Thainstone Spectacular tops trade at £5,400

Moray farmer Andrew Anderson won the supreme championship at the Aberdeen & Northern Marts Spectacular show and sale at the Thainstone Centre, earlier this week.

It was the second year in a row that Mr Anderson, of Smallburn Farms, Plewlands, Duffus, Elgin, took the top title in the contest .

His champion, which also took the junior title, was a home-bred six-month-old 304kg Charolais cross steer by Craigland Danial. It was only the second outing for his champion. It previously won the reserve championship in the cross cattle section at Grantown Show.

It was the fifth time Andrew Anderson has won the Spectacular supreme title following last year’s success and wins in 2009; 2004 and 2003.

This year’s Spectacular judges, Jason Wareham, of Broadoak, East Sussex and Andrew Ewing, of Dumbretton Farm, Annan, plumped for the Smallburn entry in a two-way contest with the senior champion, The Rock, a year-old 512kg Limousin cross steer from Mark and Debby Munro, of Invercharron, Ardgay, Sutherland.

The Rock, by the 4,000gns Baillia Cavalier, had been a leading winner at the summer shows including the cross cattle championship at Caithness and reserve in the Scottish championship show at Keith.

The overall champion from Smallburn later sold for £3,800 to an undisclosed English buyer. The Rock went for £1,800 to Blair Duffton, of Bogie Street, Huntly.

Top sale price was £5,400 which went to the unhaltered champion from Huntly butcher Gary Raeburn with a 13-month-old 460kg Limousin cross heifer, originally bred by Laura George, The Parrock, Rothiemay. It was bought by Michael Alford, of Taunton, Somerset.

The senior heifer champion title went to Rory Hood, of Middlehill, Glen Clova, with a 15-month-old, 600kg British Blue cross. It was his first attempt at the haltered classes in the competition and his champion later sold for £2,800 to Scott Watson, Carnoustie.

The junior heifer champion came from Gordon Hendry and family, of Heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith, with an April-born, 262kg Limousin by Spittleton Barty. This entry had taken first prize in all six summer summers it competed in. It was sold for £2,400 and went to Gordon’s son, Jack Hendry.

The reserve senior steer champion went to Ian Wilson, of Wester Cairnglass, Gollanfield, Inverness, along with his son Paul and daughters Anna and Sarah with a year-old home-bred 478kg Limousin cross by the 7,800gn Middledale Toronto. It sold for £1,500 to show judge Jason Wareham.

Stewart Rainnie, of Loanhead, Logie Coldstone, Aboyne, took the reserve junior steer title with a homebred eight-month-old 292kg Limousin cross which sold for £1,700 to Paul Barwood, of Fleggburgh, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Speyside exhibitor Michael Durno, of Auchorachan, Glenlivet, took the reserve heifer title in both the senior and junior competitions. His senior winner was a homebred year-old 418kg Limousin cross, which was previously female cross cattle champion at Turriff and sold for £1,900 to Blair Duffton.

Michael’s junior reserve winner was a homebred seven-month-old 342kg Charolais cross which sold for £1,450 to show judge Andrew Ewing.

Other leading prices included £3,200 to Messrs W. McLaren, of Muirhouses Farm, Cortachy, Kirriemuir for their seven-month-old 300kg Limousin cross heifer which won a first at Fettercairn show. The buyer was Lucy Simmers, Backmuir, Keith.

Wilson Peters, of Monzie Farms, Gilmerton, Crieff, received £2,800 for his unplaced 11-month-old 486kg Limousin cross heifer which had previously been calf champion at Alyth and was first at four other summer shows. It was knocked down to Linda Pidsley, of Honiton, Devon.

Steven Smith, of Sunnyhill Croft, Shandscross, Turriff, received £2,350, for his class runner-up 18-month-old 624kg British Blue heifer from L. Mitchell, Victoria Street, Insch.

The Munros of Invercharron received £2,200 for Sarah’s Girl, a 13-month-old 526kg Limousin cross heifer, which was previously calf champion at the Black Isle. Buyer was Scott Watson.

Another Munro entry, Red Hot, a class winning 11-month-old 464kg Limousin cross heifer, fetched £2,000 from Harry Brown, of Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud.

A busy ringside saw entries sold all over the UK including Somerset, Devon, East Sussex, Norfolk and Dumfriesshire.

Sale auctioneer John Angus said: “There was a very good turnout of buyers from all over and this was reflected in the excellent trade which saw the averages up on the previous year.”

Of the 55 animals sold, the 32 heifers averaged £4.42 a kg and £1,803.13, while the 23 steers averaged £3.63 a kg and £1,569.57.