Clootie Miss Tootie stars at Dalkeith

Masquerade from Kelso’s Clive Story stole the show and hearts again at Dalkeith, winning the well fought after champion of champions accolade for the second year running, after winning the senior champion in the heavily contested BHS working hunters.

Now a 12-year-old gelding, he caught the attention of the judge J Lorrain-Smith from Gorebridge with his movement and correctness with her eye drawn to the colours and markings of this prize winning gelding. Born and bred in Co Galway in Ireland, he is by Derrymore Boy, and out of Maree Queen.

Clootie Miss Tootie, a black Limousin cross heifer from Gillian Scott, Gateside, Linlithgow, took the reserve overall honours. A 16-month-old heifer purchased privately from Andrew Harrison, she is by a Limousin cross British Blue bull, with her dam being a Limousin cross. Reserve champion at West Fife, she was also placed at the Royal Highland.

A busy sheep section saw more than 450 head entered and 11 section champions forward for the overall judge Morag Cockburn from Stirkfield, Broughton, Biggar. After pulling the North Country Cheviot, the Scotch Mule, and the Texel from the MV Section into the short-lead, she tapped forward the North Country Cheviot gimmer from Philiphaugh Estates, Selkirk out as her inter-breed champion, ably shown by Alan Cowens. Placed at Royal Highland Show, she is a Synton Van Gogh daughter, whilst her dam is by Ericstane Claymore. Alan’s son James, also won his age section in a competitive sheep young handlers contest.

The owner of last year's inter-breed sheep, David Preacher, who owns the Holylee Texel flock from Walkerburn, this time had to settle with the reserve supreme, with an ET sister to last year’s big winner. A gimmer by the 8000gns Milnbank Wisconsin used on loan from Dunlop’s at Elmscleugh, Her dam was purchased at the Solway and Tyne main show and sale at Carlisle in 2015 from the Rascarrel flock.

The interbreed sheep pairs was also closely contested, again with 11 section champions forward. This time Mrs Cockburn pulled forward the Blackface, North Country Cheviot, Scotch Mule and the Blue Texels from the Any Other Breed (MV Accredited) into a short-lead before presenting the top award to the Blackies from Sam McClymont, and sons William and Scott from Tinnis, Yarrow. Their winning pair was made up of the two-shear tup purchased at Lanark in 2018 for £30,000 from the Dyke, and a ram lamb sired by the £6500 Easter Happrew, out of a £3500 Dalchirla-bred ewe.

Blue Texels from David and Claire Gray's newly established Ettrick flock from Sunnycroft, Selkirk, picked up the reserve. This pair was made up from their two-crop ewe, Nantyderri Aria, a Whatmore Walnut daughter out of a Pistyll ewe, purchased at the Nantyderri production sale and a ram lamb out of Nantyderri Asti and sired by Dragon Buster.

LEADING awards

Blackface (Judge: U Hodge, Sanquhar). Champion – A Kennedy and Sons, Mitchellhill, Broughton, Biggar with a gimmer on her first outing, by a £5000 Loughash, and out of a home-bred dam by the £30,000 Auldhouseburn. Reserve – JB Pate and Sons, Moorfoot, Gorebridge with an April-born ewe lamb got by AI from a Elmscleugh grand-son of the £160,000 Dalchirla, bought privately. Her dam is a home-bred ewe by a Parkhall sire. Ram, ram lamb, male champion, inter-breed pairs – S McClymont and Sons, Tinnis, Yarrow. Shearling ram, ewe lamb – JB Pate and Sons. Ewe, gimmer – A Kennedy and Sons.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge – J MacAskill, Dunbar). Champion – T Dick and Sons, Hamildean, Peebles, with a ram lamb on his first outing. He is by the £6500 Shafthill shared with Derek Hall, purchased at Hawes. His dam, was purchased from Jamie Pirie’s Blarnavaid flock in Stirling as a ewe lamb. Reserve – S McClymont and Sons, Tinnis, Yarrow, a two-crop home-bred ewe by a £2000 Midlock purchased at Castle Douglas. Her dam is a home-bred ewe chasing Tanhill breeding. Shearling ram – M Thornborrow, Easter Dawyck, Stobo. Ewe, gimmer – S McClymont and Sons. Ram lamb, ewe lamb, group – T Dick and Sons. Pair – I and C Borthwick, Melrose.

North Country Cheviot (Judge: R Allen, Alnwick). Champion and inter-breed sheep – A Cowens, Philiphaugh, Selkirk, with Synton Van Gogh-sired gimmer, that was placed at the Royal Highland Show. Her dam is a Ericstane Claymore daughter. Reserve – R Runciman, Allanshaws, Galashiels with a shearling ram on his first outing. Sired by the £4000 Philiphaugh Tornado, he is out of a ewe by Synton Springboc and will be heading to Lockerbie in September. Ram, gimmer, ram lamb, group – A Cowans. Shearling ram, pair– R Runciman. Ewe – I and M Davidson, Falkirk. Ewe lamb – A Pate, Heriot.

Jacob (Judge: J Simmons, Stafford). Champion – M Leithhead, MW Harper, and L Jones, Hawick, with their shearling ram, Hope Rocket. Purchased from DW Harris, at the Scottish Region Show and Sale in 2018 after being placed second in ram lamb and wool class, he is by Hope Rocky Boy, and out of a Hope ewe. He was second at the Highland. Reserve – R Locker, Greenlaw with a ewe lamb on her first outing. She is sired by the home-bred stock tup – Edingale Harlem, while her dam, a home-bred ewe is a former Border Union Show champion. She will be offered for sale at the Society Sale at Worchester in August. Ram – M Leithhead, MW Harper, and L Jones. Ewe, ram lamb, ewe lamb, group, pair – R Locker. Gimmer – M Leithhead.

Sheep young handlers (Judge: J Soulsby, Penrith). Under 10 years old – 1, James Cowens, Philiphaugh, Selkirk with a Cheviot ewe lamb; 2, F Lesley; 3, M McDonald, Stobo Home Farm, Stobo. Aged 10-16-years – 1, Adam Anderson, West Linton, with Cheviot ewe lamb; 2, Daniel Fleming; 3, A Hendry.

Scotch Mule (Judge: J MacAskill, Dunbar). Champion – T Dick and Sons, Hamildean, Peebles with an April-born ewe lamb on her first outing. Sired by a home-bred son of the Carryhouse K16, her dam was purchased from Whelphill. Reserve – A Smellie, Posso, Peebles with a home-bred gimmer, also on her first outing. Sired by Dawyck Crackpot, she is bred from a home-bred seven-year-old ewe. Ewe – W Sanderson, Pathhead. Gimmer, pair – A Smellie. Ewe lamb, pen of three ewe lambs – T Dick and Sons.

Shetland White (Judge – H Syme, Glenrothes).Champion – D Alcorn, Biggar with a Annavale Bivita, a home-bred gimmer on her second outing. She is by Annavale Adelphi, with her dam being Rench Ivory. Reserve – JC and R Steven, Rosebank, Currie, with the three-shear ram Greenacre Dan purchased as a shearling from Andrew Bain, in 2017. He is by Brae Bryson, and his dam is Greenacre Amelia. Champion at Drymen in May, he also bred the best lamb, Rosebank Tabitha, at the Highland. Ram, shearling ram – JC and R Steven. Ewe, group – P, D and A Playflair, Kaimknowe, Kelso. Gimmer, pair – D Alcorn. Ram lamb – J Brunton, Letham Holdings, Haddington.

Shetland Coloured (Judge – H Syme, Glenrothes). Champion and supreme Shetland – J Brunton, Letham Holdings, Haddington with the home-bred three-crop ewe, Fieldview Kelly. She is by Fieldview Kelvin, out of Hillend Xally and is a previous winner here as a gimmer. Reserve – P, D and A Playflair, Kaimknowe, Kelso with a ewe lamb. Ram, gimmer, group – J Brunton. Shearling ram, ewe lamb – P, D and A Playflair. Ewe – J Brunton.

Suffolk (Judge – J Soulsby, Penrith). Champion – S and G Brown, Woodhead, Gorebridge a three-crop ewe from their Capielaw flock on her first show outing. She is sired by the Forkins Firestarter, out of a home-bred dam by Pennan Finale and is the dam of a ewe lamb about to be exported to Spain to the Moldes Flock. Reserve – C M Nelson, Trows Cottage, Kelso with a triplet-born ewe lamb on her first outing. She is by Cairnton The Crocker, while her dam by Middlemuir Messie, is also a previous prize winner having been placed champion at the Border Suffolk Club Show, and breed champion at Haddington Show. The dam’s brother was breed champion at Dalkeith in 2016.

Texel (Judge – C Warnock, Lanark). Champion and reserve inter-breed – D Preacher, Holylee, Walkerburn, with a home-bred gimmer that is an ET sister to last year’s breed champion supreme sheep here. She is by the 8000gns Milnbank Wisconsin, a tup used on loan from the Dunlop’s at Elmscleugh, bred from a ewe purchased at the Solway and Tyne show and sale at Carlisle in 2015 from the Rascarrel flock. She was placed at Royal Highland. Reserve – C and J Connell, Wanton Walls, Lauder with the shearling ram, Milnbank Bacardi, purchased at the Scottish National Texel Show and Sale at Lanark, for 5500gns, last year. Supreme sheep at Haddington, he is by Greenstar Alfie, with his dam being a Strathbogie Untouchable daughter. He sired the first prize open ram lamb at the Royal Highland and the winning pair at Dalkeith. Ram – A Kennedy and Sons. Shearling ram, ewe lamb, pair – C and J Connell. Ewe – G Gray, Sunnycroft, Selkirk. Gimmer, group – D Preacher. Ram lamb – B McKerrow, Riverview, Linlithgow.

Any other breed (Accredited) (Judge – H Smith, Hawick). Champion and reserve – D and C Gray, Sunnycroft, Selkirk. Suprreme was the ewe lamb, Corra Domino, purchased from the Corra flock in April. No stranger to the show ring, she stood fourth at the Great Yorkshire Show and is by a Hackney sire and bred from a Corra ewe by an imported sire. Reserve was the two-crop ewe Nantyderri Aria, purchased at Carlisle last year at the Nantyderri Production Sale. Sired by Whatmore Walnut, out of a Pistyll ewe, her ram lamb was second at Royal Highland Show. Ram, gimmer – P Walton, Glencaple. Ewe, ram lamb, ewe lamb, group, reserve inter-breed pairs – D and C Gray.

Any other breed (Non Accredited) (Judge – H Smith, Hawick). Champion – A Smellie, Posso, Peebles with his homebred 1-crop ewe sired by the STSBC Show and Sale Reserve Champion in 2016 at Lanark and previous interbreed pairs champion here with a ewe as a 2-shear – Cambwell Wanderer who Alan shares with James Brown, Cardon. On her first outing of the season, she is a previous prize winner as a ewe lamb, and will be doing the show circuits at Biggar and Peebles. Reserve – Miss K Cameron, Home Farm, Gorebridge with her February born ewe lamb, both on their first outing. Sired by the 40, 000gns Garngour Alabama and out of a Hilltop gimmer sired by Arkle Ying Yang, who was purchased at the STSBC Sale at Lanark, after being tapped out Champion at the pre-sale show. Ram – D Fleming, Heriot House, Heriot. Shearling Ram, Interbreed Pairs Qualifier – B McSporran, Peebles. Ewe, Gimmer, Ram Lamb – A Smellie. Ewe Lamb – K Cameron.

Prime lambs (Judge; L Hedley, Hawick). Champion – J Grant, Blackcastle, Pathhead with a pen of three April-born Texel lambs by a ram bought at Kelso, out of Scotch Mule ewes. Three prime light-weight down cross lambs, three prime heavy-weight down cross lambs – D Anderson, Peebles. Three light-weight prime other than down cross, single prime lamb any cross – J Grant, Pathhead. Three heavy-weight prime lambs other than down cross – E Main, Pencaitland.

Pedigree cattle (Judge: G Campbell, Alnwick). Champion – K Redpath, Redpath Farms, Heiton, Kelso, with the rising two-year-old Limousin bull, Redpaths Nobleman. He is by Dinmore Jollygood, out of Redpaths Hilary. Champion beef breeder at the Highland Show, he also made up part of the inter-breed team there. Reserve – J Wightman, Coxhill, Falkirk with Coxhill Jager-bomb, a February 2018-born Simmental bull by Team Celtic out of Coxhill Emerald which has been successfully shown. Jager-bomb was inter-breed beef champion at Biggar last year with his mother as a calf, he was also reserve breed champion at West Fife this year and is destined for the bull sales at Stirling in October. Junior heifer, senior bull – K Redpath. Senior heifer – J Laird, Cauldcoats, Dalkeith. Junior bull – J Wightman.

Commercial cattle (N Cormack, Ayton). Champion and reserve champion of champions – Miss G Scott, Gateside, Linlithgow with Clootie Miss Tootie, a 16-month-old heifer purchased privately from Andrew Harrison. She is by a Limousin cross British Blue bull, with her dam being a Limousin cross. Reserve champion at West Fife, she was also placed at the Highland. Native, Angus cross – P Eccles, Pathhead. Continental – G Scott. Bred Angus cow and calf, calf – Ross Farms, Wester Middleton, Gorebridge. Cow and senior calf – AR Anderson, Smeaton Shaw Farm, Dalkeith.

Dairy cattle (Judge: J Bathgate). Champion calf – B Weatherup and Partners, Parkend, Crossgates with his March-born heifer calf, Parkend Attico Saffron Red. Previously shown, she is by Gen-I-Beq Attico Red ET with her dam being a homebred Luck-E Absolute Awesome daughter. This calf’s grand-dam was the Red and White Champion at the Royal Highland Show in 2017. Reserve – D Laird, Murrays, Pathhead with their second prize calf to the champion, Cauldcoats Zero Lavender. Heifer calf under three months – J Laird, Cauldcoats, Dalkeith. Heifer calf over three months – B Weatherup and Partners, Parkend, Crossgates.

Dairy young handlers (Judge: J Bathgate). Heifer calf, led by six-year-old and under – 1, Ruth Allison, Parkend, Crossgates, with a red and white; 2, F Aspinal; 3 A Durrant, Dalkeith. Heifer calf, led by seven to 14-year-old – 1, J Redpath, Murrays, Pathhead; 2, L Durrant, Dalkeith; 3, C Aspinal.

Dairy champion (Judge – I Laird, Blythbridge judged on farm). Champion – J Redpath, Murrays (8 years old), with the three-year-old heifer, Cauldcoats Paradise Lulu, that calved in December and is giving 32 litres. This is John’s own heifer, gifted to him for his fifth birthday from the Lairds to start his own prefix under Glenallan. This heifer is by Regancrest Paradise, with her dam being Cauldcoats Leduc Lulu, a daughter of Cauldcoats Leduc.

Clydesdale (Judge: M Barr, Eaglesham). Champion – A Jackson and A Craig, Covington Mill, Biggar, with the five-year-old mare, West Glen Rambling Rose purchased from Jim Anderson as a foal and shown with March-born foal. She is by Dillars Boat Commander and has already been shown at Ayr, Lesmahagow and the Royal Highland Show. Reserve – A Noble of Peggyslea Clydesdales, Penicuik with Budd six-year-old, home-bred gelding by Millisle Solway Bay. He has travelled most of the UK this year and qualified for the Horse of the Year Show at the Royal Suffolk where he was reserve overall in hand. Buddy is the lead horse in the Peggyslea unicorn. Senior gelding, yeld mare – A Noble, Penicuik. Mare, foal – A Jackson and A Craig. Male – D Scott, Gorebridge.

Ridden Clydesdale (Judge: K Carson, Dunbar). Champion – R Doughty, East Linton with his 12-year-old Lammermuir Archie, that won the Heavy Horse Show at Hay Farm.