OVERALL sheep championship judge, Forrest Irving of Hawick, was faced with a daunting choice from a wide range of section champions at Duns – but eventually, after much hopping in and out of accredited and unaccredited rings, it was the unaccredited Beltex gimmer from A and P Glennie, of Threeburnford, Oxton, that caught his eye.

By Ardstewart A-Man, the same gimmer was champion at Duns last year as a ewe lamb, and was brought out to the top honours this year by Rory Halliday, himself on loan from Glenrath.

Reserve overall sheep went to the accredited Suffolk champion from RG Laing and Sons, a two-crop home-bred ewe, by a Finton tup, that was supreme champion at the Borders Suffolk Club show at Wooler.

But much of the interest round the sheep lines was generated by the accredited multibreed section, where a good turn-out of Poll Dorsets vied against Continental breeds to produce a champion for DJ Rankine, in the shape of Bennachie Zabella, a Poll Dorset gimmer, by Ballytaggart Extra Special out of Bennachie T23, that was purchased at the May Fair in Exeter.

Andrew Hodge of Rulesmains took cattle section glory – and ultimately the overall show championship – with his seven-year-old Aberdeen Angus cow Rulesmains Karen. By Rawburn Duke Winston out of Rulesmains Kinannia, show circuit veteran Karen was most recently overall champion at Kelso.

Standing as reserve cattle champion was Keith Redpath's hefty senior Limousin bull Dinmore Jollygood, by Wilodge Tonka out of Dinmore Gaiety, that has now been champion at both Duns and Kelso three years running.

Leading awards

Aberdeen Angus (Judge: G Fraser, Newton of Idvies, Forfar). Champion – A Hodge, with Rulesmains Karen, a seven-year-old cow by Rawburn Duke Winston that was overall champion at Kelso. Reserve – A Hodge, with Rulesmains Egbert, an 18-month-old bull, by Hallington Edition out of Rulesmains Evita Samantha, that was male champion at Kelso. Bull – Gordon Brooke Estate. Junior bull, cow, senior heifer, calf – A Hodge. Heifer – Kersquater Angus.

Charolais (Judge: R Forrest, Preston Farm, Preston, Duns). Champion – JHC Campbell and Sons, with Thrunton Nirvana, a 16-month-old bull, by Thrunton Gladiator out of Thrunton cascade, that was champion at Kelso on its first show outing this year. Reserve – JHC Campbell and Sons, with Thrunton Neptune, a half-brother to the champion, out of Thrunton Felicity. Bull – JHC Campbell.

Limousin (Judge: R Forrest). Champion – Redpath farms, with Dinmore Jollygood, a four-year-old bull, by Wilodge Tonka out of Dinmore Gaiety. Reserve – Redpath Farms, with Redpaths Nobleman, a 16-month-old bull, by the champion, out of Redpaths Hilary, that was junior champion at this year's Royal Highland Show. Bull, junior bull – Redpath Farms. Heifer – Gordon Brooke Estate.

Multibreed (Judge: G Fraser). Shorthorn – Gordon Brooke Estate with yearling bull Elliot Top Gun. Highland – C Jeffrey, Springhill Farm, with three-year-old cow Fiona 1 of Inveralton. Continental – JH Craggs with two-year-old British Blue cow Bens Loveable.

Crossbred Cattle (Judge: R Forrest). Champion – JH Craggs, with Macoo, a two-year-old Limousin cross heifer that was champion at Duns last year. Reserve – JH Craggs, with Smokey, a seven-month-old Belgian Blue cross Limo steer, bred by James MacGregor of Horncliffe, on its first show outing. Heifer, steer – JH Craggs.

Blackfaced (Judge: K Davidson, 17 Torry Wynd, Dunbar). Champion – Prof WA Penny, Bothwell, Cranshaws, Duns, with a ram lamb, by a £3.2k Kirkstead, on its first show outing. Reserve – Prof WA Penny, with a ewe lamb by a £1k Fechan out of a ewe by a £1700 Outerwards. Shearling ram, ram lamb, gimmer, ewe lamb – Prof WA Penny. Ewe – TE Walker, Cammerlaws, Westruther. Naturally shown ewe lamb – Macfarlane Farms, Quixwood.

Scotch Mule and greyfaced (Judge: K Davidson). Champion – Prof WA Penny, with a ewe lamb, by a home-bred Bluefaced Leicester that will be going for sale at Kelso, out of an Outerwards-sired ewe. Reserve – J Fullerton, with a four-crop ewe, that was bought at St Boswells as a gimmer off Longcroft, that was Duns champion in 2016. Ewe – J Fullerton. Gimmer – S Ainslie, Linkshead. Ewe lamb – Prof WA Penny.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: K Davidson). Champion – B Hedley, with a home-bred shearling ram by a home-bred son of a Carryhouse tup, out of a home-bred ewe, on its first show outing, in preparation for sale at Kelso. Reserve – S Ainslie, with a gimmer, by G1 Orraview, that was first-placed at Haddington and Kelso. Shearling – B Hedley. Ram lamb, ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb – S Ainslie.

Suffolk (Judge: A Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick). Champion – RG Laing and Sons, with a two-crop home-bred ewe, by a Finton tup, that was supreme champion at the Borders Suffolk Club show at Wooler. Reserve – RG Laing and Sons, with a gimmer by a Finton tup. Shearling, gimmer, group – RG Laing and Sons. Ram lamb – T Darling. Ewe lamb – C Nelson.

Texel (Judge: W Pringle, Commonside Lodge, Teviothead, Hawick). Champion – R and F Renwick, Legars, Kelso, with the March-born ram lamb Castlecairn Bodacious, by Knapp Alligator out of a ewe by £60K Teiglum Tornado, that was first-placed at Kelso. Reserve – I Murray and M Sym, East Horton, Wooler, with Glenway Ace of Diamonds, a home-bred shearling, by Garngour Yeltsin, that was reserve male champion at both the Highland and Northumberland. Aged tup, ewe lamb – Mr and Mrs B Nicolson, The Knock, Duns. Shearling – I Murray and M Sym. Ram lamb, gimmer – R and F Renwick. Ewe – RH Bell and Co, Roxburgh Mill, Kelso.

Multibreed (MV Accredited) (Judge: W Pringle). Champion – DJ Rankine, with Bennachie Zabella, a Poll Dorset gimmer, by Ballytaggart Extra Special out of Bennachie T23. Reserve – J Royan, with Bennachie U13, a five-year-old home-bred Poll Dorset ewe, by Sherbourne Prince Regent out of Bennachie P7, that was first-placed gimmer at Duns in 2014. Aged tup, ram lamb, ewe – J Royan. Gimmer – DJ Rankine. ewe lamb – T Darling, Ladyflat, Duns.

Multibreed (MV Non Accredited) (Judge: A Warden). Champion – A and P Glennie, Threeburnford, Oxton, with a Beltex gimmer, by Ardstewart A-Man. Reserve – Prof WA Penny, Craigwinshiel, Ellemford, with a two-shear North Country Cheviot ewe, just off the hill and full of spirit. Aged tup, gimmer, ewe lamb – A and P Glennie. Ram lamb, ewe – Prof WA Penny.

Prime Cross Bred Lambs (Judge: F Irving, Teviot Rig, Haysike, Hawick). Champion – A and P Glennie, with a pen of two heavy three-quarter Beltex lambs, home-bred from an Orkney tup. Reserve – JR Whitecross, Clarabad Mill, Paxton, with a pen of two heavy lambs. pen of heavy lambs, pen of light lambs – AP Glennie.

Shetland - Coloured (Judge: S Russell, 18 Queens Court, Irving, Ayrshire). Champion – Mr and Mrs A Bain, Pencaitland, with Greenacre Prince, a two-year-old ram, by Rosebank Oregano out of Great Moor Ella. Reserve – PD and A Playfair, Stichill, Kelso, with Kaimknowe Leilani, a gimmer by Kaimknowe Eustace out of Rivendell Surprise, that was reserve champion at Dalkeith. Aged tup, ram lamb – Mr and Mrs A Bain. Shearling, ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb – PD and A Playfair.

Shetland - White (Judge: S Russell). Champion – Mr and Mrs A Bain, with shearling ram Island Ruaridh, by BT Bravo out of an Island ewe. Reserve – Mr and Mrs A Bain, with Greenacre Serena, a gimmer by Greenacre Declan out of St Baldreds Juliet, that was first in its class at Kelso. Tup, shearling, ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb, overall Shetland – Mr and Mrs A Bain. Ram lamb – PD and A Playfair.