FIRST time exhibitors, Roddy and Hughie Thomson, from West Park, Aberfeldy, scooped both the champion and reserve honours in the prime sheep section at this week’s Royal Northern Spring Show.
Having bred David Black’s champion pen last year, taking the red, white and blue sash for the brothers – who run 1600 commercial ewes and a flock of Lairg-type Cheviots – was home-bred lightweight three-quarter Beltex hoggs weighing 38.5kg. 
Picked out by the judge, Andrew Morton, of Lochend, Denny, they are by a Beltex tup that they bought from Alasdair MacLean’s Tiree flock, from Heylipol, Tiree, out of a Beltex cross Texel ewe.
Reserve for the Thomson brothers was a pair of home-bred heavyweights which were bred the same way as the champions – they tipped the scales at 48.5kg. 
In the breeding sheep section, judged by John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Harry Sleigh, from St John Wells, Fyvie, ruled supreme with a pen of home-bred Half-bred hoggs, while in reserve was a pen of three Mules from John Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly. 

The Scottish Farmer:

Champion pen of breeding sheep from Harry Sleigh


LEADINGawards:
Prime hoggs (Judge: A Morton, Lochend, Denny).
Lightweight – 1, 2 and champion, D and J Thomson, West Park, Aberfeldy; 3, B Wylie, Balbrydie, Kirriemuir. Mediumweight – 1, B Wylie; 2, D Black, Minard, Cortachy Road, Northmuir, Kirriemuir; 3, E Miller, The Lung, Midmar, Inverurie. Heavyweight – 1 and reserve champion, D and J Thomson; 2, D Black; 3, J and E Forrester, Aldie Farm, Cruden Bay, Peterhead. 
Breeding sheep (Judge: J MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth).
Texel cross hoggs – 1, G Breathet, Woodside Croft, Blackpark, Ardersier, Inverness; 2, D Black; 3, Sibmister and Stainland Farms, Sibmister, Thurso. Greyface or Mule hoggs – 1 and reserve champion – J Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly; 2, D Black; 3, J Gordon. Cheviot Mule hoggs – 1, Sibmister and Stainland Farms. Any other hoggs – 1, 2, 3 and champion, HP Sleigh and Son, St John Wells, Fyvie.