Despite some horrendous thunder plumps, a huge crowd turned out to see the champion winner from the National Simmental Show, crowned inter-breed beef champion and overall champion of champions at Perth Show.

The event, which was host to both the Simmental's big show and the National Highland Cattle Gathering, was led by David Craig's Kennox Tara's Gem, the Highland Show champion which also stood reserve inter-breed beef leader at Ingliston. This two-year-old heifer from Stewarton, Ayrshire, is by Sowenna Aristocrat and was on her first outing since.

"She's an amazing heifer, a real self shower, look at me champion," said the overall champion of champions judge, Johnnie Morrison, who was most impressed by his line-up of big winners which included the supreme horse, sheep and goat title holders.

Inter-breed sheep winner was Robert Bryce's champion Suffolk from Chalmerston, Stirling. This massive two-crop ewe by Cairnorrie Olympic Bolt, was champion at Dunblane and Drymen, and stood in front of the lead Texel, a home-bred one-crop ewe from Robert Cockburn's Knap flock from Errol. 

Notably, the same two homes picked up the top two awards in the inter-breed pairs, with a mother and son pairing from Chalmerston, taking the supreme, while Robert's ewe and a tup lamb stood reserve.

Having won the supreme beef honours, the Simmental breed also triumphed in the pairs, with two bulls from the Stronach family's Islavale herd from Berryleys, Keith, lifting the red, white and blue sash. This included Islavale Hogan, and Islavale Huntly, with the reserve duo made up of two Aberdeen Angus heifers from Donald Rankin from Skye.

Reserve overall individual beef champion was Stuart and Gillian Fotheringham's Limousin leader, Ballinloan Mountain, an Ampertaine Foreman son from Ballinloan, Dunkeld, that was reserve continental beefbreeder champion at the Highland Show.

The Clydesdale horse breed also enjoyed a good day winning both the native breeds and the overall horse championship. Supreme here was Eric and Miranda's Johnstone's Ord Tinkerbell, a 15-month-old filly foal by Eskechraggan Ernest, from Muir of Ord, which already boasts a kist full of trophies to include champion of champions at Sutherland, overall horse at the Black Isle, champion at the 2016 Grampian Foal Show and champion and the Stallion Show.

For full report and pictures see this week's Scottish Farmer