Beltex lambs again ruled supreme at a chilly LiveScot, with the Hall family from Inglewood Edge, Dalston, clocking up a phenomenal eighth win.

With hurricane winds and blizzard conditions affecting much of the country, a few exhibitors were unable to show, but There was still a cracking entry forward for the judge, Harry Wood, whose father, Jimmy, judged the cattle.

“It was a fantastic show of lambs and a real credit to the exhibitors given the weather conditions over the past 24 hours,” said Mr Wood jnr, who buys 500-600 lambs every week for Bowland Foods, which supplies many local butchers.

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“The champion pair were full of meat all the way through and they had full loins – but, it was close between them and the reserves.”

Taking the title was a pair of 42kg Beltex cross lambs shown by Joanne Hall, daughter, April and stockman, Jonnie Aiken, Inglewood Edge. Adding to their double two weekly previous at the Premier Meat Exhibition, when they landed the live and the dead section for the first time, was a pair of May-born ewe lambs by a Faughhill sire bought at Lanark last year from Grant Maxwell. They later sold for £680 per head, or £16.19 per kg to Angus Kirk, Mathiesons Butchers, Edinburgh.

Inglewood Edge also produced the champion Texels, 42kg wedders. They are by a Robin Slade-bred ram that sired the second prize pen at the English Winter Fair, earlier in the week.

Also, 16-year-old April won the young handlers competition with a home-bred Beltex, for a record-breaking third time at LiveScot.

Perthshire sheep farmers, John Guthrie and his daughter, Kirsty – who landed the champion and reserve honours last year – this time had to settle for the runner-up spot with a heavyweight Beltex pair from Cuiltburn, Muthill. April-born wedders weighing in at 45kg each, they are by a home-bred sire and later sold for £400 or £8.89 per kg to Paisley wholesaler, Jimmy Stark

Blackies were champion and reserve in the Mountain and Moorland section, with the supreme and overall native title presented to a duo from Tommy Macpherson, son Craig and his son Lewis, Pitsundry, Bankfoot.

Their heavy lambs were bought at Dalmally, in September, from Iain McLarty, Little Port, and were also bought by Mathiesons Butchers, for £400 per head. Having scaled in at 44kg each, they made £9.09 per kg.

Taking reserve in the M and M was the runner-up Blackie pairing from TN Cavers, Sorbie, Ewes, shown by Euan Orr and David Clark, as the Cavers were unable to attend due to the weather.

For the M and M trophy, they were competing against the winning Cheviot and lead Mule/cross-breds.

NCCs from Mrs CM Reid, Boreland, Peebles, took champion and reserve Cheviot titles in her debut competing in the Northies. Brought out by farm manager, Stephen Little and shepherd, Ryan Brotherston, top were two 42kg wedders by an £800 Kelsocleugh ram. The reserves, which scaled 90kg, were by a £2400 Hethpool.

Andrew Reid, Glendearg, Langholm, topped the Southies with a pair of 44kg wedders by a home-bred sire.

Blair and Tom Cockburn, Kingside, Leadburn, won both the Mule and cross-bred sections with home-bred entries with the supreme from this section presented to the best crosses – 50kg wedder lambs by a Quarryhouse Bluefaced Leicester, out of North of England-type Blackfaces.

Champion Mules was a pair of Kingside Cheviot Mules – the result of a West Bolton traditional Blue ram onto a home-bred Cheviot.

LEADING awards

Blackface lambs – light – 1, J and T Macpherson; Pitsundry; 2, R and B Dickie, Spango; 3, R and B Dickie. Medium – 1, TN Cavers, Sorbie; 2, J and J Frame; High Dyke; 3, J and T Macpherson. Heavy – 1, J and T Macpherson; 2, J and J Frame; 3, Firm of Shawhead.

NCC – Mrs CM Reid,; Boreland Farm Cottage; 2, Mrs CM Reid; 3, H Cockburn and Partners; Kingside.

SCC – 1, A Reid, Glendearg; 2, J and J Frame; 3, TN Cavers.

Mules and crosses – 1, H Cockburn and Partners; 2, Mrs CM Reid; 3, H Cockburn and Partners.

Untrimmed native butchers lambs – 1, D Cunningham, Walkerdyke; 2, MM Stewart, Brotherstone; 3, MM Stewart.(Continental) – 1, J Guthrie, Cuiltburn; 2, R Hall and Son, Inglewood Edge; 3, R and M Struthers, Collielaw.

Native lambs – 1 and 2, MM Stewart; 3, D Cunningham.

Texel lambs (light) – 1, R Hall and Son; 2, K Johnstone, Boghouse. Heavy – 1, R Hall and Son; 2, A Clark and Son, Meikle Glengyre; 3, R and M Struthers.

Beltex lambs (light) – 1, R Hall and Son; 2, J Guthrie; 3, T Toper and F Mason, Corstane. Heavy – 1, J Guthrie; 2, A Baillie, Carstairs Mains; 3, R Hall and Son.

Continental lambs – 1, R Hall and Son; 2, G Whyte, Lintibert; 3, MM Stewart.

Young breeders – 1, Stuart Robson, Buckholm; 2, April Skelton, Inglewood Edge; 3, Scott Frame, High Dyke. Best handler up to 12 – 1, Bruce Guild, Ashmark; 2, Finlay Barclay, Mid Brockloch; 3, Cameron Barclay. Best handler 13-17 – 1, April Skelton, Inglewood Edge; 2, Joanna Dale, Blendewing; 3, Finn Hope.