Heifer secures Aberdeen Angus championship at Royal Highland Winter Fair

An eight-month-old heifer from Mr Hamish Sclater, Denhead, Turriff, secured the championship at the Aberdeen Angus calf show at this year’s Royal Highland Winter Fair in Edinburgh.

Deveron Elize was homebred by the Sclaters and is one of only two progeny by Deveron Jackson Eric – a bull which sold for 5,000gns at this year’s Perth Bull Sales in February.  She is out of Deveron Elize (H241) and today’s success follows on from coming first in her class at the National Winter Show in Carlisle.

Mr Sclater, who keeps 60 cows, including 12 cross cows for embryo work, said he plans to take her on to Black Beauty Bonanza this weekend and the Royal Highland Show next year. This one is by the same Elize family that won the female championship at this show in 2008.

Judge Mrs Kay Adam, Newhouse of Glamis, Angus, said:  “I just thought she was very stylish and if I was to take an animal home to breed that was the one.  She is pretty perfect in every way, and oozing with breed character.”

Taking reserve was a seven-month-old heifer from Messrs W & D McLaren, Netherton Farm, Perthshire.  Netherton Blackbird is a product of the McLaren’s embryo programme and today’s win follows on from taking junior female champion at the Stars of the Future show in Forfar.

Mr Willian McLaren said:  “Her dam (Netherton Blackbird (D309)) got sold to the Savills herd, and her grand-dam sold for 12,000gns.”

He plans to keep her as a show heifer, taking her to next year’s shows, before entering her into the farm’s embryo programme.