BRACO SHOW'S judges wasted no time in getting through their work last Saturday, as the weather was sadly unfit for man nor beast, except perhaps for the display ducks that got to splash around the main ring once the competitive part of the day was over.

Before the waterfowl arrived, Wilson Peters ruled supreme with his commercial beef champion Islay Malt, a 15-month-old heifer, bred by Bob Cuninghame, Islay, and bought from Hugh McKinnon, Tiree, at the YFC calf show at Stirling, which was by Charolais bull Retties Lorenzo out of a Limousin mother, and has already been champion at Fife, West Fife and Alyth.

Reserve cattle entry came from William Lawson, of Windsole, Auchterarder, in the shape of 17-month-old Limousin bull, Windsole Oscar, by Foxhillfarm Irish Lad, out of Windsole Jolene, that was champion at Kirriemuir.

The overall sheep champion entry was a pen of three Beltex cross lambs selected by John and Kirstie Guthrie, who explained that while they might have better individual lambs than those on display, these three neat wee girls complemented each other so well they were the obvious team choice.

Reserve sheep champion went to Kerr Jarvie, recently moved into Wester Rottearns Farm, Braco, with a gimmer by Clinterty Yosemite Sam out of a Stainton Vigilante dam, on its first time out, while Thomas Muirhead topped the busy Blackface section with a one-crop ewe by a £50,000 Crossflat.

Here's wishing the Braco Show's organisers the best of luck in avoiding the wrong end of Scottish summertime's rainfall Russian roulette in 2020!

Leading awards

Continental beef (Judge: J Duncan, Glasgow). Champion – W Lawson, Windsole, Auchterarder, with Windsole Oscar. Reserve – Brailes Livestock, Isalyn, Upper Brailes, Oxfordshire, with two-year-old Charolais heifer Bassett Nutmeg, by Bassett Inspector, which was shown by the Retties before going for sale in Perth. Junior bull, junior heifer – W Lawson. Heifer – Brailes Livestock

Native cattle (Judge: J Duncan). Champion – R and C Rettie, Craigend Farm, Perth, with Retties Evita, an 18-month-old Aberdeen Angus heifer, by Retties JFK out of Idvies Evita, that was first-placed at the Great Yorkshire. Reserve – R and C Rettie, with Retties Lord of the Ring, a 15-month-old Aberdeen Angus bull, by 2018 Great Yorks champion Water End Payton, out of Retties Lady Ruth. Junior bull, heifer, group of three – R and C Rettie. Calf – C Davidson and J G Thomson.

Highland cattle (Judge: J Ogston, Crianlarich). Champion – W Lawson, with Phiobaidh 3 of Cloan, a yearling heifer bought last November from Richard Haldane, of Cloan Estate, Auchterarder, by Magnus of Cloan out of Phiobaidh of Kinloss, that was champion at Doune and Dunblane, and brought out at Braco by Victoria Mailer. Reserve – W Lawson, with heifer Huillin Bheag 4 of Cloan, by Conan Dubh OF Auchtenny. Heifer – W lawson.

Commercial cattle (Judge: Mrs K Malone, Lochgelly). Champion – WA Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, with Islay Malt, a 15-month-old heifer, by Retties Lorenzo out of a Limousin mother. Reserve – S and L Bett, Newmills, with Queen Bee, a one-year-old heifer by the Irish sire Derry Guillen Leing out of a Limousin cross British Blue cow. Bullock – S and L Bett. Heifer, suckled stott calf, suckled heifer calf, calf – WA Peters. Cow with calf at foot, Limousin-sired – J Prentice.

Blackface (Judge: C Campbell, Peebles). Champion – T Muirhead, Orchilmore, Blair Atholl, with a one-crop ewe by a £50,000 Crossflat out of a Crossflat ewe, on its first show outing. Reserve – C Paterson, Aberuchhill Estate, with a gimmer by a £12,000 Nunnerie out of a mother by a Dalchirla Loan. Shearling – Remony Estate. Ewe in milk, ram lamb, ewe lamb –T Muirhead. Gimmer – Aberuchill Estate. Shepherds' class – D Nicol.

Scotch mules (Judge: C Campbell). Champion – T Adam, Shankland Farm, Stirling, with a ewe lamb. Reserve – T Adam, with a pen of three.

Border Leicester (Judge: I Graham, Lockerbie). Champion – K Buchanan, Leadmachany Farm, with a tup lamb, by home-bred shearling Diamond Quality, out of a mother by an Eildon Last Chance tup, on its first time out. Reserve – K Buchanan, with a gimmer, by a Ditton Jigsaw tup out of a dam by Kininmonth No 6, also on its first show outing. Shearling, ewe, gimmer, ram lamb, ewe lamb – K Buchanan.

Texel (Judge: T Greenhill, Forfar). Champion – K Jarvie, Wester Rottearns Farm, Braco, with a gimmer by Clinterty Yosemite Sam. Reserve – G Reid, Duncairnie, with Cosyn All Yours, a two-shear tup, by Midlock Yorkie out of an Alwent ewe, that was bought in Lanark as a lamb and was first-placed at Braco last year. Ram – G Reid. Shearling – A Smith. Ewe, ewe lamb – K Jarvie. Ram lamb – C Gauld.

Commercial sheep (Judge: I Campbell, Kinross). Champion – J and K Guthrie, Cuiltburn Farm, Muthill, Crieff, with a pen of three Beltex-cross ewe lambs. Reserve – G Whyte, Pett Farm, Muthill. Ewe with pair of lambs – M MacDonald. Three cross lambs – J and K Guthrie. Three cross lambs by any other sire, three cross bred ewes, three untrimmed cross lambs – G Whyte. Three gimmers, young farmer – M Rattray. Young handler – Alexander Crombie, Bensfield, Carron.

Beltex (Judge: T Greenhill, Forfar). Champion – D Allan, Ballochneck, Buchlyvie, with a gimmer, by Fornath Beast, on its first time out. Reserve – J Taylor, Easter Auchtermuthill, with a shearling tup, by a Hackney sire, on its first time out. Shearling, ram lamb, ewe, ewe lamb – J Taylor. Gimmer – D Allan.

Cheviot (Judge: I Graham, Lockerbie). Champion – T Kerr, Colony Farm, Crieff, with a one-crop ewe bought at the Ericstane dispersal. Reserve – C Mackinnon, McCaig Shepherds Pack, Falkirk, with a ewe lamb by a Badanloch tup that was bought at Dingwall for £1700. Ram – McCaig Shepherds Pack. Ewe lamb – C Mackinnon. Shearling – C Stewart. Ram lamb, gimmer – J and M Davidson. Ewe – T Kerr.

Zwartbles (Judge: S Braid, Moffat). Champion – B and D Gibson, Conic, Gartocharn, with Somerwood Daphne, a two-crop ewe by an East Middle tup, that was champion at both Drymen and Doune and Dunblane. Reserve – N, R and S Henderson, Whitehouse Farm, Stirling, with Bessiebell Finesse, a gimmer by Didcot Dolomite out of Bessiebell Alicia, that was second-placed at the Highland Show. Ram, shearling, gimmer – N, R and S Henderson. Ram lamb – J Rolle. Ewe, ewe lamb – B and D Gibson.

Any other breed sheep (Judge: C Malone, Lochgelly). Champion – D Brown, Sauchans, Doune, with a three-crop Charollais ewe, Sauchans Precious, by Knocken Oojammaflip out of Sauchans Kylie, which was champion at Stirling and reserve Doune and Dunblane. Reserve – N, R and S Henderson with a Charollais ewe lamb, by Cannahar Superstar, bred at Logie Durno. Ram – J Koelle. Ram lamb, ewe – D Brown. Gimmer – J MacLaren. Ewe lamb – R, S and N Henderson.

Clydesdale (Judge: S Ferrie, Northallerton). Champion – J Paterson and S Gray, Boreland, Glendevon, with Macfin First Lady, a three-year-old yeld mare by Bratlach Ballintoy, that was champion at Gargunnock and reserve at Stirling. Reserve – K Wilson, Blackford with Westbank Ruby Tuesday, a 12-year-old mare by Doura Above All out of Westbank Miss Dynamite, that has been champion at Braco for the last four years, and was shown with a three-month-old colt foal at foot. Yeld mare – J Paterson and S Gray. Gelding, ridden – B Lindsay. Brood mare, colt foal – K Wilson. Two-year-old filly – D and L Young. Yearling filly – R Sibbald.