Champion winners from two of the strongest sections led the way at a sunny, albeit chilly Beith Show, last weekend, securing the supreme overall and runner up awards.

For the supreme, the breed judges awarded the top winners on a points system, which resulted in the Simmental leader, a heifer from Lauchlan Quarm, Annick Lodge, crowned champion of champions, with a similarly aged Highlander from Lanarkshire's Alan Prentice, having to settle with second best.

Star of the show was the previously unshown two-year-old, Annick Duchess 17, a two-year-old maiden heifer brought out by Andrew Perratt and Matt Gilliland, while Lauchlan had to return to the farm to calve a cow. Duchess is by Skerrington Visa.

Mr Prentice's reserve overall from Westruther, was the similarly aged heifer, June 21 of Hyndford, an Alexander of Hyndford-sired youngster that picked up several awards last year including a second in her class to the junior champion at the Highland Show.

After much deliberations, there were more celebrations to come in the sheep lines too when

Bowmore whisky's facilities engineer, Duncan Whyte, not only won his first Texel breed championship and supreme overall, but also the top honours in the Border Leicester lines. Mr Whyte, who runs just six unregistered Texel ewes alongside 12 pedigree Borders just outside Newton Mearns, went all the way with his reserve winner here last year, a home-bred one-crop Texel ewe by a Baltier sire.

Notably, Duncan won the champion and reserve honours in both the Texel and the Border Leicester sections, while Jim Kennedy, Lyonpark, Maybole, topped the continentals and scooped the runner-up sheep trophy with a home-bred Beltex shearling ram that stood first in its class at the National last year. It is by the Clary Supersonic son, Lyonpark Thunder.

LEADINGawards

Holstein (Judge: D Morton, Auchinbay, Ochiltree). Champion and reserve – J and G McConnell, Hoodsyard, Beith with cattle from their 95-cow Powgree herd. Supreme was the previously unshown second calver, Powgree Deray Do classified VG87-3yr, shown by George McConnell. She is by Gehrke Johan Deray, calved in November and is projected at 8800litres. Her dam is a VG87 classified home-bred cow. Reserve was the calved heifer, Powgree Mesdoor Rose by Denmire Mesdoor, again bred from a home-bred VG87 dam. Previously unshown, she calved down in January and is giving 31 litres per day. All classes – J and G McConnell.

Beef breeds (Judge: B Glazebrook, Laigh Crewburn, Strathaven). Champion, inter-breed beef and overall champion of champions – L Quarm, Annick Lodge, Annick, Stewarton, with Annick Duchess 17, a two-year-old Simmental maiden heifer by Skerrington Visa bred from a previous home-bred Duchess by Sterling Nelson. She was on her first outing and was paraded by Matt Gilliland and Andrew Perratt. Reserve – L Quarm, with the 13-month-old Simmental bull, Annick Idaho, also on his first outing. He is by Corskie Callum and bred from the Skerrington Visa daughter, Annick Trixibelle. Duchess and Idaho also made up the reserve inter-breed cattle pairs.

Primestock (Judge: B Glazebrook). Champion – Miss Amy Scott, Meikle Ittington, Ardrossan, with the Kilmaurs Show champion, Jack Black, an 11-month-old black Limousin cross stot bought at the YFC rally sale at Caledonian Marts' sale at Stirling. He was bred by Dougie MacDonald, Benderloch and bought from the Mortons at Lochend. Reserve – Jack Blair (10), East Kerse, Lochwinnoch, with a Charolais cross yearling heifer bought at the Cale YFC calf sale in March. Previously unshown, it was bred at Craigievern, Glasgow. It and another Charolais cross heifer from East Kerse, made up the winning inter-breed beef pair.

Highland (Judge: D Soutar, Struthellie, Alyth, Perthshire). Champion – A Prentice, Westbank, Ravenstruther, Lanark, with the two-year-old heifer, June 21 of Hyndford which stood second in her class to the junior champion at the Highland Show, last year. She is by the Alexander of Glengorm son and show bull, Alexander of Hyndford, bred from a previous home-bred June by Jacobite of Benmore and was on her first outing of the season. Reserve – J and C McKechnie, France Farm, Gartocharn, with the three-year-old heifer, Kirsty 2 of Gartocharn, by Brogach 1 of Balmoral and out of the privately purchased Kirsty Morag of Ubhaidh, a Torquil 1 of West Merkland-sired cow. First in her class at the Highland last year, she was a regular prize winner throughout the year making up part of the winning pair here in 2017 and 2018. Junior bull, junior heifer – Glasgow City Council, Glasgow. Senior bull – D Logan, Blairlogan Highlanders, Stirling. Three-year-old heifer – A Prentice. Two-year-old heifer, pair – J and C McKechnie.

Border Leicester (Judge: N MacDonald, Bowmore, Isle of Islay). Champion and reserve – D Whyte, Newton Mearns. Supreme was a home-bred one-crop ewe by Fordafourie Festival, bred from a ewe by Conniston Islay. She was part of the show season last year. Reserve was a gimmer by Clola Double Deal that was placed at the Highland last year. Her dam is by Lammermuir Jackie. All classes – D Whyte.

Blackface (Judge: O Wardrop, Hauplands, Ardrossan). Champion – D Shedden, Burnfoot, Muirkirk, with Ted B, a privately purchased tup hogg bought from Auldhousburn. Previously unshown, he is by £160,000 Dalchirla ram and out of a ewe by a £26,000 Crossflatt. Reserve – J Hibberd and G Orr, Shieldmains, Coylton, with a home-bred ewe hogg – one of only 12 female owned in the partnership. She is by a £52,000 Crossflatt, out of a ewe by a £15,000 Auldhouseburn and was placed at Cowal and Strathaven, last year. Ram – D Shedden. Ewe, ewe hogg, group – J Hibberd and G Orr. Ewe with cross lambs – DH Tulloch.

Suffolk (Judge: N MacDonald). Champion and reserve – W Borthwick, Auchenraith, Mauchline, with an ET-bred ewe lamb on her first outing. December born, she is bred from a Cairness ewe by Middlemuir Nessie and sired by Pexhill Real Lucky. Reserve for the four-ewe flock was a full sister to the champion, a one-crop ewe that was champion and reserve champion of champions here last year and breed leader at Neilston and Ayr. Ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb, group – W Borthwick. Ram – J Shepherd, Low Fullwood Cottages, Dunlop. Tup lamb – JC and JW Tulloch, Rigfoot Suffolks, Uplawmoor.

Blueheaded Leicester (Judge: O Wardrop). Champion – Anna MacPherson (9) and her father Jamie, Auchenblane Cottage, Kirkozwald, with a Midlock-bred ewe hogg bought at the Longtown in-lamb female sale in February for 500gns. She is a full sister to Midlock Mustang and was on her first outing since the sale. Reserve – J Taylor, Hill Farm, Mauchline, with the second prize ewe hogg, by a Mossyard sire bought at Castle Douglas, three years ago and bred from a ewe with a Rossiebank sire. She was second at Craigie last year. Ewe, ram – J Taylor. Ewe hogg, lamb, group – A MacPherson.

Native breeds (Judge: N MacDonald). Champion and reserve – Abbie Scott, Meikle Ittington, Ardrossan. Champion was a two-crop Landriggs-bred ewe purchased privately last summer from the Hendersons, Landriggs, Kinross. Reserve was the January-born ewe lamb, Meikleton Yasmin out of the champion and by the stock ram Wellside Wee Lofty, purchased privately last year from Pat Maddock, Dalbeattie. All classes – A Scott.

Texel (Judge: N MacDonald). Champion and reserve and supreme sheep – D Whyte, Newton Mearns, with last year's reserve winner here, a home-bred one-crop ewe by a Baltier sire, bred from a Watchknowe-bred ewe. She was also reserve at Neilston last year. Mr Whyte's 12-ewe flock also scooped the reserve honours with another Watchknowe-bred ewe. All classes – D Whyte.

Continental sheep (Judge: N MacDonald). Champion – J Kennedy, Lyonpark, Maybole, with a home-bred Beltex shearling ram by the Clary Supersonic son, Lyonpark Thunder and out of a home-bred ewe. He was first in his class at the National Show, last year. Reserve was a home-bred Beltex gimmer from the same home. She is by Hackney Braveheart and was on her first outing. Tup, gimmer, lamb – J Kennedy. Ewe – Laine Daff, Greenside, Uplawmoor.

Pet lamb – Anna Cauldwell. Working collie dog – A Shepherd.

Clydesdales (Judge: Mrs M Barr, East Moorhouse, Eaglesham). Champion and reserve – Auchengree Clydesdales, Eastbank, Lenzie. Supreme was Auchengree Bethany, a yearling filly by Dillars Topgun that was paraded at the foal shows. She is out of Glebeview Emma. Reserve was the only other entry, Auchengree Amy, the champion from Kilmaurs Show. This two-year-old is by Auchengree Shuggie and bred from Ballykennedy Dolly.