Supreme beef champ makes £2,000 at Thainstone

Father and son James and Mark Munro took the supreme championship at this year’s Aberdeen Christmas Classic at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.

The pair, of Invercharron Farm, Ardgay, Sutherland, won the title and the best heifer championship with the 19-month-old Limousin cross heifer Thunder Thighs to cap a highly successful day for them.

They also took the best steer title with the 18-month-old Limousin cross Bo Selecta, although it then narrowly lost out in the overall supreme reserve championship to the reserve best heifer, a 15-month-old Limousin cross, S Factor, from Blair Duffton, Bogie Street, Huntly.

The supreme champion was bred by Dunmaglass estate and bought by the Munros at Dingwall for £550. It won the supreme title at this year’s Sutherland show.  It weighed in at 722kgs and sold for £2,000 to champion butcher John Davidson, Inverurie.

The Munro’s steer champion weighed in at 766kgs and sold for £1,874.25 to D and V Buchan, Savoch, Longside, Peterhead.

The supreme reserve champion from Blair Duffton had been bred by Andrew Anderson of Smallburn Farms, Duffus, Elgin. It weighed in at 580kgs and sold for £2,000 to Jamie Scott of John Scott Meats, Sandyford Road, Paisley, who was one of the judges at this year’s event..

Blair Duffton also won the butchers’ champion with a 20-month-old Limousin cross heifer Louby Lou, which had been bred by George and David MacArthur, Mid Fleenas, Nairn. It weighed 580kgs and sold for £2,000 to Aberdeen butcher Andrew Gordon via the i-bidder.com on-line auction system.

The reserve butchers’ champion was a 19-month-old 632kgs home bred Limousin cross steer from Harry Brown junior, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, Peterhead, which sold for £1,700 to John Scott Meats.

The Young Farmers’ champion went to 25-year-old Murray Rainnie, Loanhead, Logie Coldstone, Aboyne, with the homebred 21-month-old 606kgs Limousin cross heifer Va Va Voom, which sold for £2,000 to Bruce of the Broch Butchers, Broad Street, Fraserburgh.

The overall champion in the open unhaltered beef cattle was another success for Blair Duffton with Marma Duke, a 19-month-old 584kgs Limousin cross heifer which sold for £1,700 to Aileen Ingram, East Comalegy, Drumblade, Huntly, who was earlier one of the judges of haltered beef classes.

Nine-year-old Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, Longside, Peterhead, caused a stir by taking the reserve open unhaltered title with Jody, an 18-month-old Limousin cross heifer that sold for £1,700 to butcher John Davidson.

The Young Farmers’ unhaltered champion was won for the second year in a row by Catherine Beaton, South Auchmaliddie, Maud, Peterhead, with Tommy, a 23-month-old Limousin cross steer, which sold for £1,650 to the Bognie Arms Hotel, Forgue.

The Young Farmers’ unhaltered reserve champion went to brothers Jack and Craig Hendry, Heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith, with a 19-month 682kgs British Blue cross steer that sold for £1,600 to Angus Cumming of A & E Cumming, Tillydesk, Ellon.

SHEEP

The champion in the prime sheep category went to Rory Gregor, Oakfield, Thainstone, Inverurie, with a pair of Charollais cross lambs weighing 44kgs each and selling for £250 each to Backmuir Livestock, Keith.

Reserve champion was D and J Thomson, Pitnacree, Strathtay, Pitlochry with a pair of Beltex cross lambs weighing 44kgs each and selling for £220 each to the same buyer.

The best butchers’ lambs title went to Helen Smith, Scobshaugh, Cortachy, Kirriemuir, with a pair of Beltex cross lambs weighing 49kgs each and selling for £200 each to A.P. Jess, Paisley.

Reserve butchers’ lambs went to Rory Gregor with a pair of Texel cross lambs weighing 43kgs each and selling for £180 each to Hugh Gordon, Clochnahill, Stonehaven.

PEDIGREE SHEEP

The pedigree sheep lines saw a roaring trade with prices reaching a Thainstone centre record of 3,500gns for a Texel gimmer from James Innes of J C Innes and Sons, Dunscroft.

His gimmer was by the 29,000gn Millar’s Outstanding and in-lamb to the £40,000 Scholars Twenty Twelve. She was bought by Robbie Wilson, North Dorlaithers, Turriff.

The Texel champion came from Robbie Wilson with a gimmer by the 40,000gn Glenside Razzle Dazzle and in lamb to the 60,000gn Teiglum Tornado. It sold for 3,000gn to S Michie, Artlaw Crescent, Mintlaw.

Ian Farquhar, Silverleys, Duncanstone, Insch, received 2,500gns from D. MacNiven, Craigfarg, Glenfarg, Perth, for another Razzle Dazzle gimmer.

Graham Morrison, Inschbruich Farm, Cornhill, received 2,000gns for a Texel gimmer from D.N. Campbell, Bardnaclaven Farm, Bridge of Westfield, Thurso.

Top price in the pedigree Suffolk females was 3,000gns for a ewe lamb from the Drumpark flock dispersal held on behalf of Robbie Scott, Ashvale Cottage, Drums of Park, Cornhill, which was sold for Jimmy Douglas, Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh. He also sold a ewe for 1,600gns to W & C Ingram, Logie Durno Farm, Pitcaple.

The Suffolk champion was a gimmer from Robbie Wilson, which made 1,200gns to A.J. & A Benzie, Meikle Whiterashes, Turriff.

The Charollais champion was a ewe from W and C Ingram, Logie Durno Farm, Pitcaple, Inverurie, which sold for 380gns to A. Johnstone and Son, Tannachie, Stonehaven.

The top price Beltex was a ewe from Stuart Wood, Woolhillock, Skene, which was sold for 650gns to Z Rennie, Hill Street, Newmill, Keith.

Overall pedigree bull champion was an 18-month-old Limousin Anside Goliah from Mr & Mrs Stephen Irvine, Braehead Farm, Drummuir, Keith, which sold for 4,800gns to P.A. & P. Duncan, Northfield, Gamrie, Banff.

Charolais champion was the 22-month-old Harestone Gemeau from Neil Barclay, Harestone, Crathes, Banchory, which sold for 4,800gns to J. Boyne, Whinnyhaugh, Garmouth, Moray.

The Simmental champion was the 22-month-old Drumsleed Cougar from Gerald and Morag Smith, Drumsleed, Fordoun, Laurencekirk, which sold for 4,000gns to W. Laing, Lyne of Linton, Sauchen, Inverurie.

Another 4,800gns bid secured the 21-month-old Charolais entry, Elgin Gerald, from R.A. Milne, Kennieshillock, Llanbryde, Elgin, for G.W. Arnott & Sons, Bridgend, Tyrie, Fraserburgh.

Miss W J Kingaby, Mains of Auchmedden, Pennan, Fraserburgh, received 4,500gns for her two-year-old Charolais bull Utopia Fortune from Adam Brothers, Rivefold, Ythanwells, Huntly.

In the dairy sale, the top price of 2,300gns was reached three times. Colin G. Mair, Everton of Auchry, Cuminestown, achieved it twice, both to Messrs Barron, Darrahill Udny. S.G. Mair & Sons, also achieved the same figure from Messrs Baillie, Sebay, Tankern