FIRST time exhibitor, John Christie, who runs his 30-strong Westcarse Charolais herd near Stirling, secured the senior title and went on to win the continental senior championship with a 14-month-old bull on its first outing.
This was Westcarse Nimrod by Mortimers Highlandfling, a bull which was bought at Carlisle in May 2014. Bred out of the dam, Westcarse Emily, she is a half sister to the 14,000gns Westcarse Houdini sold at Carlisle in May, 2013 and has bred sons to 6500gns.
Aberdeenshire's Neil and Stuart Barclay who run 80 cows at Harestone, Banchory, and who were also showing at the event for the first time, stood reserve in the seniors with the August 2017-born heifer, Harestone Natalie. Brought out by stockman Robert Marshall, she stood first in her class at Turriff and is by the 25,000gns Inverlochy Ferdie, which is a former Stirling Bull Sales reserve supreme champion. The dam is Harestone Finesse, one of the best cows in the herd. 
Richard Hassel and Rachel Whylie of Brailes Livestock at Upper Brailes, Banbury, Oxfordshire, came up trumps in the junior section, taking the tri-colour rosette with Bassett Online. Bought last August as a young calf from Jean Atkinson, this 10-month-old bull is by the 10,000gns Harestone Domino, out of Bassett Ebony. He will be taken to summer shows next year, before being sold next October. 
Father and son duo, Robin and William McMurrich, who run 20 Charolais under their Formakin prefix near Causewayhead, Stirling, are regular winners at the event and this year, took the reserve overall honours in the juniors with the female champion. Born in February and on her first outing, she is an AI daughter of the French bull, Hercules, and is bred out of Formakin Licorige – a cow which stood reserve junior champion here in 2015 and whose dam bred the junior champion here last year. The McMurrichs also took the reserve female championship in the juniors with another daughter of Hercules, Formakin Octopusy. 

LEADINGawards:

(Judge: Charlie Boden, Mellor Hall Farm, Mellor, Stockport, Cheshire).
Seniors – Bulls born July 5 to Nov 25, 2017 – 1, senior male champion, overall senior champion and continental senior champion, J Christie's Westcarse Nimrod, by Mortimer Highlandfling; 2 and reserve senior male, Major Walter's Balthayock Nairn, by Balthayock Influence; 3, R McCulloch's Overhill Night Rider, by Inverlochy Ferdie. Heifers born Aug 11 to Sept 5, 2017 – 1, female champion and reserve overall senior, R and N Barclay's Harestone Natalie, by Inverlochy Ferdie; 2, A Hornall's Falleninch Nigella; 3, J and J Graham's Burnbank Naomi, by Elgin Davinci. Heifers born Oct 2 to Dec 11, 2017 – 1 and reserve senior female, R Aitken's Lourie Novelty, by Davally Illusion; 2, G Russell's Lesliepark Nora, by Lesliepark Lithgow; 3, T and S Gatherer's Barnsford Naquira, by Goldies Icon. 
Juniors – Bulls born Jan 3 to Apr 18, 2018 – 1, junior male champion and overall junior champion, Brailes Livestock's Bassett Online, by Harestone Domino; 2 and reserve junior male champion, M Lyle's Loganbar Omega, by Westcarse Jumbo; 3, A Ivory's Cardean Osprey, by Maerdy Henley. Heifers born Jan 1 to Feb 6, 2018 – 1, junior female champion and reserve overall junior, McMurrich Partners' Formakin Opal, by Hercule; 2 and reserve junior female, McMurrich Partners' Formakin Octopusy, by Hercule; 3, A Hornall's Falleninch Orla, by Falleninch Imperator. 
Young handlers – Jessica Hornall.