Billy wins goat fest

IT WAS goats to the fore at Forfar market over the weekend with two separate shows on consecutive days. On Saturday it was the Scottish Goatkeepers Federation autumn show and on Sunday the Aberdeen and Angus Goat Club event.

Westruther Show

ONE OF the few dry days, coupled with quality stock and a good turn out of spectators, lifted spirits at Westruther Show after last year’s event was cancelled due to foot-and-mouth restrictions.

Muirkirk Show

MUIRKIRK MAY not be the largest show in the calendar, but there is no denying that its Blackface competition attracts entries from some of the breed’s heaviest hitters – and rapt attention from the ringside for the lengthy judging such a turnout merits.

Glendale Show

A BELTEX cross Texel shearling shown by John Campbell, Rosebrough, Chathill, collected the inter-breed championship at Glendale Show, Northumberland, last week.

Holm Show

THAT THE only casualty to the run of dreich weather prior to Holm Show was the horse and pony jumping, was testament to the effort that show organisers put in to ensure their local show, held at Newcastleton, went ahead as scheduled last weekend.

Moffat Show

THE LEADER from a quality show of Holstein cattle at Moffat Show, was crowned supreme champion for Brian and Valerie Davidson’s Errolston herd from Gretna, last weekend.

Ladies to the fore at Abington

IT WAS certainly ‘ladies day’ in more ways than one at Abington Show, last weekend, with a selection of lady judges choosing the champions and, with just one exception, there was a female winner in every breed. The handing over of official duties to the fair sex came about as the Abington and District Agricultural Society laid its plans for its 150th year last year. Unfortunately, this was cancelled because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, but the judges were asked to ‘stand on’ for this year’s event. Two veterans of the show ring presided over the all-important inter-breed judging, with, first, Muriel Johnston, from Courthill, Crocketford, Dumfries, selecting the Blackface champion from Midlock as the supreme sheep, before it went on to be champion of champions under the watchful eye of Annie Hutchon, from Maulscastle, Lockerbie. This came from local breeder, Alan Wight, from Midlock, and knows its way around the Abington rings as she was champion there in 2006. She is now a three-crop ewe and is by a £7500 Milnmark sire and out of a dam by an £11,000 Connachan. Runner-up for the champion of champions prize was a cow and calf combination forward from the Gray family, at Scrogton, Lanark. The Limousin cross cow had an outstanding June-born heifer calf at foot by the home-bred Charolais bull, Scrogton Superstar. Midlock also scored success in the Bluefaced Leicester section, taking the honours with a ewe lamb from their famed ‘crossing’ lines. She is by a home-bred sire sold last year for £4200 at Hawes and had already collected the main silverware for her breed at Peebles. It was a special day, too, for Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside, who won his first ever championship – indeed he reckoned it was his family’s first ever title win – in the Texel section with a home-bred shearling ram. Bound for Kelso in mid-September, he is by Cambwell’s stock sheep, Halbeath Lone Ranger and out of a Cambwell-bred ewe.

Winners in their prime at Strathardle

PRIME STOCK were much to the fore at Strathardle Show, with a tremendous turnout of cross sheep in particular, which required section judge, Malcolm Stewart, of Brotherstone, to consider upward of 20 pens for some classes, before choosing a pair of 48kg Texel-cross lambs as the best of the day.

A-A leads at Lochaber

THE DECISION as to who should be awarded the supreme cattle champion was reached unanimously at Lochaber Show, which nestles at the foot Ben Nevis, by judges Willie Brown, of New Deer, and Andrew Cameron, of Culduthel.

Smithfield judges announced

THE MEN in the middle of the ring have been announced by the Royal Smithfield Club for its Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair, to be held at the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, on December 5 and 6, 2008.

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