Dunesk Unesta takes National Charolais title

Charolais breeders turned out an outstanding entry of quality cattle at the Scottish and Northern Charolais Breeders’ National Show staged at the New Deer Show on Saturday 19 July which was led by the five year old Dunesk Unesta, bred and exhibited by Jimmy and Margaret McMillan, Farnell, Brechin. Not only did Unesta claim the supreme female and overall Charolais event award, but she went on to secure the overall beef interbreed award on the field. 

“This show attracted an outstanding entry, in particular there was great strength and depth in some large classes exhibited by the younger generation which confirmed the future of the Charolais breed is in good hands,” commented judge, Stuart Wood, of Garston, Orkney. “However, Unesta was the firm winner – there was nothing to touch her. She is truly feminine and demonstrates all the attributes of the breed; strength, depth and mobility, and those were reflected in her calf at foot which is already showing a great deal of potential.”

Unesta who claimed her fourth beef interbreed title on Saturday in as many outings this season including the Royal Highland, has got to be the best ever turned out from the McMillan’s six cow herd. A rising five year old Oldstone Egbert daughter and out of a homebred Perth female champion, she began her show ring career back in 2005 by securing the Royal Highland breed title. Her promising six month old bull calf is by the 12,000gns reserve intermediate Perth champion, Brampton Albert.

Pipped into overall reserve place was the junior female champion, Inverlochy Brie from father and son team, John and Raymond Irvine, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch.

This 21 month old who secured her first ever major award at the event, was out of the family’s several times champion Ballindalloch Upas and among the first crop of calves by the 6,000gns Gower Versace jointly owned by the Irvines and the Elgin based Milne family, Roy, James, Matthew and Sam, and running between their two herds amounting to 95 cows.  

The Milne family also took the junior male champion, Elgin Concord, an 11 month old who judge, Stuart Wood declared ‘had a big future’. In addition, their 18 month old heifer, Elgin Callgirl, another Verace daughter was awarded the reserve junior female title.

However it was the Irvines who just had the edge towards the end of the day. Their Inverlochy Brie teamed up with another Versace daughter to win the overall pairs award. The duo then added to the team the reserve senior female champion, Inverlochy Violet, to win the group of three. Violet who is making her showring debut this year, is a four year old Rumsden Samurai daughter and exhibited with her three week old by the 4000gns Lochend Apache.

The senior male section was headed by Goldies Banker, a two year old Oldstone Egbert son secured for 14,000gns in Perth by Jimmy Wilson. Currently running with his 50 cow Ugie herd, based at Mintlaw, Peterhead, Banker has already secured this season the Echt championship and reserve male title at the Royal Highland.

Standing below Banker in reserve senior male position was Cargriff Victorious, the 12,000gns Perth champion, a four year old exhibited by father and son team, Neil and Graeme Massie, Dinnet, Aboyne; while the reserve junior male title went to Harestone Count, a yearling by Maerdy Impeccable and bred and exhibited by Neil Barclay, Crathes, Banchory.

Following on from the report on the show of Pedigree Charolais Cattle at New Deer Show, Aberdeenshire,  the Scottish and Northern area committee provided a welcome addition to the special prizes by sponsoring the award for the best cross bred sired by a registered Charolais Bull and reserve.

 

Winning the award was the Overall Section Reserve Champion, a classy 5 month old heifer calf from John Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly described by section Judge, Dougie McBeath, as a ‘real maker’ with loads of potential.

 

Ably shown by John’s 13 year old son Ewan together they held off the challenge of a strong section dominated by Limousin crosses, beaten only by the section Champion from Harry Brown Jr, Mains of Auchmaliddie, Maud.  All the more sweeter for the Huntly duo was the fact is was a summer-showing debut not only for Ewan but his Father too.

 

Runner-up was show stalwart Michael Durno, Auchorachan, Glenlivet, Banffshire with another home bred calf, a November 2007 born Bullock by a home-bred sire, who led the class for bullock born between 1st September 2007 and 1st January 2008 and will have his next outing at Nairn Show this coming Saturday (26th July).