ROBERT BURNS’ cronie Soutar Johnnie will be ‘boozin at the nappy’ in heaven after a steer named after him took the supreme championship at the Scottish Highland Winter Fair.

Husband and wife team of Hugh and Lynne Dunlop, from Ochiltree in Ayrshire, will not regret marking the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Bard’s birth by naming all five of their show team after characters from his poems, when they took a heap of prizes including the championship at Ingliston.

The supreme, described by the judge, Orcadian Terry Coghill as “the best bullock I think I’ve ever seen – he’s a superb body of beef”, was all the more noteworthy for being bred at home. He is by the imported Limousin bull, Silex, which the Dunlops now have as a stock bull after buying him from a pedigree herd, while the dam is a Limousin cross. He’s already had some showring success too, having been reserve at this year’s Highland and top of the class at the Ayr YF Rally. He later sold for £3100 to Paul Conway, of Paul’s Quality Butchers, Kilsyth, Glasgow.

This was the family’s third Winter Fair success, having last won two years ago with Spooks, but it was not the end of this year’s trophy tally. They also produced the intermediate champion steer in the shape of Soutar Johnnie’s old pal, Tam o’ Shanter, another home-bred steer, this time by the Charolais AI bull, Livarot, out of a Limousin cross dam. This one was on his show debut.

Michael Alford, all the way from Devon, also won a heap of prizes, including the reserve supreme, which went to his winning heifer, Just Dance, a heavyweight entry.

This Limousin cross was lucky to be in the show team at all, as she was on a float ready to go to Mr Alford’s abattoir earlier this year after “she hadn’t come up to scratch” since being bought at Ruthin for £4100 in the spring. But a change of heart saw her turfed out of the float and back into the feeding pen.

She was shown by seasoned showman, Colin Hutchins, who also led out the Mr Alford’s reserve heavy steer, Paperatzi, another which had been bred in North Wales and which cost £3000. This one also has a successful track record, having been steer champion and reserve supreme recently at the new East of England Winter Show. This one is by a British Blue sire.

Also heading home with Mr Alford was the prize for the reserve intermediate steer. This was Hanky Panky, a Limousin cross by Bailea Oberon, which had been bought for £4000 at the Thainstone Spectacular after he had been champion there for Andrew Anderson, Smallburn Farms.