Heifers are cream at Scottish Winter Fair
Heifers are cream at Scottish Winter Fair
HEIFERS were the cream of the crop at last weeks Scottish National Winter Fair, taking both the supreme championship and reserve title.
Stuart Ogle and wife Una, Jennyswoodston Farm, Kippen, Stirling took the top honours in what judge Archie MacGregor described as the best show in 21 years of the winter fair.
The winning beast, Banton Babe, was by the Charolais sire Allanfauld Fanfare and out of a Limousin cross dam. She weighed in at 460kg and had a weight gain of 1.33kg/day. She was later sold for £2800 to butcher John Anderson from North Berwick.
Reserve championship went to Hugh Dunlops Limousin cross heifer Shania. She later sold for £1000 to Giacinto Fusetti of the Milan Butchers Guild and will be exported after slaughter at Scotbeefs Strathaven abattoir – the only slaughterhouse in Scotland licensed to handle cattle under the date-based export scheme.
Heifers were also the order of the day in the winter fairs Scottish National Premier Meat Exhibition, with Sandy Brown, of AC Brown, Reidhall, Stracathro, Brechin, taking the champion beef carcass title with a 495kg heifer.
The beast had earlier stood second in the live classes to Wooler farmer Fred Murrays Belgian Blue heifer cross.
The overall championship in the pure-bred classes went to Maxwellton Estates Galloway steer, T-Bone, with the reserve title taken by Stuart Fotheringhams Limousin heifer, Ballinloan Original.
Lightweight steer Nicol, a Belgian Blue cross from Ewen MacPherson and sons took the champion butchers class steer title, with Mr J McKechnies Limousin cross, Robstopper, in reserve.
In the sheep classes, John and Peter Hall from Inglewood Edge, Dalston, Carlisle, took the supreme championship with a pair of Beltex cross lambs.
Reserve went to a pen of two Texel cross lambs from William Howat, Kinnaird, Dairsie, Cupar.
Again in the Scottish National Premier Meat Exhibition it was the second-placed animal in the live class that took the top award in the carcass class.
The champion lamb carcass came from R&G Colegrave, Guardswell, Abemyte, Inchture. It killed out at 50%, with a carcass weight of 18.5kg and was graded E3L.
The top award for the pen of pigs went to Allan Blackwood from Pathhead, Midlothian. It was a victory tinged with sadness for Mr Blackwood who, like so many others in the sector, is being forced to go out of pigs.
Reserve championship was won by FM and G Batchelor from The Hatton, Carnoustie.
The tables were turned, however, in the best single pig category, with the Batchelors taking the championship and Mr Blackwood in reserve.