YOUNG Ruby Simpson proved she has a real eye for stock when the bullock she brought out for her parents, Bob and Helen, not only won the cattle championship but went on to stand champion of champions at Strathardle Show. 

The 15-month-old named Jimmy Blue presented by 11-year-old Ruby, who has been taking part in the Aberdeen-Angus Youth Development Programme and did well in the industrial tent at Strathardle, is by a Limousin stock bull used in the herd at Mains of Creuchies, and first caught the eye of Graeme Mather, Brechin, before he was awarded the supreme title judged on a points basis by the five section judges. 

“He’s a very good commercial animal and just the thing for the prime market as he’s what the butchers want,” said Mr Mather of the bullock. 
With four lots of sheep forward for the supreme judging it was the North-type Blackface that gathered the most points to take the best breeding sheep title. That was a gimmer by a £3500 Chamberwells from Mark and David Simpson, Sidlaw, that also stood champion at Kirriemuir. 

It was a clean sweep in the two cross sheep categories for David and Elizabeth Stewart, Mains of Dalrulzion, when they landed the top two tickets in both sections with three-quarter Texel females. Winning a record prime lamb championship was a pair of ewe lambs by the same Scrogtonhead sire that bred last year’s winners, while a single gimmer by another Scrogtonhead tup won led the cross breeding sheep entry.

The Michie family headed up the South Blackie classes with a three-crop ewe by a £65,000 Auldhouseburn. 

LEADING awards:

Cattle (Judge: G Mather, Brechin). Champion and champion of champions – Simpson family, Mains of Creuchies, with Jimmy Blue, a 15-month-old bullock by the Irish Limousin stock bull called Freddie, bred from a pure British Blue cow. With Bob and Helen’s 11-year-old daughter, Ruby, in charge of bringing the home-bred bullock out, he and Ruby won the young handlers classes at both Alyth and Kirriemuir shows. Reserve – R Martyn, Wester Bleaton, with a March-born bullock by the Limousin sire, Homebyres Ian, and out of a Blue cow, one of 160 cows run by Raymond and son Stephen. This was the bullock’s first outing and he’ll head to a sale at Forfar later in the year. Senior stot calf by any other breed, intermediate stot calf by any other breed, best stot calf by any other breed – Simpson family. Senior heifer calf by Charolais/Simmental, junior stot calf by Charolais/Simmental, junior heifer calf by Charolais/Simmental, best stot calf by Charolais/Simmental, best heifer calf by Charolais/Simmental – WK and P Drysdale, Middle Drimmie. Senior heifer calf by any other breed, best heifer calf by any other breed – H Fleming, Peel. Intermediate heifer calf by any other breed, pair of heifer calves, pair of stot calves, cow, best pair of calves, most points – Brigadier Dunphie, Cloquhat. Junior stot calf by any other breed, junior stot calf by native breed, junior heifer calf by native breed , best spring-born calf bred by exhibitor– R Martyn. Senior stot calf by native breed – D Houstoun, Glenkilrie. Senior heifer calf by native breed – J and A Lindsay, Runavey. 

North-type Blackface (Judge: N Shearer, Glenlivet). Champion – M and D Simpson, Sidlaw, with their champion from Kirriemuir Show, a gimmer by a £3500 Chamberwells bred from an Auchnacloich ewe bought at Lanark. She is one of three Northies owned by Mark and David. Reserve – D Nicol, Viewmount, with the second prize gimmer, a daughter of a £9500 Haughton bred from a ewe by a £3500 Viewmount. She was second at Perth and third at Kirriemuir, but this was her best result to date. Aged ram, ewe, ewe lamb, group of three females – D Nicol. Shearling ram, ram lamb, one-crop ewe, male champion, group of three males – A Petrie, Alyth. Gimmer, female champion – M and D Simpson. Shepherd’s classes – Shearling ram, shepherd’s champion – A Forbes. Ram lamb – J Fordyce. 

The Scottish Farmer:

     Breeding sheep champion, a North Blackface gimmer from Sidlaw

South-type Blackface (Judge: J Little, Callander). Champion – C Michie, Tomchulan, with an AI-bred daughter of a £65,000 Auldhouseburn bred out of a Tomchulan ewe. One of 1200 ewes run by the Michies and ‘herded by Richard McArdle, she was shown as a lamb and had a ewe lamb at foot by an Auldhouseburn-bred son of the £85,000 Elmscleugh. Reserve – M and D Simpson, Sidlaw, with a one-crop ewe that was second in her class at Kirriemuir. Sired by a £1100 Dullatur, she is out of a ewe by a £5800 Connachan, one of 100 Southies run by brothers Mark and David. Aged ram – Ashintully. Shearling ram, ewe, group of three males, group of three females – C Michie. Ram lamb, ewe lamb – F Wilson, Steading, Ashintully. One-crop ewe – M and D Simpson. Gimmer – W and A Walker, Freuchies Grazing. Shepherd’s classes – Shearling ram – R McInnes. Ram lamb, ewe lamb – F Wilson. Ewe – G Cocker. One-crop ewe – B Cocker. Gimmer – Freuchies. 

Prime lambs (Judge: C Ewart, Rait). Champion and reserve – D and E Stewart, Mains of Dalrulzion. Winning another prime lamb championship for husband and wife team, David and Elizabeth, who have won the section every time they have entered and were helped by Fiona Burke, was a pair of three-quarter Texel ewe lambs by the same Scrogtonhead sire that bred last year’s winners. Born in mid-April out of Texel cross ewes, they tipped the scales at 44.8kg apiece and will be retained. In reserve was a 34kg pair of Beltex crosses by a home-bred sire and out of Texel cross ewes. Pair of Leicester cross lambs, pair of Blackface wedder lambs – D Houstoun, Glenkilrie. Pair of lambs with Blackface dam (any other sire), best pair of lambs with Blackface dam – DA Armory, Glenfernate. Pair of Suffolk cross lambs (Blackface dam) – J Lindsay, Runavey. Pair of Suffolk cross lambs (Mule dam), pair of Suffolk cross lambs (any other dam) under 80kg – W and WI Bruges, Laighwood. Pair of Suffolk cross lambs (any other dam) over 80kg, pair of lambs (any other breed) under 80kg, pair of lambs (any other breed) over 80kg, best pair of cross lambs – D and E Stewart, Mains of Dalrulzion. 

Cross breeding sheep (Judge: M Simpson, Braco). Champion and reserve – D and E Stewart, Mains of Dalrulzion. Taking the top ticket for David and Elizabeth, who were helped by Fiona Burke, was one from their winning pair of cross gimmers, a three-quarter Texel by a Scrogtonhead sire and out of a Texel cross ewe from the flock of 1000 ewes. In reserve was a pair of ewe lambs by the same tup as the winning prime lambs and again bred from Texel cross mothers. They will be retained. Pair of Mule ewe lambs – Ashintully. Pair of cross ewe lambs, pair of cross ewes, pair of cross gimmers – D and E Stewart. Pair of Mule ewes, pair of Mule gimmers – Ardlebank, Ballantuim.