A return to its normal date – the week before the Royal Highland Show – ensured increased entries in both the sheep and the cattle lines at Alyth Show, which combined with a good dry day and more paying spectators meant a successful day for all.

However, while competition was steeper than usual in the livestock sections, it was the supreme horse that was crowned overall champion of champions, selected on a points basis between the three inter-breed judges.

Taking all the plaudits was the ridden mountain and moorland leader, Merieston Daisy Duke, a seven-year-old mare, ridden by Shonah Wood, Corbiewells, Forfar.

Daisy Duke, stood ahead of the supreme beef, a Charolais heifer from Adrian Ivory, Strathisla Farms, and the inter-breed sheep, a Suffolk gimmer from Gordon and Donald Mackie, Drimmie.

Coming a close second for the supreme was Cardean Jealous, an in-calf Charolais heifer by Elgin Flagship.

Strathisla Farms also triumphed to win both the champion and reserve honours in the Simmental breed with those two animals also scooping the reserve inter-breed beef pairs.

Reserve individual beef champion was William McLaren's any other breed champion, McLarens Lord, a 15-month-old Limousin bull by Norman Gamin.

Charolais were back on top to lift the inter-breed beef pairs, with the top two, Balthayock Jemima and Balthayock Insignia, heifers from Major Walter, Balthayock.

Over in the sheep lines, the supreme was a gimmer by Solwaybank Pound Stretcher, from Drimmie, with the blue and white sash presented to the champion North-type Blackface, a gimmer from Cadogan Estates, Auchnacloich.

Bluefaced Leicester lambs by a Kirkstead sire, from young Andrew and James Adam, Newhouse, Glamis, triumphed to scoop supreme sheep pairs, with the second top award going to the champion South-type Blackfaces from Tay and Torridan Estates, North Amulree, comprising a home-bred ewe and a shearling.

See this week's SF for full report and pictures