TUESDAY was a day to remember for Aberdeen-shire commercial cattle producers, Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, of Huntly and Insch, when they scored a unique double by standing supreme champion at the Christmas Classic, at Thainstone, and minutes later made history by being the first Scots to win the overall at the Welsh Winter Fair.
Scooping the top title at Thainstone and selling for a top price of £4000 was Oucha Baby, a Limousin cross bred by Graham Henderson, Murrayfield. This June, 2015-born heifer by the 32,000gns Hunters Hall Gladiator and out of a Limmy cross cow, was purchased by the pair at the Spring Show at Thainstone for 5100gns.
Crossing the Thainstone weighbridge at 570kg, she also took third prize in her class at the Highland and was first at Echt.

They also sold Spooky Dooky, a February, 2015-born heifer which was shown in the Butchers’ section. Bred by Lloyd Fowlie, Guise of Tough, Alford, she is by the British Blue sire, Pennygelly Elite and out of a Limousin cross cow. Tipping the scales at 695kg, she was knocked down to L Mitchell, Woodstock, Insch, for £2432.50.
The impressive show of haltered prime stock and butchers’ cattle, was judged by Jim Smith, of Wester Campfield, Glassel, who is a regular buyer at Thainstone, and Louise Forsyth of WTS Forsyth and Sons Butchers, in Peebles.
Mrs Forsyth, who buys primestock at St Boswells every week for her family’s butchers shop, also forked out the money for the champion.
Commenting on the challenging job of judging, she said : “This has been an extremely hard job for us both. The quality of cattle has been tremendous but from a retail butchers’ point of view, some of the cattle forward were just too heavy.
“When buying cattle, I like the continentals for their conformation ... and you need good cover over the sirloin.”
Keith Young Farmer, Reece Simmers, from Backmuir, achieved the second top price with his 19-month-old Limousin cross heifer, Bashful, which was the YF champion.
Bred by father and son duo, John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, this 630kg beast sold for £2600 to the judge of the section, Huntly butcher Gary Raeburn, of Forbes, Raeburn and Sons Butchers.
Standing reserve overall was the bullock champion, Trump, from Bertie Paton, and daughter and son in-law, Wendy and Stuart Hunter, from West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Insch.
Their September, 2015-born Limousin cross bullock, which was bought at the Thainstone Spectacular from Newton of Logierait, weighed in at 578kg. On the other side of the ring, it was Blair Duffton who forked out £2400 for him.
Matching the £2400 figure was the butchers’ champion from Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff, who was supreme open champion at last year’s event.
This was the 634kg I’m a Hero, a September, 2015-born Limousin cross bullock, which is the first calf by the sire, Maraiscote Hero, to be shown.
Standing second in his class and reserve heavy weight bullock just a few days before at LiveScot, he picked up five red tickets this summer. This ‘hero’ was bought by David Comrie, of David Comrie and Sons Butchers, Perth.
Murray Rainnie, Loanhead, Logie Coldstone, Aboyne, was next in the money at £2394 with his reserve heifer to the supreme champion.
This March, 2015-born Limousin cross was bred by Charlie McMillan, Ardbeg, Islay. Weighing in at 668kg, she was purchased by Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, Acharacle, Argyll.
Just behind was Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, Peterhead, at £2300 when he sold his reserve butchers’ champion, Topsy, to Alistair Bruce, Fraserburgh. Sired by Dumbreck Citroen, this April, 2015-born Limousin cross heifer crossed the weighbridge at 550kg.
Gary Raeburn forked out a further £2100 for another Limousin cross heifers from the Simmers. Brought out this time by Reece’s younger brother, Andrew, Happy was first in the junior YF section weighing 640kg and bred by Gordon Carroll.

LEADING awards:

Young Farmers – Haltered heifer – Junior – 1, A Simmers, Backmuir, with Happy (£2100); 2, A Simmers, Backmuir, with Sleepy (£1425). Senior – 1, C Beaton, South Auchmaliddie, Maud, with Lim X (£1751.50); 2, R Rainnie, Loanhead, Aboyne, with Lim X (£1776); 3, C and J Hendry, Heads of Auchinderran, Keith, with BRB X.
Haltered bullock – Junior – 1, A Simmers, with Sneezy (£1539.25); 2, A Simmers, with Grumpy (£1633.50).
Senior light – 1, R Simmers, with Dopey (£1827); 2, C and J Hendry, with Lim X. Senior heavy – 1, M Robertson, Easter Fodderletter, Tomintoul, with Um Bango (£1562.75); 2, R Stuart, Murial, Insch, with Roder The Dodger (£1610); 3, E Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly, with Char X (£1572).
Unhaltered – Heifer – 1 and unhaltered champion, R and A Simmers, with Char X heifer (£1961.75); 2, A and R Simmers, with Char X heifer (£1553.75). Bullock – 1 and reserve unhaltered champion, R and A Simmers, with Char X (£1575); 2, R and A Simmers, with Lim X.
Open – Haltered heifer – Junior – 1 and supreme champion, B Duffton and R Stuart, Huntly and Insch, with Oucha Baby (£4000); 2, W Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse Crieff, with Moolin Rouge (£1683.50); 3, Paton and Hunter, West Cairnhill, Insch, with Hilary (£1550). Senior – 1 and reserve overall heifer, M Rainnie, Lim X (£2394); 2, B Duffton and R Stuart, with Hip Hop Who’s Hot (£1721.35); 3, I Millar, Millar Farms, Midmar, with Bomb (£1705).
Haltered bullock – Junior – 1 and reserve overall champion, Paton and Hunter, with Trump (£2400; 2, E Fettes, Braes of Enzie, Buckie, with Lim X (£1599); 3, G Patterson, Upper Forgie, Keith, with Incredible Hulk (£1312.50). Senior – 1, D Morrison, Cairn Nulla, Kinlochbervie, with Black Rock (£1608.75); 2, B Duffton and R Stuart, with Tricky Dickie (£1653.75); 3, H Brown, with Tim (£1688).
Unhaltered – Heifer – Senior – 1, Backmuir, Keith, with Char X (£1830); 2, F Walker and Co, Culfork, Alford, with Char X (£1709.25); 3, G and D Anderson, Brucewells, Netherley, Stonehaven, with Lim X (£1599.60). Junior – 1, HD Brown, with Lim X (£1935); 2 F Walker and Co, with Lim X (£1642.20); 3, G and D Anderson, Lim X (£1508). Bullock – 1, HD Brown, with Lim X (££1695.750; 2, Backmuir, with Char X (£1476.60); 3, S Smith, Sunnyhill Croft, Turriff, with Lim X (£1444.25).
Butchers’ cattle – Heifer – 1, H Brown, with Topsy (£23000; 2, F Walker and Co, with Char X ( £1562.75); 3, R and C Walker, Upper Woodside, Rothiemay, with Char X (£1596).
Bullock – 1 and butchers’ champion, W Peters, with I’m a Hero (£2400); 2, H Brown, with Trump (£1598); 3, I Miller, Millar Farms, Midmar, with Tank (£1644).

averages:
36 heifers, £1827.23 or 300.2p per kg; 23 bullocks, £1662.21 or 258.7p.