THERE WAS big turnout of both stock and visitors to this year's Mid Argyll Show, in Lochgilphead, with the sheep section filled to capacity.

A feature of the show was the number of Young Farmers invited to judge the majority of sections at the show, with John Graham, from Blairdrummond, taking on the responsibility of placing many of the inter-breeds as well as the champion of champions selection in the main ring.

His choice for the overall show champion was the top beef animal, the mid-March born suckled calf from father and son team of Ewen and Ewen MacGillivray, from Barcaldine Home Farm, near Oban. This was The Captain, a steer calf by the Limousin sire, Lodge Hamlet out of a home-bred British Blue cross Limousin dam which was making his show debut.

The MacGillivrays usually sell their calves at Oban Christmas sale, but may be tempted to sell this cracker earlier at one of the big autumn show calf sales.

Mr Graham then selected the well-grown Clydesdale foal, Gar-cal-fra Sweet Iona, from Callum MacPhail, Campbeltown, as reserve supreme. This youngster was fresh from a championship win at Kintyre and is by Dillars Ollie out of the well-known show mare, Gar-cal-fra Sweet Chloe, herself a former winner at Mid Argyll.

The confined show supreme ticket was taken by a seven-year-old Highland pony stallion, Corrybrough Fergus, forward from Dianne and Rosslyn Smith, Balliemore. Brought out by Dianne, he is by Bodach Dhu of Glenshiel and out of Glenbanchor Bridie, and was bought, newly backed, 2½ years ago.

Mr Graham picked that ahead of the best of the confined sheep section, a Blackface gimmer from Robert and Ian Shaw. This one is by a £550 Nunnerie and out of an Arnicle-bred ewe by a son of the £20,000 Auldhouseburn.

Supreme sheep, though, was the Bluefaced Leicester leader shown by John McLachlan on behalf of his wife, Jean. This three-crop ewe is by an Ashes sire and also has the distinction of breeding the reserve male champion at this year's Royal Highland Show.

LEADINGawards:

Clydesdale (Judge: A McMillan). Champion – C MacPhail with the Clydesdale foal, Gar-cal-fra Sweet Iona, the Dillars Ollie daughter which had won at Kintyre the previous week. reserve – J McLatchie with the dam of his Kintyre reserve champion, Peggyslea Alice. She is an eight-year-old mare by Millisle Hero and out of Peggyslea Maisie. Brood Mare – J McLatchie. Foal – C MacPhail. Yeld mare/gelding, harness – M Mayberry.

Highland (Judge: D Logan, Alva). Champion – Mrs Q Strickland, Cladich, with the Lorn Show champion, Capleadh Buidhe Beg 4 of Cladich, a four-year-old cow by Aonghas of An Sidhean. Reserve – RD Schuster, Duiletter, with the three-year-old heifer, Albhanach Raineach of Glenkinglas, by Adamh 2 of Lagg; first show. Bull, cow, yearling heifer, inter-breed group of three – Mrs Q Strickland. Suckled calf – T and E McMillan, Isle of Bute. Three-year-old heifer, two-year-old heifer – RD Schuster.

AOB pure cattle (Judge: S Taylor, Stirling). Champion – D Anderson, Barnakill, with a cow. Reserve – Laggan Farms, Kilmichael Glassary, with a cow.

Cross suckled calves (Judge: S Taylor). Champion, overall beef and champion of champions – E MacGillivray, Barcaldine, with The Captain, a mid-March-born steer calf by the Limousin sire Lodge Hamlet and out of a home-bred British Blue cross Limousin dam; first show. Reserve – D Semple, Dippen, with a Charolais cross heifer. Senior bullock calf – D MacDonald, Benderloch. Senior Limousin cross heifer calf, senior AOB cross heifer calf – D Semple. Spring-born steer – E MacGillivray. Spring-born heifer calf, prime stock champion – Dunlossit Estate, Islay. Unhaltered champion – A McNair and Son, Stroneskar, with a seven-year-old Simmental cross Limousin cow shown with its spring-born Limousin cross calf at foot. Cow, heifer in calf – D Anderson. Cow with calf at foot, unhaltered heifer for breeding – A McNair and Son. Heifer for breeding – Laggan Farms. Unhaltered native bullock calf, unhaltered native heifer calf – I and R Malcolm. Young handler – Lauren Morris, Islay, showing Midnight, Dunlossit Estates' first-prize calf.

Blackface, confined (Judge: D McArthur, Nunnerie). Champion and inter-breed confined sheep champion – R and I Shaw with a gimmer by a £550 Nunnerie and out of an Arnicle-bred dam by a son of the £20,000 Auldhouseburn; first show this year and first as a lamb last year. Reserve – Tayvallich Estate's shearling ram which had been bought privately from Auldhouseburn and by Auldhouseburn Joco; first show. Aged ram, ram lamb, gimmer, ewe lamb, group – R and I Shaw. Shearling ram, ewe – Tayvallich Estate.

Blackface, open (Judge: D McArthur). Champion – D and I McArthur, Arnicle, with Sansa, a one-crop ewe by an £8000 Nunnerie and out of a dam, by a £2800 Connachan which is shared with Dalchirla; first last year at Strachur and Mid Argyll and second at Dalmally. Reserve – D and I McArthur's Lorn Show-winner, the two-crop ewe, Cersei, a daughter of the £8000 Nunnerie and out of a dam by a £27,000 Auldhouseburn; Strachur champion last year. Male champion – J and J MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, with the £1400 two-shear ram which was bought at Lanark off Connachan. He's by a £4000 Gass; reserve male at Oban. Aged ram, ram lamb – J and J MacPherson. Shearling tup, senior ewe, junior ewe, ewe with lamb at foot – D and I McArthur. Gimmer, ewe lamb – J Jackson and Son, Pole. Fleece – R and I Shaw.

Suffolk (Judge: K O'Connor). Champion and reserve overall sheep – J MacDonald, Islay, with a home-bred four-crop ewe, by a home-bred sire. Reserve – J Rowntree's ewe lamb, by a Cairness sire which was bought inside a Cairness ewe.

Texel (Judge: J McKerrow, Nochnary). Champion – Mrs S Woodrow, Islay, with a gimmer by Stainton Vigilante out of a home-bred dam and whose full sister was reserve at Kintyre. Reserve – J Pirie, Machrihanish, with a home-bred three-crop ewe. Confined champion, confined ram, confined ewe, open ram – D Anderson. Confined ram lamb, confined ewe lamb – N McArthur. Ram lamb, gimmer – Mrs S Woodrow. Ewe – J Pirie. Ewe lamb – J MacDonald.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: S Nelson). Champion and inter-breed sheep winner – Mrs J McLachlan, Campbeltown, with a three-crop ewe, by an Ashes sire, which was first at Kintyre and which sired the reserve male champion at this year's Royal Highland, a ram lamb which was champion at Kintyre; reserve at Kintyre as a gimmer. Reserve – K, A and R Campbell, Drimsynie, with a home-bred shearling ram, by Highberries Hotshot, that was first at Lorn and will be for sale at Kelso, in September. Ram – K, A and R Campbell. Ram lamb, ewe, gimmer, inter-breed group of three – Mrs J McLachlan. Ewe lamb – J and M Turner.

AOB pure sheep (Judge: K O'Connor). Champion – J and A Parkhouse, Inverawe, with the Kintyre champion, a one-crop Charollais ewe by Meiklehills Picasso. Reserve – J and A Parkhouse's two-crop Charollais ewe by Parkgate Neptune. Ram, ram lamb, ewe, gimmer – J and A Parkhouse. Ewe lamb – A and H Bevis.

Cross-bred sheep (Judge: S Nelson). Champion and reserve – K, A and R Campbell's Scotch Mule ewe over their Scotch Mule ewe lamb. Ewe, ewe lamb – K, A and R Campbell. Gimmer, three Mule ewe lambs – D McArthur.

Rare sheep breeds (Judge: M Moy, Pollok, Glasgow). Chamion and reserve – Mrs B Campbell, Cladich, with Charlie, a five-shear katmoget Shetland tup and reserve with a moorit Shetland ewe lamb. all classes – Mrs B Campbell.

Prime lambs (Judge: K O'Connor). Champion – D Anderson with the winning single prime lamb. Reserve R Smith's pen of three prime lambs. Young handler – Aidana McGeachy.