Despite some decidedly dreich weather early doors, the sun broke through to ensure a glorious day for exhibitors and spectators attending a much awaited Muirkirk Show, where first time exhibitor David Robertson, from Arran, landed the supreme overall with a Texel gimmer.
The event, staged on a new, albeit former show site at Greenock Mains, may not be the biggest of agricultural shows, but always attracts top quality stock from the local area and further afield.
It was a particularly good day for David Robertson, when bereft of all agricultural social life on the island of Arran, he took the plunge and entered a few Texels from his 15-ewe Valleyview flock for the first time.
He struck gold too, winning not only the breed championship but also the supreme overall, when the judge, Colin McClymont, Cuil, Newton Stewart, tapped out his gimmer as champion of champions.
"She's an outstanding beast with tremendous shape, carcase, top line and she's got that extra bit of class about her," said Mr McClymont, who presented the reserve overall to the Blackface winner in the open section from David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr.
Gimmer from Dalwyne stood champion in the Blackfaced section Ref:RH280821048 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...
Taking all the plaudits for Mr Robertson who is a joiner to trade, was a home-bred gimmer by Holylee Commander, a ram bought privately from Dave Preacher. She is bred from a Halbeath ewe bought as a gimmer.
Reserve overall was also a gimmer from Mr Morrison, who together with shepherd Andrew McMillan, had a cracking day out winning the top two awards in the open Blackface section, and the reserve in the 'herds.
Their best, a gimmer by a 3500gns Veronica Fullerton ram, is out of a former show ewe by a £22,000 Dalchirla, that is also the dam of their retained stock ram, Rhino.
LEADING awards
Blackface – Open (Judge: D Lennox, Northern Ireland). Champion and reserve overall champion of champions – D Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, with a gimmer by a 3500gns Veronica Fullerton-bred ram bought at Ballymena, out of a former show ewe by a £22,000 Dalchirla that also bred Dalwyne Rhino, a tup retained for breeding. Reserve – D Morrison with a ewe lamb by a home-bred son of a £160,000 Dalchirla retained for breeding that is a full brother to the £4200 lamb sold last year to Dyke. The dam is by a £50,000 Dalwyne. Aged ram, shearling ram, group – J Marshall, Gosland, Broughton, Biggar. Tup lamb and male champion – R Kerr, The Glen, Drymen. Ewe – Hartside Farms, Lamington, Biggar. Gimmer, ewe lamb – D Morrison. Pen of three ewe lambs – J and M Dunlop, Upper Wellwood, Muirkirk.
Blackface – Confined (Judge: D Hair, Drumbreddan). Champion – D McMillan, Craig, Straiton, with a young ewe by a home-bred son of a £4200 Midlock, out of a ewe by a £17,000 Craigdarroch. She was champion at Coylton. Reserve – A McMillan, Dalwyne, with the reserve winner from Coylton, a gimmer bought at the online sale in February, by a £6000 Auchloy. Ewe lamb – A Dunlop, Upper Wellwood. Tup lamb – E Stevenson, Balrazzie.
Blue Faced Leicester champion was the ewe lamb from the Kirkpatrick family Ref:RH280821042 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...
Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: D Fleming, Coulter). Champion – A Kirkpatrick, Barr, Sanquhar, with a March-born ewe lamb by a L12 Edlingham tup bought at Kelso in 2019 for £5500, out of a home-bred ewe by a Burnbank ram. Reserve – D Bryson, Grassmilees Way, with a gimmer bred by Graham and Julie Loughrey and bought at Ballymena, in December, 2020. She is by a £20,000 Yorehouse and bred from a ewe by Highberries Highlander. Tup lamb, ewe, ewe lamb, group – A Kirkpatrick. Gimmer – D Bryson.
Mule champion was from the Maclarty family Ref:RH280821045 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...
Scotch Mules (Judge: D Fleming). Champion and reserve – A Maclarty, Firm of Shawhead, Douglas. Supreme was a ewe lamb that won her class at East Kilbride, by a home-bred son of a £3000 Blarnavaid and out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve was the inter-breed champion at East Kilbride, a gimmer by a different home-bred son of a £3000 Blarnavaid. Both are being retained for breeding and future showing. Ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb – A Maclarty. Pen of three ewe lambs – A Kirkpatrick, Barr.
Texel (Judge: J Cousar, Kilmarnock). Champion and overall champion of champions – W and D Robertson, exhibiting for their first time from the Valleyview flock from Arran. Their winner was a home-bred gimmer by Holylee Commander, a tup bought privately by David Preacher and sired by Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid. The dam, a Halbeath ewe was bought as a gimmer and also won her class. Reserve – D Bryson, Grassmilees Way, with a two-shear tup bought privately as a ram lamb from Oxenshaw. He is by a Sportsmans ram, out of an Oxenshaw ewe and stood second at Coylton. Aged ram – D Bryson. Tup lamb, ewe, gimmer – W and D Robertson. Ewe lamb, group – W Baird.
D and D Cunningham had the Beltex champion Ref:RH280821047 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...
Beltex (Judge: J Cousar). Champion and reserve – H and D Cunningham, Walkerdyke, Strathaven. Supreme was the breed leader from East Kilbride Show, a home-bred shearling ram by a son of Whatmore Temper retained for breeding. He is bred from a home-bred ewe by Heatheryhall Wizard and is the pen leader for Kelso. Reserve was Walkerdyke Gino, a tup lamb by Heatheryhall Famous Grouse bred from a ewe with a Lyonpark sire. All classes – H and D Cunningham.
AOB champion was the Blue Texel shown by John Duncan(10)Ref:RH280821033 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...
Any other breed (Judge: J Cousar). Champion – J Duncan, Burnfoot, with a Blue Texel gimmer and the result of an in-lamb gimmer bought at Carlisle. She is one of three pedigree Blue Texels in the Burnfoot flock owned by 10-year-old John. Reserve – G Blacklock, Crockroy, Kirkconnel, with an end of March-born Valais Blacknose ram lamb by Highland Montana. An ET, he is the result of a flush from an imported ewe bought at Worcester. Male – A Scott. Tup lamb, group – G Blacklock. Ewe, gimmer – J Duncan. Ewe lamb – L Calander.
Prime lambs (Judge: J Cousar). Champion – T Laird and Sons, Corbello/Sunnyside, with a pen of three Texel lambs. Reserve – H and D Cunningham, Walkerdyke, with a pen of three April-born Blue Texel wedder lambs. Three cross lambs out of Blackface ewe, three Texel lambs, three Suffolk lambs – T Laird and Sons. Three Blackface wedder lambs – D Shedden, Burnfoot. Three any other breed lambs – H and D Cunnigham.
Overall beef champion was the bullock from the Laird family Ref:RH280821032 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...
Beef cattle (Judge: D Hair, Drumbreddan). Champion and reserve – T Laird and Sons, Corbello/Sunnyside, with calves shown by Shona and Alan Stevenson. Champion was a black bullock by Kinniside Mobydick, a bull that bred the Carlisle champion in 2019 and the reserve bullock at the English Winter Fair. The dam is a home-bred Limousin cross British Blue cow. Reserve was a January-born bullock by the same sire but bred from a British Blue cross Simmental cross cow. Reserve cow and calf – G Cook with a third calved Limousin cross cow and former winner at Wigtown and Colmonell, shown with April-born Limousin cross heifer calf at foot. Cow and spring-born bullock calf, confined beef – T Laird and Sons. Cow and spring-born heifer calf – D Cook.
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