JUNIOR bulls ruled the Beef Shorthorn championship when Shawhill Leroy from the Thomson, Roddick and Laurie team stood supreme with Messrs Park, Baird and Hamilton's Charlesbury Mr MacKai in reserve spot. 

Rising to the top was the March, 2017-born Leroy which is full of home breeding, being by Shawhill Henderson and out of Shawhill Dewdrop Jasmine, a Glenisla Zetor daughter in the Lockerbie-based herd. This champion from last year's Agri-Expo and Stars of the Future shows was also breed champion at Dumfries earlier this year. 

"The young bull class was outstanding and it was very hard to split the top two bulls, but the champion was really well balanced and easy fleshed - more of a traditional type of Shorthorn that didn't have too much muscle," said John Scott, of Fearn Farm, Tain, who has 90 pedigree cows and added the breed will have a big part to play in farming operations in the future with Brexit just around the corner. 

The reserve, Charlesbury Mr MacKai, is the first son to sell by the Irish import, Creaga Kai, while his dam is the Ingleton-sired Irish female, Creaga Jetta, in the herd at Moor Farmhouse, Charlton. 

Among the females it was entries from Northern Ireland that were to the fore as Duncan McDowell's Castlemount Matrix Margo, a 17-month-old by Elliot Matrix from Ballycastle Road, Newtownards, County Down, stood champion while T and K Madden's Ballyvaddy Heathermaid L864, a Dakota of Upsall daughter from near Glencloy, Ballymena, was reserve. 

Also on show today are the Limousin bulls as well as the parade of SalersBritish Blonde and Lincoln Red bulls. The Beef Shorthorn will be sold tomorrow with females (65), including drafts from Chapelton, Glenisla and Dunsyre, at 11am, followed by bulls (26) at 1pm.