KEITH and District Young Farmer, Mark Robertson from Mid Fodderletter, Tomintoul, dominated the North Region Young Farmers' overwintering show and sale at Thainstone, last week, when he stood overall champion, home-bred champion and topped the sale at £2500.

The event, which was running it's 26th year, attracted a smaller entry than previously, of 38 calves, which cashed in to average £1244.29 or 2.64p per kg.

Mark, who has won both the overall champion and home-bred champion three times before, claimed the tri-colour this year with an 11-month-old, 518kg, British Blue cross bullock named Gordy after it's respective breeder, Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, Acharacle. Bought from D McLaren, Classlochie, at Thainstone, last October, for £1180, Gordy stood Young Farmers Rising Stars champion at the Christmas Classic, last December and was reserve bullock champion at the Spring Show. He sold for £1700 to the judge, Louise Allan from Arnsow, Kirkmichael, Maybole, Ayrshire.

Standing home-bred champion was Mark and family's similarly aged British Blue cross bullock weighing 410kg.

By the British Blue bull, Midlock Jackpot, he is out of a dam which bred Super Ally, the home-bred champion here in 2013 which sold for £4200 and Um Bungo, the Young Farmers Christmas Classic bullock champion in 2016.

The top price however, at £2500 when sold to WA Taylor, Woodland, Ballater Road, Aboyne, was the second prize intermediate heifer which tipped the scales at 428kg. Producing a gross margin of more than £1300 for Mark, this 10-month-old heifer was also bred by Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, and bought at Thainstone, last October.

Next best at £2000 was the heifer champion and reserve overall from fellow Keith YF member, Jack Hendry, Heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith. Bred by Una MacDonald, Lower Cairnglass, Gollanfield, this 11-month-old Limousin cross heifer is by an Anside bull and out of a Limousin cross British Blue cow. She sold to Keith Commercials, Corsairtly, Keith.

Another member from the same club, Gary Morrison of Bush Farm, Mulben, Keith, sold his first prize unhaltered heifer for £1850 to an undisclosed buyer in Caithness. Bought here last October for £720, this April 2017-born heifer weighing 422kg was bred by Robert Wright, Woodend Croft, Clovullen, Ardgour.

Young Kyle Cruickshank from Clury, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown-on-Spey, a member of Strathspey Young Farmers Club and who was competing in the competition for the first time, sold his first prize Limousin cross intermediate bullock for £1560 to Backmuir, Keith. Bought for £1020 from breeder, Una MacDonald, in October, he is also by an Anside bull, out of a Limousin cross British Blue cow.

Nairn JAC member, Grant Fraser from Easter Clune, Lethen, Nairn, who was competing in his last year, having competed an impressive sixteen years in the competition, stood first prize in the heavy heifer section with a Limousin cross heifer which made £1450 to Angus Greenlaw, Sheep Park Farm, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly. Bred by Simon Stephen, Meikle Geddes, Cawdor, Nairn, this April 2017-born heifer scaled 510kg.

Last to sell at £1300 or more was Jack Smith's home-bred Charolais cross bullock from Bankhead, Duffushill Road, Portlethen. Born in March 2017, he weighed in at 620kg and stood second in class. Selling for £1360, buyer here was W and J Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Grange, Keith.

With the majority of entries from Keith and District YFC acquiring points throughout the competition, they took the prize for the best overall club, while Nairn JAC in second.

LEADINGawards:

Unhaltered – Light bullock – 1, Stuart Pirie, Ploverwards, Edingight, Grange (396kg, £1050); 2, Stuart Ross, Wardhead, Strichen, Fraserburgh (390kg, £1010); 3, Scott Duguid, Mains of Cranna, Aberchirder, Huntly (428kg, £960). Heifer – 1, Gary Morrison, Bush Farm, Keith (422kg, £1850); 2, Euan Frank, Rennieshill, Newmachar, Aberdeen (452kg, £1020); 3, Stuart Ross, Wardhead, Strichen (374kg, unsold). Heavy bullock – 1, Alexia Chalmers, Midhill of Seggat, Auchterless, Turriff (506kg, £1150); 2, Craig Frank, Rennieshill, Newmachar, Aberdeen (494kg, £1250); 3, Frazer Sleigh, 25 Pringle Avenue, Tarves, Ellon (666kg, £1310).

Haltered – Light heifer – 1, Sally Glennie, Burnside of Keig, Alford (408kg, £1100); 2, Gary Morrison (376kg, £1000); 3, Stuart Pirie (398kg, £1080). Light bullock – 1, Alexia Chalmers (402kg, £1000); 2, Euan Frank (420kg, £1130); 3, S Pirie (396kg, £1020). Intermediate heifer – 1 and heifer champion, Jack Hendry, Heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith (460kg, £2000); 2, Mark Robertson, Mid Fodderletter, Tomintoul (428kg, £2500); 3, Gary Morrison (458kg, £1120).

Intermediate bullock – 1, Kyle Cruickshank, Clury, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown-on-Spey (466kg, £1560); 2, Alexia Chalmers (448kg, £1220); 3, Gemma Duguid, Mains of Cranna, Aberchirder, Huntly (450kg, £1120). Heavy heifer – 1, Grant Fraser, Easter Clune, Lethen, Nairn (510kg, £1450); 2, Ally Fraser, Easter Clune, Lethen, Nairn (488kg, £1150); 3, Megan MacIver, Wester Coltfield, Kinloss, Forres (474kg, £1250). Heavy bullock – 1, bullock champion and overall champion, Mark Robertson (518kg, £1700); 2, Craig Hendry, Heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith (526kg, £1220); 3, Euan Frank (556kg, £1250).

Home-bred – 1 and overall home-bred champion, Mark Robertson (410kg, unsold); 2, Jack Smith, Bankhead, Duffshill Road, Portlethen (568kg, £1240); 3, Jack Smith (620kg, £1360).

Best presented and paraded – 1, Ally Fraser; 2, Mark Robertson; 3, Kyle Cruickshank.

Calladrum Cup – 1, Mark Robertson, 34 points; 2, Mark Robertson, 31 points; 3, Gary Morrison, 28 points.

Best overwintered – Bullock – 1, Mark Robertson, 31 points; 2, Kyle Cruickshank, 26 points; 3, Euan Frank, 21 points. Heifer – 1, Mark Robertson, 34 points; 2, Gary Morrison, 28 points; 3, Megan MacIver, Wester Coltfield, Kinloss, 23 points.

Daily liveweight gain – Bullock – 1, Mark Robertson, 1.351; 2, Euan Frank, 1.234; 3, Fraser Sleigh, 1.222. Heifer – 1, Gary Morrison, 1.312; 2, Megan MacIver, 1.279; 3, Mark Robertson, 1.273.

Gross margin – Bullock – 1, Frazer Sleigh, £630; 2, Kyle Cruickshank, £540; 3, Mark Robertson, £520. Heifer – 1, Mark Robertson, £1320; 2, Gary Morrison, £1130; 3, Jack Hendry, £740.

Novice and junior award – Kyle Cruickshank.

Club award – 1, Keith, 96 points; 2, Nairn JAC, 59 points.