SECURING a first ever Bluefaced Leicester championship for the Thornborrow family in a strong section that was up by 27 entries compared to last year, was a home-bred ewe that then went on to be one of the duo that landed the inter-breed pairs title.

The leading lady, a two-crop from Malcolm and sons, Craig and Gary's Dawyck flock, is by the £16,000 F10 Penhill tup and out of a Z31 Old Hemley-sired ewe that has bred two previous reserve male champions here as well as many other Scottish show champions. The ewe herself is no stranger to the limelight, having lifted the reserve inter-breed title at Biggar as a gimmer, as well as at Peebles, Haddington, and Doune and Dunblane.

More impressively, she also bred the reserve female champion, a full sister to a £4000 lamb sold last year in the shape of a gimmer by the £23,000 H1 Carry House sire that stood reserve here last year and has bred lambs to £7000. This was her first outing from the 30-ewe flock at Easter Dawyck, Stobo, Peebles.

It was a good outing for young Jamie Pirie when he took the male title and reserve honours with a home-bred tup lamb, as well as the reserve male ticket with a shared ram that was the other part of the winning pairs team.

His K1 Blarnavaid, from the 25-ewe flock near Stirling, is a March-born lamb by the £13,000 Highberries Hotshot shared with Andrew Campbell, Drimsynie. He’s out of the C8 Highberries ewe bought privately, previously picked up a couple of top tickets on the local circuit and will be up for grabs at Hawes later in the year.

The reserve male champion was another shared by Jamie and Andrew, in the shape of the G33 Midlock tup known as Night Rider that was bought for £15,000. This son of the well-known Midlock Mustang stood first in his class here last year as well as at the progeny show at Peebles. He’s bred a lot of champions too, including Jamie’s reserve champion at Gargunnock, and is out of a Welsh-bred ewe by the £12,000 B4 Tanhouse.

LEADING awards:

Judge: D Hall, Upperfirth, Penicuik, Midlothian.

Supreme —MR Thornborrow and Sons’ ewe; reserve – J Pirie’s tup lamb.

Male — J Pirie’s tup lamb; Reserve – J Pirie’s tup.

Female — MR Thornborrow and Sons’ ewe; reserve — MR Thornborrow and Sons’ gimmer.

Bred — MR Thornborrow and Sons’ ewe.

Group — J Bell.

Aged tup — 1, J Pirie.

Shearling tup — 1, S McClymont and Son; 2, F Robertson; 3, A Clark and Sons.

Tup lamb — 1, J Pirie; 2, NC Marston; 3, A Campbell.

Ewe — 1, MR Thornborrow and Sons; 2, J Bell; 3, F Robertson.

Gimmer — 1, MR Thornborrow and Sons; 2, E Fairburn and Sons; 3, A Campbell. 

Ewe lamb —1, E Fairburn and Sons; 2, J Bell; 3, A Campbell.