Farms, Ballindalloch, with Ballindalloch Master Peter L360; 4 N F Massie and Sons’ Blelack Black Bucaneer L696; 5 and 6 Mr and Mrs Neil Gillanders’ Newfield Ellerman L016 and Newfield Ellerman L016

Yearling bulls

Jan 1 – April 4, 2010 (Sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland) – 1 and 3 M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Red Leftback and Logie Proud Prince K991; 2 David Walker’s Galcantray Chieftain K355; 4 David Sole, Glenbuchat Farms, Strathdon, with Glenbuchat Bruce K149; 5 C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Endurance K267; 6 Graham Willox, Cardenwell, Fyvie, with Strathinver Mr Bean K080

April 9 – May 18, 2010 (Sponsored by Turriff District Agricultural Association) – 1 and 5, N F Massie and Sons’ Blelack Equity K452 and Blelack Prince Camelot K500; 2 Ken and Margaret Howie, Cairnton, Lumphanan, with Cairnton Electorate K283; 3 Neil Wattie’s Tonley Petrov K703; 4 and 6 Alex and Philippa Davie’s Perkhill Blackbonanza K089 and Perkhill Black Eagle K075