Sir William Young Award for Jimmy Douglas

Recognised by fellow breeders and stockmen throughout the industry as an outstanding livestock breeder, judge and exhibitor, Mr Douglas' award, from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, recognises his outstanding contribution to livestock breeding, while commemorating the service to Scottish agriculture by the late Sir William Young, of Skerrington Mains, Hurlford, Kilmarnock.

Jimmy (77) farms at Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh, an arable and grassland farm which he bought in 1960, and where he started the famed Cairness Suffolk sheep flock. A breeder of Suffolk, Texel and Border Leicester sheep, Jimmy has been involved with sheep breeding since he was child, helping his father at Milton of Clola near Mintlaw with his flock of Border Leicesters, from which he adopted the Clola prefix for his own flock.

For 67 consecutive years, Mr Douglas has sold rams in Aberdeen Mart. He has often enjoyed one of the top flock averages, selling rams regularly for sums in excess of £20,000 to £30,000 and, in 1994, he set a new breed record selling Cairness Court to John Sinnet for 26,000gns.

Mr Douglas has also always been at the front of the queue when it comes to buying sheep, paying 220,000gns for Deveronvale Perfection in 2009, the world record priced Texel sheep.

He has achieved 12 champions and three reserve champions at the National Suffolk Sale and six champions and five reserve champions at the Edinburgh (now Stirling) sale. Today, Jimmy runs a flock of 40 ewes.

Angus Howie, who nominated Mr Douglas for the award, wrote: "Jimmy is still as passionate today as he was 50 years ago. His contribution to sheep breeding is immense – he is a highly talented individual and the most prolific and consistent Suffolk sheep breeder of our generation. His whole life has been the pursuit of perfection. His attention to detail is second to none. At the age of 77, he shows no signs of slowing down."