Ruaig heifer calf tops Lorn Show and Balliemeanoch Blackface takes reserve

The event, staged just outside Connel on Tralee beach, attracted a bumper quality line-up of stock, with several of the top winners all the way from Islay. Like so many other agricultural shows this year, it also pulled in a much needed record breaking, paying attendance.

It was a particularly big day for Iain MacInnes, Ruaig, who having won the supreme overall honours two weeks previous at Tiree Show with the calf, was in fine form for a weekend in Oban, after his calf landed the big one again.

"She's a great calf with plenty of width throughout and so well brought out," said the umpire, Derek Dempster, Robmar, who had to be brought in to select a supreme overall when the beef and sheep section judges failed to come to an agreement between the top two.

Backed by the best of show genetics, Katie is out of the family's pedigree British Blue cow, Ruaig Noel which stood supreme here in 2019 and sired by Claragh Istabraq, a bull bought privately from Alistair Smart, which is still going strong at 10 years of age.

Mr Dempster was also most impressed by the supreme sheep, a Blackface shearling ram from regular winners, John Macpherson and sons Alex and Grant, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally. Their tup, an Aberuchill tup bought last year at Stirling, for £1400, is by a £40,000 Dalchirla lamb owned in partnership with Lurgan and Connachan, and out of a ewe by a £16,000 Loughash.

Eddie Burnett, Thornhill, Stirling, had a busy day judging the remainder of the sheep classes, with the reserve in the section being the Texel leader from first time exhibitor, Jack McDonald (19) of the Bayview flock from Islay. This was a two-shear ram by Hexel Blockbuster, out of a home-bred ewe.

Mr McDonald who is a general farm worker on Islay Estates and also owns a few pedigree sheep, also bagged the Suffolk championship with a one-crop ewe bought last yaer at the Dark Diamonds sale from Graeme Christie.

Mr Burnett's choice of reserve to the Texel winner was the supreme cross-bred, a Suffolk cross ewe bred by the late Jim Kennedy, Lyonston, Maybole, shown by local skipper, Allan MacKellar, Seaview, Benderloch.

LEADING awards

Blackface (Judge: A Smith, Crosswoodburn). Champion, supreme sheep and reserve overall champion of champions – J and J MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally, with an Aberuchil-bred shearling ram bought at Stirling last year for £1400. Second at Cowal Show, he is by a £40,000 Dalchirla owned in partnership with Connachan and Lurgan, and out of a ewe by a £16,000 Loughash. Reserve – J and J MacPherson, with a gimmer by a home-bred son of an £11,000 Elmscleugh, out of a ewe by a £24,000 Lurg, one of 1100 ewes in the flock. Confined champion – R MacKay, Millpark, Oban, with a tup lamb by a £3500 Dalchirla, out of a gimmer by an £1800 Crossflatt. Reserve confined – R and J Love, Drissaig, Loch Avich, Taynuilt, with a ewe by an Allanfauld sire. YFC champion – Innes MacKay, Millpark, with a two-crop ewe by a 9000gns Finglen that was placed as a ewe lamb. Reserve YFC – Holly Cameron, Inion, North Connel, with a ewe lamb. Three-shear confined and open, confined gimmer – A MacFadyen and Son, Bragleenmore, Kilninver. Two-shear confined – A and A Dickie, Musdale, Kilmore. Two-shear open – J and J MacPherson. Confined shearling and bred, senior ewe open and confined, ewe with lamb open and confined – R and J Love. Tup lamb confined and open. Tup lamb confined and open, confined junior ewe – R MacKay. Open gimmer – A and G MacPherson, Saulmore, Connel. Confined ewe lamb – D Cameron, Inion, North Connel. Open ewe lamb – D Shaw, Inshaig, Ardfern. YFC gimmer – I MacKay. YFC lamb – H and A Cameron.

Blackface champion and reserve overall champion of champions from Balliemeanoch

Suffolk (Judge: E Burnett, Fell Back Yetts, Thornhill, Stirling). Champion and reserve – Jack McDonald (19), Bayview, Islay. Supreme was a one-crop Balquhain-bred ewe bought at the Dark Diamonds sale at Carlisle, last year from Graeme Christie. She is by Crewelands Kingpin and was champion at Campbeltown the previous day. Reserve was a ewe lamb by a home-bred sire and out of a home-bred ewe brought out with assistance from the young handlers champion, Jordie Rountree (12). Ram – Julie Campbell, Achnacreebeag, North Connel. Ewe, gimmer, ram lamb, ewe lamb – J McDonald.

Texel (Judge: E Burnett). Champion and supreme cross-bred sheep – J McDonald, Bayview, Islay, with a two-shear ram by Hexel Blockbuster, out of a home-bred ewe – one of only six pedigree Texels in the flock. Reserve – E and L MacGillivray, Home Farm, Barcaldine, with a previously unshown gimmer by Plasucha Class Act, out of a home-bred ewe by Hullhouse Bulgaria. Ram – J McDonald. Ewe – Olivia Bowman, Mid Cragabus Croft, Islay. Gimmer – E and L MacGillivray. Ram lamb, ewe lamb – D MacCorquodale, Achnaba, North Connel.

Jack McDonald's Texel champion and reserve sheep

Beltex (Judge: E Burnett). Champion and reserve – A MacKellar, Seaview, Benderloch. Supreme was a home-bred three crop ewe by a Woodies sire bought at Carlisle. Rserve was a gimmer daughter of the champion and sired by a different Woodies ram. Ewe, gimmer, ram lamb – A MacKellar. Ewe lamb – Rosslyn Smith, Balliemore, Kilmichael Glassary, Lochgilphead.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: E Burnett). Champion and reserve – J Bignal (19), Creag Islay, Islay. Supreme was a February-born ewe lamb by a Blarnavaid ram bought at Stirling in 2020 and out of a Blarnavaid ewe bought privately. Reserve was the mother of the champion. All classes – J Bignal.

Any other pure breed (Judge: E Burnett). Champion – C Jackson and Rachel Hamilton, Dunrod, Inverkip, with a park-type Cheviot ewe bought privately from David Pritchard after standing champion at the Welsh National breed show and reserve at the Royal Welsh in 2019. She is one of 50 park-type Cheviot ewes run alongside the duo's 400 hill-type Cheviots. Reserve – Emma Smith, Etive Zwartbles, Goirtean Beag Croft, Brolas, Taynuilt, with a two-shear ram bought privately from Carie Bissett. Previously unshown, he is by Conic Endrick. Ram, ewe lamb, gimmer – Emma Smith. Ewe, ram lamb – C Jackson and Rachel Hamilton.

Honourary reserve champion was the cross-bred champion from Allan MacKellar

Cross-bred sheep (Judge: E Burnett). Champion and reserve cross-bred sheep – A MacKellar, with a three-crop Suffolk cross ewe bred from a Suffolk cross Bleu Du Maine. She was bred by Jim Wallace, Lyonston, and exhibited at the Royal Highland Show, where she was purchased privately. Reserve – A MacKellar, with an April-born Beltex cross ewe lamb by Woodies Cookiemonster on her first outing. Ewe, ewe lamb – A MacKellar. Gimmer – J Carmichael, Fiart.

Young handlers (Judge: E Burnett). Junior – 1, Jordie Rountree; 2, Hollie Cameron; 3, Fraser Prentice. Senior – Zoe Prentice; 2, Charles Cameron; 3, Duncan Cameron.

Highland cattle (Judge: Mrs Lesley Lacey, Toll House, Lawers, Aberfeldy). Champion and reserve inter-breed cattle – W McLean, Inverglen, Barcaldine, with the two-year-old heifer, Neoinean Ruadh 6 of Leys, a Sir Lawrence of Springfield-sired entry bought at Oban in October 2021. She is out of Neoinean Ruadh 4 of Leys and is one of only two Highland cattle owned by Mr McLean. Reserve – RD Schuster, Glenkinglass, Dalmally with the second prize winner to the champion, Heather 2 of Glenkinglass, a daughter of Kirkiboist of Ardbhan out of Heather 1 of Glenkinglass. She was first at the North of Scotland Club Show. Senior bull, two-year-old heifer – W MacLean. Junior bull – I MacKay, Cnoc, Appin. Cow, yearling heifer, inter-breed in-calf pair, pair, group of three – Mr and Mrs Strickland, Cladich fold, Dalmally.

Highland cattle supreme and reserve inter-breed beef from Willie McLean

Pure continental beef (Judge: C MacKinnon, Nurses house, Cornaigmore, Tiree). Champion – A and I MacInnes, Ruaig, Tiree, with the two-year-old Limousin heifer, Ringway Riband, bought last year at Carlisle from Peter Henshall to establish a new herd. Champion and reserve inter-breed beef champion at Tiree, she is by Elite Icecream and bred from Ringway Jacaranda, a Ringway Foggy daughter. Reserve – E and L MacGillivray, Home Farm, Barcaldine, with Creran Skyeman, a March 2021-born Limousin bull by Mereside Napolean, out of Lodge Iccolo which was bought privately as a calf. Skyeman was placed at the Highland, stood reserve Drymen and is bound for the bull sales at Stirling in October. Bull, calf – E and L MacGillivray. Yeld heifer – A and I MacInnes.

Cross-bred beef cattle (Judge: C MacKinnon). Champion – R and D Wright, Woodend Ardgour, with a Newton of Logierait-bred Limousin cross heifer bred by John and Craig Robertson and bought at Carlisle in March. April 2021-born, she is by Glenrock Inferno and out of Thriller, one of the Robertsons former show winning heifers. Reserve – R and D Wright, with an eight-year-old Limousin cross cow with heifer calf at foot. Orkney-bred, she was bought at Thainstone as in-calf heifer. Breeding cow, heifer/steer – R and D Wright. In-calf heifer – W Buchanan, Lag An Fhiodhain, North Connel.

Cross-bred calves (Judge: C MacKinnon). Champion, inter-breed beef and overall champion of champions – A and I MacInnes, Ruaig, Tiree, with Katie, a March-born heifer calf by Claragh Istabraq, out of the pedigree British Blue cow, Ruaig Noel. Supreme at Tiree, she will be sold at the Christmas show and sale at Oban. Reserve – D MacDonald, Tyree, Benderloch, with an April-born Limousin cross steer, by the privately purchased Huntershall Jimbo and out of a Limousin cross British Blue cow. He is also destined for Oban's Christmas show and sale. Autumn 2021-born bullock calf – R and D Wright, Woodend. Spring 2022-born Limousin cross male calf – D MacDonald. Spring 2022-born Limousin cross heifer calf – A and I MacInnes.

Young handlers – Champion – Jayden McLachlen.