ISLAY SHOW was this year bolstered by the news that the island�s own abattoir has been given the go ahead to start slaughtering before the end of this month, which meant the mood of the event matched the bright and breezy weather.

ISLAY SHOW was this year bolstered by the news that the island's own abattoir has been given the go ahead to start slaughtering before the end of this month, which meant the mood of the event matched the bright and breezy weather.

This good news means that stock will not have to endure a 100-mile trip to a mainland slaughterhouse, before making the same trip back in a refridgerated wagon (see separate story).
But the show also marked the successful debut of young Tom Epps, from Ardnave, onto the show's coveted prime stock championship cup and on the more recent champion of champions trophy.
Showing for the first time in a generation, he took the overall title with Munch Bunch, a honey roan coloured Charolais cross heifer, which comes from a herd kept in one of the most picturesque parts of the island. Born in mid-April, she is by Newhouse Rob Roy.
The overall sheep title and the reserve calf award both went to the MacMillans, from Ardbeg, in the south of the island.
Their sheep leader was a smart ewe lamb by a Midlock sire, which himself was amongst the prizewinners and a full sister which was first in the gimmer class. The dam, by another Midlock sire, was also a former Islay champion, proving that it was not just a flash in the pan.
The MacMillan's reserve calf was a 14-month-old Limousin cross steer, by a French-bred sire, and he'll be sold at the island's main autumn store cattle sale.
The Porter family is never very far away from the silverware and this year was no exception.
Alastair Porter led the Galloway section and then went on to be placed reserve overall cattle champion with the four-year-old Barlaes Brownie 165, which was shown carrying her second calf.
Meanwhile, his sister Mairi did well in the cross and AOB sheep section, with her Texel gimmer taking the money in some strong classes. This sheep is by a Halbeath sire.
It was also agood day for the various farming outfits run under Dunlossit Estate, with the pedigree Highland cattle fold at Ceannacroic wining both champion and reserve in the breed section, and its Cattadale farm producing the winning group of three in the prime lambs section and Lossit Farm, the reserve champion in the AOB section.