THE WINNER of the biggest section at Lorn Show, held at Tralee Beach, near Benderloch, fittingly went on to take the supreme championship.

That was the Blackface winner shown by Andrew and Emily Campbell, with Chris Toner, from the Campbell family’s operation at Drimsynie, Lochgoilhead. Their outstanding entry was a two-crop ewe sired by a £50,000 Crossflatt and out of a dam by a £25,000 Auldhouseburn tup.

She’d shown early promise last year too as a suckled gimmer, when she won her class at Lorn.

The same home also produced the runner-up for the supreme sheep championship – a Scotch Mule ewe lamb by the home-bred Bluefaced Leicester, K1 Drimsynie.

From the busier cattle lines – which had entries all the way from the islands of Tiree and Bute – the inter-breed honours went to the Nelson family, from Achnacloich, Connel. Their winning entry, brought out by the herd’s adviser, Dochie Buchanan, was Neoinean Og 173 of Achnacloich, a three-year-old Highland heifer from this long-established fold which is one of the oldest in the herd book. She’s by Geasan Dubh of Shenavallie and has rarely been out of the rosettes since being shown as a yearling.

A long sea trip from Tiree proved worthwhile for Iain MacInnes, Ruaig, when he took the commercial calf championship with a Charolais cross steer by Anside Foreman. This September-born calf had also led his section at Tiree, where he was also reserve in the inter-breed.

However, it was beaten for the show’s overall calf title by a pure Limousin from father and son, both Ewen MacGillivray, from Barcaldine Home Farm. Their Oban Lass is a full sister to a bull sold last year for 10,000gns and is by Powerful Irish out of Lodge Iccola, a cow that was also reserve pure-bred continental.

There was a surprise long service presentation at the show to well-known UA man for the Highlands and Islands, Donald Morrison, a native of South Uist.

Made by RHASS director, Iain McKerrell, from Islay, the certificate and medal were for 45 years of working as an auctioneer in the area, first for Thomas Corson and Co, Oban, and then MacDonald Fraser, which became United Auctions.

Mr Morrison started with Corsons in 1973 and started selling livestock in 1974. He has been managing director of UA's West Coast operations for 25 years and was instrumental in pushing for the new markets in Tiree and at Lochboisdale, plus upgrading facilities at Dalmally and Islay.

LEADING awards:

Blackface (Judge: W Graham, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar). Champion – K, A and R Campbell, Drimsynie with a home-bred two-crop ewe by a £50,000 Crossflatt and out of a dam by a £25,000 Auldhouseburn; she was first last year as a suckled gimmer. Reserve and confined champion – F Ronald, Saulmore, Connel, with a ram lamb by a £1600 Merkins and out of a dam by a home-bred son of a £2000 Dalchirla. Sixth at Cowal, he will probably be sold as a lamb at Dalmally. Reserve confined – F Ronald’s ewe lamb which is the same way bred as his ram lamb. Reserve open female – K, A and R Campbell’s suckled gimmer by the £25,000 Auldhouseburn and out of a dam by the £44,000 Crossflatt. Reserve male – K, A and R Campbell’s £32,000 Midlock purchase, a three-shear tup by Midlock Gold Blend; reserve male at the Royal Highland last year. Aged tup (open) – K, A and R Campbell. Two-shear tup (open and confined) – T Nelson, Glengorm, Mull. Shearling tup (confined) – S MacGregor, Burnbank, Oban. Shearling tup bred (confined), tup lamb (open and confined), ewe (confined), gimmer (confined), ewe lamb (confined) – F Ronald. Shearling tup (open), gimmer (open), ewe lamb (open) – J and J MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally. Shearling tup bred (open), ewe (open), suckled gimmer (open) – K, A and R Campbell. Suckled gimmer (confined), ewe with lamb (open and confined) – R and J Love, Drissaig, Loch Avich, Taynuilt. YF champion – Miss Hayley Ronald, Saulmore, Connel, with a gimmer. YF lamb – Innes MacKay, Millpark, Oban.

Young cattle handlers – champion – Dougie MacDonald, Tyree, Benderloch; reserve – Jayden McLachlan, Isle of Bute fold.

Suffolk (Judge: John Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blair Drummond). Champion – Ms J Campbell, Achnacreebeag, North Connel, with a gimmer. All classes – Ms J Campbell.

Texel (Judge: John Graham). Champion and reserve – D MacCorquodale, Achnaba, North Connel, with a home-bred gimmer by a Collielaw sire, out of a dam which goes back to Grougfoot; and reserve with another sheep the same way bred. Ram, gimmer, ewe lamb – D MacCorquodale. Ram lamb – E and L MacGillivray, Barcaldine Home Farm, Oban.

Beltex (Judge: John Graham). Champion – Captain A MacKellar, Seaview Croft, Benderloch, with a two-shear top which had been bought at Carlisle as a shearling from Stuart Wood. Reserve – R Smith, Balliemore, Kilmichael Glassary, with a home-bred ram lamb. Tup – Captain A MacKellar. Ewe, gimmer, ram lamb, ewe lamb – R Smith.

AOB pure sheep (Judge: John Graham). Champion and reserve – D Buchanan, Shenavallie, Benderloch, for the second year in succession, winning this year with a three-shear ram, by a Clachan sire, which had been bred on Mull by Fiona Boa. Reserve was a home-bred gimmer by a Home-bred son of a Northhouse ram. Ram, gimmer – D Buchanan. Ewe – A Bevis, Braefoot, Isle of Seil. Ram lamb – S Miller, Tomonie Croft. Ewe lamb – E Smith, Goirtean Beag Croft, Taynuilt.

Cross sheep (Judge: John Graham). Champion and reserve – K,A and R Campbell with a Scotch Mule ewe lamb, by K1 Drimsynie out of a home-bred dam. Reserve was a gimmer by the £37,000 Midlock. All classes – K, A and R Campbell.

Young sheep handlers – Champion junior – Miss Zoe Prentice, Balliemore. Champion senior – Duncan Cameron, Tomonie.

Highland (Judge: J Laing, Invergordon, Ross-shire). Champion – TL Nelson, Achnacloich, Connel, with Neoinean Og 173 of Achnacloich, a three-year-old heifer by Geasan Dubh of Shenavallie, which has been shown successfully since a yearling. Reserve – Mrs Q Strickland, Cladich, Dalmally, with her five-year-old stock bull, Campbell of Tilbouries, which had been bought for 9000gns at the 2017 Oban spring sale. Fourth at the Royal Highland, he is by Campbell of Tordarroch and out of Caira Dubh of Lismore. Senior bull, two-year-old heifer, calf – Mrs Q Strickland. Junior bull, pair, group – R and E McMillan, Little Grenach, Bute. Cow – S and M O’Hara, Cnoc Lodge, Appin. Three-year-old heifer – TL Nelson. Yearling heifer – RD Schuster, Glenstrae, Dalmally.

Pure-bred Continental beef (Judge: James Graham, Mains of Burnbank). Champion – E and L MacGillivray’s October-born heifer calf, Oban Lass, by Powerful Irish out of Lodge Iccolo, a five year-old cow which was reserve. This calf is a full sister to a 10,000gns bull sold last year. Cow, calf – E and L MacGillivray.

Pure-bred native beef (Judge: James Graham). Champion – E Campbell, Steall, Camaghael, Fort William, with Killmallie Barbara Olive, an 18-month-old in-calf heifer by Carrington Time On. Reserve – E Campbell’s three-month-old heifer calf, Kilmallie Christina, by Bankier Earl. Cow, heifer, calf – E Campbell. Galloway champion – A and L MacLean, Inverglen, Barcaldine, with a yearling heifer.

Cross breeding cattle (Judge: James Graham). Champion – R and D Wright, Woodend, Ardgour, with an in-calf British Blue cross heifer. Reserve – R and D Wright’s British Blue cross cow with calf at foot. Cow, in-calf, heifer – R and D Wright. Yearling heifer – A and I MacInnes, Ruaig, Tiree.

Cross-bred calves (Judge: James Graham). Champion –A and I MacInnes with a September-born Charolais cross steer calf by Anside Foreman out of a British Blue cross Simmental dam. He was commercial champion and reserve overall beef winner at Tiree Show. Reserve – D MacDonald, Barcaldine, with KK, a February-born heifer calf by Huntershall Jimbo and out of a Limousin cross British Blue dam. Autumn-born steer – A and I MacInnes. Autumn-born heifer calf – SH Troughton, Ardachy, North Connel. Lim cross spring-born steer calf – E and L MacGillivray. Lim cross spring-born heifer calf – D MacDonald.