TWO championships in three days days for Mrs Sheena Woodrow, from Islay, was topped of with the champion of champions tickets at Mid Argyll, last weekend.

On a perfect show day, though muddy underfoot from two inches of rain the previous day, the show remained busy throughout. It was a testament to forward planning by the show committee to get the show ready days earlier due to the poor forecast. That hard work paid off.

Mrs Woodrow's two-crop Texel has been a start turn in the Argyllshire show circuit this year, winning at Kintyre, then Islay, before travelling to take the 'big' one in Mid Argyll.

Judged by Donald MacGillivray, from Mull, the champion of champion saw the reserve sash go to the overall beef winner, Lucy, a nine-month-old Charolais cross calf from Duncan Semple, Dippen, Carradale. She's off one of his home-bred bulls, Carradale Felix.

For the confined championship, the winner was Corrybrough Fergus, an eight-year-old Highland pony gelding owned by Dianne and Rosslyn Smith, Balliemore, Kilmichael Glassary. He's by Bodach Dhu of Glenshiel and out of Glenbanchor Bridie and was also reserve working hunter pony at Mid-Argyll, as well as champion Highland.

The big Blackface section was won by John and his son, also John, MacPherson, from Balliemanoch, Dalmally, with their three-shear Gass-bred stock ram, which is by a £10,000 Crossflatt.

Confined sheep inter-breed championship saw young Gordon MacLean (14), from Kilmichael Glassary, win with his Texel ewe lamb, which is out of a Feddal Road-bred dam.

This was ahead of the Blackface confined champion, a ram lamb from the MacLeans at Ardfern. Reserve at Kintyre, this classy boy is by a £4500 Crammie.

LEADINGawards:

Clydesdale (Judge: Miss A Stewart, Mollinhillhead). Champion – C MacPhail, Gar-cal-fra, Campbeltown, with the well-known mare, Garcalfra Sweet Chloe, a nine-year-old yeld mare by Glenside Master Tom. She has won many times over the years, including at Kintyre and Mid Argyll. Reserve – T McMillan, Eskechraggan, Bute, with Redhill Alex, which was shown by his daughter Mairi Ralston. This four-year-old gelding is by Eskechraggan Ernest and was champion of champions the previous week at Kintyre. Gelding over three – T McMillan. Yeld mare – C MacPhail. Horse in harness – M Mayberry. Young handler – S Bateman

Highland (Judge: S Hunter, Barnhill, Allanton, Shotts). Champion and reserve overall cattle champion – RD Schuster, Glenstrae, Dalmally, with the three-year-old red heifer, Annag Ruadh of Balliemore, by Stuart 2 of Lyntoun and out of Brindy of Balliemore. Reserve – Mrs Q Strickland, Cladich, Dalmally, with the five-year-old stock bull, Campbell of Tilbouries, a 9000gns son of Campbell of Tordarroch. Bull, cow, suckled calf, pair, progeny inter-breed – Mrs Q Strickland. Three-year-old heifer – RD Schuster. Two year-old heifer, group of three, inter-breed group of three – R and E McMillan, Little Grenach, Bute. Yearling heifer – TM Nelson, Achnacloich, Connel.

Breeding cattle and cross suckled calves (Judge: J Macaulay). Champion, overall cattle and reserve champion of champions – D Semple, Dippen, Carradale, with Lucy, a nine-month-old Charolais cross calf by Carradale Felix. It will be sold at Cally Marts premier sale. Reserve – JJ and C MacCallum, Strathnafanaig, Clachan, with their Kintyre champion, Shamrock, a British Blue cross by Langoureux de Fooz out of an Irish-bred Limousin cross dam. Pure-bred champion – D Semple with a Charolais heifer calf. Lim cross calf, Lim cross steer – D MacDonald, Tyree, Benderloch. Heifer by AOB – D Semple. Spring-born steer – J Lines, Killacraw. Spring-born heifer – JJ and C MacCallum.

Unhaltered and naturally shown beef (Judge: J Macaulay). Champion and overall confined beef champion – A McNair and Son, Stroneskar, with a SimLuing cow and a Limousin cross calf at foot by Maraiscote Jammy. Primestock champion – Miss Lauren Morris, showing for Dunlossit Estate, Islay, with Midnight, a 15-month-old British Blue cross Limousin cross. Cow, cow with calf at foot, heifer calf suitable for breeding, heifer calf for beef – A McNair and Son. Heifer in calf, heifer calf by native sire – D Anderson. Bullock calf – I and R Malcolm, Poltalloch.

Young handlers – Under 12 – 1, F Lines (overall); 2, L Morris; 3, M Lines. 12-18 years – 1, A Cameron; 2, H Selfridge.

Blackface confined (Judge: W McFarlane, Drumgrange, Patna). Champion – R MacLean, Ardfern, with a ram lamb by a £4500 Crammie and out of a son of a £600 Lurg. He was male champion and reserve overall at Kintyre. Reserve – R MacLean's two-crop ewe by a £24,000 Lurg and out of an Allanfauld-bred dam which had been bought at one of the in-lamb sales at Lanark. Aged ram – Tayvallich Estate. Shearling ram, ram lamb, ewe – R MacLean. Suckled gimmer, gimmer, ewe lamb, confined group – R and I Shaw.

Blackface open (Judge: W McFarlane). Champion – J and J MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally, with a three-shear Gass-bred sheep which had been bought for £1000 at Lanark as a lamb. He is by a £10,000 Crossflatt and out of a dam by a £4000 Midlock. He was fifth at the National Show two years ago. Reserve – J Jackson and Son, Pole Lochgoilhead, with a ram lamb sire by a £9000 Elmscleugh and his dam, which was champion as a gimmer at Drymen last year, is off Crosflatt Spectre. Female champion – J Jackson and Son with a ewe lamb by Pole 'r' Bare out of a dam by the £50,000 Pole. Aged ram, ewe with lamb – J and J MacPherson. Shearling ram, fleece – K, A and R Campbell, Drimsynie. Ram lamb, suckled gimmer, gimmer, ewe lamb, group – J Jackson and Son. Ewe – R MacLean.

Suffolk (Judge: C McKinnon). Champion – N and J McDonald, Cruch, Islay, with a ewe lamb by a home-bred sire and out of the reserve champion, a five-crop ewe. Ram lamb – J Murchie. Ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb, inter-breed group (other than Blackface) – N and J McDonald.

Texel open (Judge: D Clark, Lesmahagow). Champion, inter-breed sheep and champion of champions – Mrs S Woodrow, Newmains, Islay, with her home-bred two-crop ewe which a few days earlier had won Islay and she also led at Kintyre. She is by Stainton Vigilante. Reserve – Mrs S Woodrow with a gimmer which is a full sister to the champion. Ram, ram lamb, ewe, ewec lamb – Mrs S Woodrow. Gimmer – N and D Henderson.

Texel confined (Judge: D Clark). Champion and confined inter-breed champion – G McLean, Kilmichael Glassary, with a Texel ewe lamb. It is a Feddal Road-bred ewe and my a Feddal Road sire. Reserve – D Anderson. Ram – N McArthur. Ewe, gimmer – D Anderson. Ewe lamb – G McLean.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: K Campbell, Kippen). Champion – Mrs J McLachlan, c/o Kildalloig, Campbeltown, with the four-crop ewe which had led at Kintyre. She is by Ashes C8 and is a former overall sheep champion from Mid Argyll. Reserve – J and M Turner, Kildalloig, with an ET-bred lamb by a How Lea tup which had been bought at Carlisle. The lamb was sixth at the Highland Show. Ram, ram lamb, ewe, gimmer – Mrs J McLachlan. Ewe lamb – J and M Turner.

AOB pure continental (Judge: C McKinnon). Champion – S Herraty, Low Ranachan, with a two-shear Blue Texel ram, Ranachan Sam, which had been champion at Kintyre. Reserve – Mrs S Woodrow with a Beltex ram lamb. Ram, gimmer, ewe lamb – S Herraty. Ram lamb – Mrs S Woodrow. Ewe – J and A Parkhouse.

Cross-bred sheep (Judge: K Campbell). Champion – M and C Ralston, Rhoin, with a Mule ewe lamb, by a Dalbhradden sire. Reserve – D MacKinnon with a pen of three ewe lambs. Ewe – J and M Turner. Gimmer, ewe lamb – M and C Ralston. Pen of three ewe lambs – D MacKinnon.

AOB pure native (Judge: C McKinnon). Champion – A Bevis with a North Country Cheviot ewe lamb by a Hethpool sire out of a home-bred dam. M and C Ralston with a Jacob gimmer. Ram, ewe lamb – A Bevis. Ewe gimmer – M and C Ralston.

Prime lambs (Judge: D MacGillivray, Mull). Champion and reserve – Z Prentice with Beltex cross lambs. All classes – Z Prentice.