IT was a Northumberland Show to remember for Ian Murray when he first secured his best ever result in the Texel lines before his home-bred gimmer went on to secure the inter-breed sheep championship and was later crowned champion of champions. 

Well and truly surpassing Ian’s previous best of a reserve Texel title was a Garngour Yeltsin daughter from his 120-ewe Glenway flock, near Wooler. 

“She’s right in every way – she’s got great skin, good bone and plenty length with a lovely head to match,” said the man in charge of awarding the supreme honours, Hexham and Northern Marts’ senior auctioneer, Trevor Simpson, who added she had good conformation right the way through. 

Mr Simpson presented the reserve honours to the commercial beef champion, Neil Slack’s Bootilicious, a home-bred Blue cross heifer by Tweeddale Hebony. 

In the sheep section, it was a home-bred Charollais gimmer by Wernfawr Prospect that stood reserve for Johnathan Aiken’s Carnew flock, which then teamed up with two herd mates to win the inter-breed group of three title. 

Standing to the fore of the pedigree beef championship was the continental leader, Dylan Townend’s British Blue heifer, Clifftown Ladyluck, a Tweeddale Ebony daughter. She stood ahead of the Limousin champion, the Priestley family’s Huntershall Gladiator-sired heifer, Brontemoor Miami. There was further success for the British Blues when a trio won the group of three inter-breed class. 

Heading up the native entry was the Highland cattle champion, Simon and Emma Healey’s Ruadh Merlin of Seam, which stood ahead of Tom and Di Harrison’s Hereford leader, Coley 1 Pippa. 

Across in the dairy lines it was the Scottish-bred Red and White, Bruchag Talent Jewel, bred by the McAlisters on the Isle of Bute and exhibited by new owners, Richard Baynes and Stuart Mullan, that won the inter-breed while the Holstein winner, the Smith family’s Futureproof Sid Lorna, was reserve. 

Another Sottish-bred entry topped the heavy horses when Paul and Matthew Bedford’s Thorpe Hill Monarch, a yearling Clydesdale colt bred by Jim and Linzi Kennedy, Hillhouse, stood champion. 

See the June 2 issue of The Scottish Farmer for the full report from Northumberland Show, including all the leading awards and pictures of the section leaders.