RHS DAIRY

REGULAR winners, the Laird family from Blyth Bridge, did the double in the dairy lines, winning the inter-breed dairy for the second year in succession with the same cow.

The supreme judge, Paul Harrison, Heddon-on-The-Wall, said of his stint: “It was the best inter-breed I have ever judged. It was a pleasure to be part of, with a tremendous line up of cattle showing strong dairy quality right down the line.”

Father and son duo, Alister and Colin Laird, from Blythbridge, Peebles, took the overall title with Blythbridge Jessy D2 Cou. This was the sixth time the family had won the inter-breed here and the eighth time, they had lifted the breed title.

Their champion this time was a French-bred cow by Maple Dawns I-G-W Atwood, that was imported as a heifer in milk. Now a five-year-old, having produced her third in November, this Ex92-classified cow is producing 50kg a day.

Commenting on his reasons for placing the Holstein champion Mr Harrison added: “The champion was the ideal Holstein that everyone dreams of having – carrying her milk higher than the reserve inter-breed, which I gave to the Jersey.”

That Jersey was the 4½-year-old in-calf cow, Clifton Vanahlem Clover, from Robbie and Margo Scott, Tarbolton. Their winner was purchased for 1300gns at Carlisle from Steven Bland and is sired by Pannoo ABE Vanhalem. Previously champion at UK Dairy Expo and Ayr Show this year, she is set to take on more local shows throughout the summer. A third calver, which produced her last in November, she is now yielding 41kg and is classified Ex92.

Leading the juniors and winning the inter-breed section trophy was another Holstein this time from Brian and Michael Yates from Castle Douglas. This was with their 18-month-old heifer, Logan Estate Jack, which calved in March and is now yielding 38kg. She is a by EDG Esther Estate.

An Ayrshire was runner up in the juniors with an in-milk heifer from the Lawries of Cuthill Towers – Arthur and Susan and sons James and David – tapped out as reserve supreme. Their two-year-old, Cuthill Modern Marcy VG85, a previously unshown heifer is yielding 35kg. A full sister to the reserve junior Ayrshire champion at the National Dairy Day, she is by West Mossgiel Modern and her dam is Hilltower Mandella Mary, a previous Ayrshire champion.

Another top for the Holstein breed, saw a quartet of entries from Brain Weatherup, Donald Laird, Colin and Alister Laird and Hugh Neilson take the inter-breed team championship.

Dairy young handlers

Taking the top ticket in the dairy young handler’s section was 13-year-old Rory Scott, from Shacklehill, Mossblown, with his rising one-year-old Holstein heifer Nethervalley Kingpin Sara.

He took reserve in this section last year and secured the top ticket this year due to his ‘unfaltering focus at all times – he was always aware of my position and how to place his calf’, said the judge, Louise Graham, herself a former internationalist in young handlers competitions.

Reserve was Lynsey Brown, leading out Lisnamulligan Lady Laura, an 11-month-old Dairy Shorthorn heifer, from the Lawsons of North Cassingray, Largoward, Fife. The 17-year-old took this rosette previously in 2016 and has been showing livestock for six years.

Dairy calf championship

Robbie and Margo Scott, had a cracking show winning their first supreme in the Jersey, while also winning the overall in the calves with a red and white.

Their eight-month-old Nethervalley Awesome Emma, from Shacklehill, Tarbolton, was led by nine-year-old Kyle Scott and was described by judge Louise Graham as ‘a well-balanced calf which had the advantage over the reserve due to its overall strength in the shoulder’.

The Montgomeries, from Lessnessock, Ochiltree, were reserve with the senior champion, a rising one-year-old Ayrshire, Lessnessock Cushie 5. She was also champion at Ayr and ‘oozed style and balance,’ according to Ms Graham. She is destined for the All Breeds Calf Show at the end of October, in Peterborough.

Any other breed

For the first time, the Highland had an 'any other dairy breed' section which saw a Brown Swiss from Robert and Sheila McColm crowned supreme.

This was with a five-year-old which calved her third in March. Soulseat Larsson Kizzy, a home-bred cow which is producing 32 litres per day and is classified Ex90, is by Inspired Glen Larson. She was shown as a maiden heifer and is a former champion at Stranraer Show.

Following her all the way to lift the reserve overall was the second prize winner to the champion, a British Friesian from Basil and Adam Lawson, North Cassingray, Fife. Lismulligan Priscilla is a third calver which calved in March and producing 38 litres per day.

Classified Ex91, she is sired by Winnoch Umpire, while her dam is Lismulligan Priscilla 41 – a three times champion at the National breed show. She was also champion AOB at Fife this year and last.

Holstein

IT was a roll over year amongst the Holsteins when Alister and Colin Laird, Blyth Bridge, scooped their second successive breed title with the same cow.

Blythbridge Jessy D2 Cou, a five-year-old which calved her third in November, was imported from France as an in-milk heifer. Classified Ex92, she is by Maple Dawns I-G-W Atwood and was paraded giving 50kg a day.

Brothers Andrew and James Wilson bagged the reserve ticket with a bought-in five-year-old cow by Inman.

Their winner from Carskerdo, Cupar, was Witherslack Micro Joanne 2, a Batoiola Mincio daughter, giving 56 litres per day having calved her third in April. No stranger to the top awards, she was champion of champions at West Fife last month and champion at Kinross and Fife last year.

Junior champion was Brian and Michael Yates' heifer, the three-year-old, Logan Estate Jack, which calved in March and is sired by EDG Esther Estate. She is producing 38 litres per day.

Jersey

Well-known show goers, Robbie and Margo Scott had plenty to smile about when their 4½-year-old cow, Clifton Vanahlem Clover, produced their first champion win here.

Their third calver from Shacklehill, Tarbolton, calved in November and is producing 41 litres per day. Classified Ex92, she was bought from Steven Bland, at Carlisle, for 1300gns and is sired by Pannoo ABE Vanhalem. Already a noted show winner, she boasts top wins at UK Dairy Expo and at Ayr this year.

Second in her class to the champion and reserve overall was the three-year-old, Monument David Jess, from the Wilson family from Carskerdo.

Junior heifer champion here last year, she calved her second in April and is now yielding 40litres per day. Jess was bought at Carlisle as a maiden heifer and is a daughter of Sunset Canyon David.

Ayrshire

The home-bred second calved three-year-old, Cuthill Towers Highland Dream, from the Lawrie family's herd from Kinross, bagged the Ayrshire championship.

This classy girl giving 50 litres per day is classified VG88 and is by Cuthill Towers Highland Dream. She was fourth here last year and is bound for UK Dairy Dairy.

Mungo Bryson, Catrine, took the reserve honours with the well known show cow, Changue Martha, a 10-year-old which has produced seven calves and boasts several championships north and south of the Border. She calved in March and is one of more than 200 Holsteins and Ayrshires at home. A daughter of Changue Stadium, she was bought from her breeder, Robert Stevenson

Junior champion was another from the Lawries – Cuthill Modern Marcy, a daughter of West Mossgiel Modern bred from Hilltower Mandella Maray, a previous Ayrshire champion here. She was on her show debut and was paraded giving yielding 35 litres per day.

Dairy Shorthorn

Fife breeders, Basil and Adam Lawson came up trumps to win a third Highland championship, this time with the third calver, Winbrook Cactus 30.

First in her class here as a heifer in milk and second as a junior cow, she was bought at Penrith from David Dent's Winbrook herd for 2300gns, and is a daughter of Winbrook Pedro. Classified VG88, she was paraded giving 42kg a day.

Thomas Moscrop, Carlisle, claimed the runner-up with Irthingelt Talula 2, which calved her fifth in January and is yielding 34kg. She is by Skyhigh Hartland and from a milking herd that boasts 100 Dairy Shorthorns and 200 British Friesian.

Lisnamulligan Fairy 16, a home-bred heifer from the Lawsons was junior leader. This two-year-old calved just six weeks ago and is by Winhall William out of Lisnamullian Fairy 14.

Red and white

Proving multi-talented with a few breeds at Ingliston, the Lawries from Kinross were back in business amongst the red and whites, lifting the championship with Redsky Land Delight.

One of 450 cows based at Cuthill Towers which is home to Ayrshires, Holsteins, Jerseys and red and whites, she calved 12 weeks before the show and is yielding 54 litres. A daughter of Tiger Lily Ladd-P-Red, she was bought at the Black and White sale in 2014 and now classified Ex93.

The Lawries also own a half share of the reserve in partnership with Carolyn Lawrie, Monkton and Sheila Yates, Castle Douglas, of Eastford Holsteins. This was Eastford Atomium Kiwi Red, a second calver yielding 58litre that was Super Heifer at Agri Scot in 2017.

Pinupgirl Awesome Sangria’s, a previously unshown 14-month-old from Gillian Weatherup, Crossgates, came out tops amongst the juniors. She is out of Cuthill Towers Crown Ray, a former inter-breed champion here and is sired by Luk-E-Abseloute.