SCOTTISH EXHIBITORS made their presence felt at AgriLive Smithfield – which for the first time, was this year held at Stoneleigh – collecting several of the championships in both the cattle and sheep contests.

But, while Scottish-based cattle figured heavily in the inter-breed championships, the overall champion and reserve titles both went to Devon-based exhibitors Michael and Melanie Alford and their daughter, Charlotte, of Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton. Their supreme winner was, however, a Limousin cross steer bred north of the Border.

That was Hanky Panky, a 12-month-old bred by Andrew Anderson, of Smallburn Farms, Elgin, and bought for £4000 by Mr Alford at Thainstone Spectacular in September, where he was champion. A Bailea Oberon son out of a British Blue cross Simmental dam, he had won his section at Grantown, during the summer. He later sold for £5000 to meat wholesaler Stillman’s of Somerset.

Finishing reserve overall for the Alford family – selected by Scottish judge, Neil Caul – was their heifer winner, Lady Gaga, a 15-month-old British Blue cross bred in Wales by Trefor Jones, Bodychain Uchaf, Llanllyfni, Caernarfon. Sired by Netherwood Umpire and out of a Limousin dam, she reached £5800 at the sale, also going to Stillman’s.

Many of the steer championships went the way of Scottish exhibitors, with Alister and Liz Vance, Bridgehouse, Whithorn, collecting the top lightweight steer award and the King’s Cup for best bred by exhibitor, for Kaiser Chief, a 13-month-old Limousin cross by Wilodge Azur.

The Vances also collected the top suckled calf title, with Bees Knees, an eight-month-old Limousin cross steer by Dyke Triumph, bred by the MacArthur Bros, at Mid Fleenas, Nairn. He was bought at the Caledonian Marts’ show and sale in September.

Reserve lightweight steer was Jennifer and Drew Hyslop’s Tommy Zoom – a Limousin cross by Shatton Pedro – from Balluskie, Barrhill, Girvan.

In the intermediate steers, James and Audrey Forsyth collected the championship with Jay-Z, a 15-month-old Limousin cross by Middledale Toronto, which was bred by the Wilsons, at Wester Cairnglass, Gollanfield, Inverness.

In that section, he stood in front of McTavish, a 15-month-old Aberdeen-Angus cross from Aberdeenshire’s Scott Innes. Sired by Flodden Warden and out of a Limousin cross dam, he was bred by D and M Ross, Wester Middleton, Gorebridge.

In the native and pure-bred championships, Scots came to the fore, with both titles being won by George and Aileen McFadzean, Woodhead of Mailer, Perth. Their star was the home-bred Cherrybank Elrick, a 20-month-old steer by Calfward Flyer and out of Cherrybank Edwina. Picking up the Queen Mother’s Cup, he later sold for £4 a kg, to Pitlochry butchers McDonald Bros.

The reserve native and reserve pure-bred titles both went to George Harvey, Buchanan Street, Balfron, for the 20-month-old Hereford steer, Harveybros Elvis, by Graceland 1 Aussie and out of Harveybros 1 Crocus C2.

The best group of three pure-bred animals was a trio of Aberdeen-Angus cattle, including the champion from the McFadzeans, plus another from them – Dangerous Drummond, by Aynho Beck and bred by James Drummond, Ladywell, Dunkeld – and Michael Devon’s Lockerley Black Butterfly, from Devon.

Overall champion young handler of the show went to Jennifer Hyslop, Balluskie, while Sophie Harvey, of Balfron, finished second in the cattle section behind Jennifer.

In the sheep lines, it was once again Gloucester breeders Andrew and Becky Bishop, Pitfield Farm, Eldersfield, that took the overall award, with John Hall and daughter Joanne, Inglewood Edge, Dalston, finishing reserve.

The champions – two home-bred Beltex lambs by Lugsmill Laney – gave the Bishops their fifth win of the year, having led the way at the Countryside Live, Agri Expo, and the English and Welsh winter fairs. They later sold for a world record price for prime lambs, reaching £4500 each, to C Wright, a Lincolnshire-based meat wholesaler.

A pair of Dutch Texel cross lambs by a tup bred by Robin Slade and out of Beltex cross ewes, took reserve position for the Halls. They sold at £600 each, also to C Wright.

Securing the mountain championship were the Blackface champions from Dougie McBeath and Sarah-Jane Jessop, Lower Greenyards, Stirling.

First time Blackie exhibitors, the couple led the way with a pair of wedder lambs bred by Sanny Blackwood, at Greenside, Muirkirk. Sired by a £4000 Allanfauld tup and an £8000 Elmscleugh, they sold at £100 a head to Farmers Fresh, Kenilworth. Dougie and Sarah-Jane also won the combined mountain live/dead title, with three lambs, again bred at Greenside. The carcases killed out at 52%, grading R3L.

The reserve Blackface pair went onto collect the reserve mountain title – the first time the breed has secured the top two mountain tickets.

Bred by Mrs Kay Park and Sons, Dalpedder, Sanquar, the pair of wedder lambs came from George and Aileen McFadzean, who were showing in that section for the first time at Smithfield. They reached £98 each, selling to Gourlay Butchers, Crieff.

Suffolk crosses from Granville Colegrave, Guardswell Farm, Abernyte, Inchture, Perth, won the native shortwoolled championship and went onto win the overall native award, with Malcolm Stewart, Brotherstone, Melrose, Roxburgh, following on reserve in both of those sections, again with home-bred Suffolk crosses.

Andrew Morton, Lochend, Denny, finished up reserve in the combined butchers’ live and dead sheep championship, behind the Bishops.

In all, 7500 people attended over the two days of the event and the organisers announced that next year’s AgriLive Smithfield will take place again at Stoneleigh, on the earlier dates of December 2 and 3.