THE SUPREME championship at last weekend’s Neilston Show, saw a Simmental bull from David Craig follow in the footsteps of some illustrious forebears during a dry, but cold day on the show site just outside the town.

His Kennox Juggernaut 18, a son of Woodhall Ferrari, was following in his mother, grandmother, and aunt’s footsteps by taking the champion of champions award. A junior champion from the Stars of the Future show, last November, Juggernaut will be aimed at the Stirling Bull Sales in October – ‘if not sold before’, said Mr Craig.

The runner-up spot went to the winner from the Highland cattle section, Dougie Fountain’s three-year-old heifer, Boidheach Ruadh 4 of Broomrigg, which had made the long trip north from Lockerbie for the event. The Highland classes were well-filled, despite the fact that the funeral of Jimmy McKechnie, France Farm, had reduced the number of exhibitors by at least four.

From the sheep section, the tri-colour rosette in the inter-breed went to the Texel winner from Graeme McCarter, Stewarton. This was a Garngour-bred one-crop ewe by Knock Yardsman and out of a dam by Halbeath VIP which had been reserve at Beith the previous week.

Runner-up from the woollies was the Blackface champion, a home-bred tup hogg from brothers Stuart and George Kerr, Middleton, Newton Mearns. This son of a home-bred sheep by a £500 Allanfauld and out of a dam by a £1000 Auldhouseburn had been eighth in a big class at Muirkirk as a lamb.

Dairy champion was a second calver from Kerr Scott, from Kilburn, Neilston, which was repeating her placing from last year.

LEADING awards:

Ayrshire (Judge: C Cochrane, Nether Craig). Champion and reserve – National Museum of Rural Life’s Kittochside Louise’s Sundance, a dry cow due to drop her fifth calf. By Grandage Bright Spark, she is a former winner at Neilston. Reserve – Kittochside Candy’s Prodigy. a heifer in milk which calved in February and by Greenland Prodigy. She was fourth at the Royal Highland as a stirk. All classes – National Museum of Rural Life.

Holstein (Judge: Cochrane). Champion – K Scott, Kilburn, with a home-bred cow which had also won last year. Cow in milk, cow in calf, heifer derby, heifer in milk, pair. Heifer in calf – J MacLeod. Calf – Miss Isla Dunlop, South Biggart, Lugton.

AOB dairy (Judge: C Cochrane). Champion – J MacLeod, East Uplaw, Uplawmoor, with a Brown Swiss heifer in calf. Heifer in calf – J MacLeod.Yeld heifer, calf – National Museum of Rural Life.

Commercial beef (Judge: D Smith, North Boig). Champion – Miss S Dunn, Willowbank, Throsk, with Haggis Bomb, a |December, 2017-born Limousin cross bullock by Craigatoke Jamieson and bred by Balfour Baillie before being bought at Thainstone by Suzie. It lifted a red ticket at the Expo and is destined for the Highland. All classes – Miss S Dunn.

Pure-bred Continental (Judge: D Smith). Champion and reserve – Miss J McKay, Harelaw, Barrhead, led with Harelaw Kylie, a 3½-year-old cow with a heifer calf at foot, which was reserve. She’s by Bluegrass Cyclone and the six-month-old calf, Harelaw Nessie, is by Ruaig Ginger. Reserve– J and J Scott, Meikle Ittington, Ardrossan, with Capaldi, the overall show champion from Beith All classes – Miss J McKay.

Pure-bred native (Judge: D Smith). Champion – W and T Thomson, Woodneuk, Barrhead, with the Beef Shorthorn bull, Balgay Laggan, which had been bought from Iain Graham at Stirling last October for 3500gns and was shown by Colin Soutter. Cow – D Atherton, South Highgate, Beith. Heifer – D Welsh, West Broadmoss, Fenwick. Bull – W and T Thomson.

Highland (Judge: T Sample, Crook of Devon). Champion – D Fountain, Broomrigg, Lockerbie, with Boidheach Ruadh 4 of Broomrigg, a three-year-old heifer by Jock of Inversnaid. She was first at Beith the previous week and reserve at Dumfries last year. Reserve – Glasgow Cittuy Council, Pollok, with the second-prize three-year-old heifer, Lady Gheal 1 of Pollok, by Russell of Craigowmill and out of Lady Ruadh 8 of Pollok. Senior cow, yearling heifer – Glasgow City Council. Junior cow, calf – J Strickland, Cladich, Dalmally. Three-year-old heifer – D Fountain. Two-year-old heifer, pair – R and E McMillan, Little Grenach, Bute. Bull – W and T Thomson.

Simmental: Judge: W Kirk, Skerrington Mains). Champion _ D Craig, Kennox, Stewarton, with the 15-month-old bull Kennox Juggernaut 18, a son of Woodhall Ferrari which was following in a line of champion of champions from the herd. Reserve – A Wilson, Westcroft, Kilwinning, with Cairnview Tilly 4, a four-year-old cow with her second calf at foot. The cow, which was first the the Highland last year, is by Westview Elmo while her four-month-old bull calf is by Cairnview Killie. Cow, calf, pair – A Wilson. Bull – D Craig.

Blackface (Judge: J Boswell, Darvel). Champion – S and G Kerr, Middleton, Newton Mearns, with a home-bred tuo hogg, by a home-bred son of a £500 Allanfauld and out of a dam by a £1000 Auldhouseburn. Reserve – D Shedden, Burnfoot, Muirkirk, with his Beith champion, Letty, a three-crop Nunnerie-bred ewe by a £3800 Netherwood and out of a dam by the £44,000 Crossflatt. Tup hogg, ewe hogg – S and G Kerr. Aged ram – A Paterson, Middlepart, Saltcoats. Ewe, group – D Shedden.

Suffolk (Judge: A Neilson, East Brackenridge). Champion – Rigfoot Suffolks, Uplawmoor, with a ewe hogg by Pyeston Phantom, which had been reserve at Beith. Reserve – W Borthwick, Auchinraith, Mauchline, with the Beith winner, a ewe lamb by Cairness Corker and out of a Cairness dam, by Baileys Rock Solid, which had been bought at the Dark Diamonds sale last year. Ram, ewe hogg, tup lamb, group – Rigfoot Suffolks. Ewe – D McKerr, Dunniflat, Lugton. Ewe lamb – W Borthwick.

Border Leicester (Judge: J Boswell). Champion – W Heads, Aitkenhead, Fenwick, with a home-bred ewe hogg bred out of an in-lamb dam bought from Duncan Whyte. Reserve – D Tulloch, Rigfoot, with a Ditton-bred tup hogg. Ram – D Tulloch, Rigfoot. Ewe hogg – W Heads.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: J Boswell). Champion – A MacPherson, Auchenblair, Kirkoswald, with a ewe lamb by Midlock K30 and out of a home-bred gimmer by a Dawyck sire; first at Beith. Reserve – A MacPherson’s ewe hogg which had been bred at Midlock, by a J6 Hewgill, and had been bought for £400. All classes – A MacPherson.

Texel (Judge: A Neilson). Champion – G McCarter, Stewarton, with a Garngour-bred one-crop ewe, by Knock Yardsman and out of a dam by Halbeath VIP; reserve at Beith. Reserve – W Heads’ hogg, bred out of a Cowal ewe and by a Midlock sire. Ram – H Wardrop, South Craigton, Newton Mearns. Ewe – G McCarter, Stewarton. Ewe hogg – W Heads. Tup lamb – A Mitchell, Hall of Caldwell, Uplawmoor. Ewe lamb – H McPhee, North Lodge, Dundonald. Group – R Baird, Floors, Eaglesham.

AOB sheep (Judge: J Boswell). Champion – Mrs L Daff, Greenside, Uplawmoor, with the two-shear ram, Maximum Obama which was bought last year for 2200gns after he had been first at the Highland for William Baillie. By a Perdi tup, he will be going to RHS and Royal Welsh. Reserve – Mrs L Daff’s one-crop Rouge ewe, Bennachie Trina, which was bought privately as a lamb last year and as a gimmer won the Great Yorkshire and Royal Welsh, where she was also supreme continental. She is by Gerigne Fernando. Ram, ewe, ewe hogg, group – Mrs L Daff. Tup lamb, ewe lamb, pair of butchers’ lambs – T and E Paterson, Beith.

Clydesdales (Judge: N Christie, Balfron). Champion – Miss C Young, Doura Clydesdales, Hall, Ayr, with the yearling filly Clerkington River Rock Lena, which was making her show debut for this year. She is by Doura Aird Ambition and out of Doura Pippa. Reserve – J Rochead, Malcolmwood, Blantyre, with a two-year-old filly. Brood mare, foal – J Speirs, c/o Macolmwood, Blantyre. Senior male, yearling, pair – Miss C Young. Senior gedling – A Steel, Jackton, East Kilbride. Two-year-old – J Rochead.