We’ve all heard of sheaf tossing and wellie throwing, but now there’s a new pastime for the rural sportsperson – camel lifting.

Apparently, a young man from Bradford has just won the world championship at this traditional and annual event in Pakistan.

Qasim Hussain won the Kharack Mirpur annual event with his four-year-old camel, Sheezada Kathreela.

It was loaded up with bags of stones weighing 1800kg on his humps and back before getting to its feet and walking around in front of 20,000 spectators.

The crowd seemed to enjoy it, but animal rights activists didn’t and they described the contest as animal abuse.

It begs the question, though, that if a camel can lift more than a pick-up truck, then this might be a new ‘green’ way to transport gear around the farm. Don’t think it’ll catch on, though.

Clark has it down to a tea

AS FAR as ‘relationships’ go, farmers are maybe still living in a bit of a time warp, and some would say even the dark ages. Take Clark Lamont, from Blackpark, Crocketford, near Dumfries, for instance, who’s had to look after himself recently when his wife of 42 years, Beth, broke her arm.

Apparently, the recently turned 65-year-old declared that he’d ‘had to peel tatties and everything’ as well as get stuck into the lambing.

However, Clark – in an uncharacteristic show of caring – decided to make Beth a cup of tea. This act of kindness backfired somewhat when he had to ask what she took in it – one would think that after 42 years, he should at least known that about her!

Who’s the ‘real McCoo’?

Highland cattle are featuring in an unlikely artistic row between two painters.

The disagreement centres around the multi-coloured McCoo paintings by Ayrshire artist, Steven Brown, who has accused fellow painter, Aaron de la Haye of copying his distinctive style. The spat has since reached the daily newspapers and even the police have been involved.

Visitors to the Royal Highland Show might remember the unusual paint job that Mr Brown did for the Campbell family’s Argyll Holidays promotional caravan at the show. Methinks the McCoo row could go on for some time.

The pampered poodle show

AN ARTISTIC impression of another sort cropped up at last weekend’s YF calf and lamb rally at Caledonian Marts, Stirling, where Suzie Dunn, of SSS YFC and well-known stocksman, Cammie Jackson, decided to jazz up some sheep entries.

Suzie sought inspiration from poodle parlours via the internet and Cammie clipped two sheep into a most un-sheep-like shape.

However, the judges weren’t impressed and added insult to in jury by telling the pair that they’d have won – but only if the animals had been more traditionally dressed! Does that mean in a kilt?