Local pedigree cattle breeders, Anthony Renton and his mother Sandra Redden, had a field day at Haddington Show, winning not only the overall champion of champions accolade but also the reserve supreme.

The duo from Stuartslaw, Duns, along with stockman Alistair Cormack, first lifted the native cattle championship with the March 2016-born Aberdeen-Angus cow, Schivas Lady S398, a daughter of Netherton Kentucky bought at the Schivas dispersal for 7500gns. She went on to lift the overall cattle championship and be crowned supreme overall for the business which was exhibiting Angus for the first time.

The farm which is better known for it's Meadowrigg pedigree Limousin herd, also bagged the continental championship, which followed the Angus all the way through to lift the reserve overall cattle and overall supreme. This was the in-calf heifer, Meadowrigg Niva, a January 2017-born daughter of the AI sire, Ampertaine Gigolo, bred from Meadowrigg Eva – one of 40 pedigree Limousin cows in the herd.

They were the top two choices of the overall judge, Allan Murray, Redden, Kelso, who had to chose his top winners from the lead pedigree and commercial cattle winners, the inter-breed sheep champion and the supreme horse.

Adding to the Meadowrigg success, the stockmen team of Alistair Cormack, Jim Boreland and Mark Ross, who were exhibiting five cattle, bagged five red tickets to include the reserve honours in the commercial cattle section with a Limousin cross heifer bought at the September Carlisle show and sale where she stood pre-sale champion. She is by Mereside Godolphin.

A busy show of sheep despite sweltering conditions, was led by the Texel champion from Craig Connell and his father John, who were winning a sixth breed championship out of seven and a second supreme sheep, for their Lauder flock from Wantonwalls.

Their show stopper this time was Milnbank Bacardi, a shearling ram bought last year at Lanark from his breeder, Robbie Wilson. He is by Greenstar Alfie and stood first in his class at the Highland this year and in 2018. He was also the sire of the first prize ram lamb at the Ingliston event.

"He's an outstanding shearling with fantastic conformation, style, breed character and he's hell of a good on his legs," said the inter-breed sheep judge, Blair Cockburn from Stirkfield, Biggar, adding that his reserve winner, the North Country Cheviot, was "a super gimmer, very smart and stylish."

This was Roderick (Rocket) Runciman's gimmer from Allanshaws, Galashiels, shown by son Lewis. Previously unshown, she is by Allanshaws Triple Twenty, a ram retained for breeding that bred the male champion at the Highland, out of a home-bred ewe.

The Runcimans also had a great day, winning the reserve Texel championship with a home-bred gimmer and the trophy for the most points in the sheep section.

LEADING awards

Commercial cattle (Judge: A Smellie, Posso, Peebles). Champion – J Craggs, Glower-Oer-Him, Sedgefield, Co Durham, with Scallywag, a 15-month-old black British Blue cross heifer bred from a Limousin cross dam. She was bred by Keith Stones, Nuncote Nook, and bought at Darlington Auction Mart, in November, and has since been placed at the Highland. She scaled 656kg and is destined for the Great Yorkshire. Reserve – A Renton and Mrs S Redden, Stuartslaw, Allanton, Duns, with a November 2017-born Limousin cross heifer bought at Carlisle in September after standing pre-sale champion. She was reserve at Northumberland, first at Agri-Expo and was brought out by stockman Alistair Cormack. Charolais bullock, Limousin heifer – A Renton and Mrs S Redden. Charolais heifer, Limousin bullock, young handlers, pair – AF Thomson and Son, Lammerview, Athelstaneford. Prime bullock – AR Waddell, Herdmanston, Pencaitland. Prime heifer, butchers animal – J Craggs. Cow with native calf, cow with calf under six months, suckled bullock calf – Sarah Hodge, Humbie Mill, Humbie, East Lothian. Cow with calf over six months, suckled heifer calf – M Ross, Wester Middleton, Gorebridge.

Pedigree cattle (Judge: S Braid, Beattock, Moffat). Champion native – A Renton and Mrs S Redden, Stuartslaw, with Schivas Lady, a previously unshown March 2016-born Aberdeen-Angus, purchased at the Schivas dispersal for 7500gns. She is by Netherton Kentucky, out Ettrick Miss Bee and was paraded in calf to Blelack Constable, by stockman, Alistair Cormack. Reserve native – J Ford and I Watson, Kersquarter, Kelso, with Kersquarter Passia, a 14-month-old Aberdeen Angus heifer by the Hillington Evo son, Kersquarter Perth, out of a previous home-bred Passia. She was second in her class at Northumberland. Bull, female – J Ford and I Watson. Cow – A Renton and Mrs S Redden.

Continental champion – A Renton and Mrs S Redden, Stuartslaw, with the 29-month-old Limousin cross heifer, Meadowrigg Niva, a daughter of Ampertaine Gigolo out of Meadowrigg Eva. Reserve continental – A Renton and Mrs S Redden, with the Limousin bull, Meadowrig Oorwullie, a March 2018-born son of the record priced bull, Trueman Jagger, bred from Brockhurst Fuzzy. All classes – A Renton and Mrs S Redden.

Suffolk (Judge: A Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick). Champion – Caroline Nelson, Trows Cottage, Kelso, with a two-crop ewe by Middlemuir Messi, out of a Conveth ewe that stood champion at Fife in 2016. She was first at Northumberland last year and this year was placed at the Highland and was female champion in the Border Suffolk Club Show. Reserve – A Anderson, Robinsland, West Linton, with a shearling ram. Aged ram, shearling ram – A Anderson. Ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb, ram lamb – C Nelson.

Texel (Judge: I Murray, Hetton Law, Berwick upon Tweed). Champion and supreme sheep – J and C Connell, Wantonwalls, Lauder, with a Milnbank-bred shearling ram that stood second at the Highland in 2018 and 2019. Milnbank Bacardi was bought at Lanark last year from Robbie Wilson and is by Greenstar Alfie, out of a Strathbogie Unbeatable-sired dam. He was also the sire of the first prize tup lamb at the Highland Show. Reserve – R Runciman, Allanshaws, Galashiels, with a gimmer by Loosebeare Yeo, on her first outing. She is out of a home-bred ewe. Aged ram, ewe, gimmer, ram lamb – R Runciman. Shearling ram, ewe lamb – J and C Connell.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: F Smith, Cloverhill, Broughton, Biggar). Champion – Benson Wemyss Farms, Edston, Peebles, with a previously unshown home-bred one-crop ewe by a G1 Marriforth, a tup that was originally sold at £3000 at Hawes to Jimmy Bell as a lamb and then purchased by the estate the following year as a shearling for £2000. She was shown by Craig Balmbra and is out of a home-bred ewe is by a D10 Newbigging Walls. Reserve – A Ainslie, Linkshead, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire, with a gimmer by the J20 Kirkby Redgate a tup bought at Carlisle for £2000, out of a home-bred ewe. She was on her first outing. Aged ram, shearling ram, ewe – Benson Wemyss Farms. Gimmer, ram lamb, ewe lamb – A Ainslie.

Half-bred (Judge: S Davies, North Synton, Selkirk). Champion and reserve – W Pate and Partners, Marvingston, Gifford. Supreme was a home-bred suckled gimmer that was champion here last year and first at Kelso. She is by a Forth Border Leicester ram out of a North Synton-bred female. Reserve was a gimmer by an Alticane ram that stood first here last year. Ewe, gimmer – W Pate and Partners. Ewe lamb, pen of three ewe lambs – GD Pate and Sons, Stobshile Mains, Humbie.

North Country Cheviot (Judge: S Davies). Champion – R Runciman, Allanshaws, Galashiels, with a gimmer by Allanshaws Triple Twenty – the sire of the male champion at the Highland Show. She is bred from a home-bred ewe and was on her first outing. Reserve – A Pate (16), Nettlingflat, Heriot, showing here for the first time, with a tup lamb by a £3000 North Synton ram bought at Lockerbie in 2017, out of a ewe by a Gilston sire. Aged ram – S Turnbull, Larkhall Farm, Jedburgh. Shearling ram – GD Pate and Sons, Stobshiel Mains. Ewe, gimmer – R Runciman. Ram lamb, ewe lamb – A Pate.

Blackface (Judge: F Smith). Champion and reserve – JB Pate and Sons, Moorfoot, exhibiting Blackface sheep here for the first time. Their winner was a home-bred shearling ram by an Elmscleugh tup bought privately that is a grand-son of the £160,000 Dalchirla. He is out of a home-bred ewe by a £6000 Langhaugh and is destined for the ram sales at Lanark. Reserve for the 1500 pure-bred flock was a three-crop ewe by the £6000 Langhaugh out of a home-bred ewe. Aged ram, shearling ram, ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb – JB Pate and Sons. Ram lamb – G Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot,

Scotch Mule (Judge: F Smith). Champion and reserve – G Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot. Supreme was a previously unshown ewe lamb born the third week in April. She is by an Edston ram bought at Stirling and out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve was a Easter Dawyck-bred ewe bought at St Boswells as part of a pen. She was first at Abington as a lamb. All classes – G Sinclair.

Commercial sheep (Judge: I Murray). Champion – G Sinclair, Crookston, with a home-bred Texel cross Mule ewe on her first outing. She was shown with March-born twin Beltex cross lambs at foot. Reserve – O Aitken, Traprain, Haddington, with a pen of three Texel cross Beltex lambs on their first outing. They are by a Texel tup bought privately from Attonburn. Undressed ewe with twins, undressed hill ewe with lambs – G Sinclair. Three prime lamb by continental sire – O Aitken. Three prime lambs by any other sire – C Lowrie

Jacob (Judge: R Locker, Greenlaw Mill, Berwickshire). Champion and reserve – G Connor and S Dalrymple, Dun-Mor, Bridgend, Linlithgow. Supreme was a home-bred gimmer by the former Highland Show champion, Dun-Mor Ace, out of a home-bred ewe. She was first at the Scottish National at Fife. The second prize gimmer from the Scottish National which also stood third at the Highland, followed to take the reserve. She is also by Dun-Mor Ace. All classes – G Connor and S Dalrymple.

Shetland (Judge: Ms S Meikle, Kirkliston, West Lothian). Champion – A and R Bain, Boggs Holdings, Pencaitland, with the white champion, Greenacre Mary Rose, a previously unshown gimmer by Greenacre Cracker, bred from St Baldreds Jill. Her full sister was second at the Highland. Reserve – PD and A Playfair, Stichill Eastfield, Kelso, with the coloured champion, Kaimknowe Leilani, a multi-prize winning female that stood reserve at Dalkeith and Peebles last year to name but a few. This suckled gimmer is by Kaimknowe Galagher and out of a home-bred ewe from the Kaimknowe flock. Reserve white – J Steven, Rosebank, Currie, with a shearling ram. Reserve coloured – J Steven, Rosebank, with a shearling ram. White aged ram, white shearling ram, white ewe lamb, coloured shearling ram – J Steven. White ewe – D Alcorn, Annavale, Biggar. White gimmer, group of three – A and R Bain. White ram lamb, coloured ewe – PD and A Playfair. Coloured aged ram, coloured gimmer, coloured ram lamb, coloured ewe lamb – Joan Brunton, Fieldview, Letham Mains Holdings, Haddington.

MV any other breed (Judge: A Warden). Champion – J and E Lyle, Nether Pratis, Leven, Fife, with Viewforth Alexandria, a two-crop Blue Texel ewe that was inter-breed sheep champion at Fife Show and bred the reserve male at the Highland Show. She is by Millend Yeha and bred from a Beili ewe. Reserve – R Brand, East Fortune, with East Fortune Excaliber, a home-bred three-shear Hampshire Down ram by the AI sire, Owlesbury Wonder Ram, out of a Cresswell 36 ewe bought in 2010 as a lamb. He was on his first outing. Aged ram – R Brand. Shearling ram, ewe, gimmer, ram lamb, ewe lamb – J and E Lyle.

Any other breed non-MV (Judge: A Warden). Champion – J and P Anderson, Headshaw, Oxton, Lauder, with a March-born Texel ewe lamb got by AI from Roderick Runciman’s Loosebeare Yeo ram, out of a home-bred ewe by Hartside Vantastic. Reserve – W Pate and Partners, Marvingston, Gifford, with a home-bred shearling ram that stood first here last year. He is by a Lauderdale tup bought at Kelso in 2016, out of a home-bred ewe by a Roseden ram and is destined for this year’s ram sales at Kelso. Shearling ram – W Pate and Partners. Ewe, ram lamb, ewe lamb – J and P Anderson. Gimmer – JB Pate and Sons, Toxside.

Young handlers (Judge: F Smith). Champion – Blake Ainslie with a Bluefaced Leicester. Reserve – R Brand, with a Hampshire Down. Under 10 years – 1, Blake Ainslie; 2, Robert Brand; 3, Fraser Hamilton. Aged 11-16 years – 1, George Lang; 2, Adam Anderson; 3, Hamish Stenhouse.