A strong entry of prize-winning cattle suitable for further exhibition will forward for Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ Thainstone Spectacular show and sale next week.

The annual event on Friday, August 23, has the pick of 50 top quality commercial calves up for grabs, including a number of award winners from this year's summer show circuit in the north and north east.

Sponsored by the law firm Blackadders LLP, it is, as always, expected to attract a huge number of buyers from all corners of the UK looking for potential show winners for winter fatstock events and next year's summer shows.

John Angus, head of livestock at Aberdeen and Northern Marts, said: “The Spectacular show and sale is one of our highlights of the year at Thainstone and attracts some of the finest commercial cattle bred in Scotland.

"Buyers have the chance to source top-quality livestock from as far north as Orkney, including many which have secured an abundance of prizes in the summer show circuit.”

The pre-sale show, which commences at 9.30am in the Exchange Hall, followed by the sale at 2pm, includes a £4000 cash prize fund and will be judged by noted commercial cattle showman Paul Barwood of Grange Farm, Fleggburgh, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

This year’s entries include a team of 10 calves from well-known Orcadian breeder, Balfour Baillie of Sebay View, Tankerness, who is a regular leading exhibitor at the event and sold last year’s senior bullock champion by Trueman Idol, for £3400.

Included in Balfour’s line-up is the inter-breed beef champion from the Orkney County Show – a 15-month-old black Limousin cross heifer by Craigatoke Jameson, the same bull which sired his Orkney County Show cross-bred champion last year.

Mark and Debby Munro from Invercharron, Ardgay, will also be returning to this year’s event having secured the supreme championship and top price of £4000 last year with a Limousin cross heifer named Baby Shambles, by Bailea Cavalier.

Eight calves will be on offer from Invercharron, including an eight-month-old Limousin cross bullock named Red Alert, by Powerhouse Lynx. He stood first at every show he was exhibited at and was reserve champion at Sutherland Show and reserve male at the Black Isle.

Another similarly aged animal up for sale from Invercharron was also unbeaten in its class throughout the summer.

Father and son duo John and Craig Robertson from Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, also have eight entries forward for next week’s event. They often dominate the show and sale at the Royal Northern Spring Show and last year sold calves at the Spectacular for £2900, £2500 and £2300.

Forward for sale is their reserve overall show champion of champions winner from Aberfeldy Show – a September-born Limousin cross heifer by Whinfellpark Lago, which previously stood second in its class at Perth Show.

A well-known February-born heifer calf from this year’s show circuit will be forward from Barry Paterson, Cairndai Croft, Sauchen, too. Purchased in May with its dam from Craig Malone, Pitcairn, after it stood overall champion, this Limousin cross named Tracy Jacks has secured no fewer than eight calf championships and four reserve championship wins in the cross cattle section this summer. The sire is Lodge Hamlet, while its dam is a British Blue cross cow.

Barry’s other entry for the Spectacular is an October, 2018-born Charolais cross bullock by Allanfauld Vagabond, out of a home-bred Limousin cross dam.

The Caithness County Show’s supreme cattle champion and overall show champion of champions winner from Dunbeath Farms, will also be forward at Thainstone next week. This is Sassy Lady, a March-born Limousin cross heifer by Lodge Hamlet, which also stood reserve champion at Latheron Show.

Michael Robertson and family of Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul, are no strangers to the show and sale ring, and this year have two entries forward which have been shown successfully in the summer show circuit.

Well-known commercial cattle breeder Andrew Anderson of Smallburn Farms, Plewlands Farm, Duffus, Elgin, will return to the event with three animals including the reserve champion from Nairn Show. This is a March-born Limousin cross British Blue bullock calf by an imported French bull which has bred a number of champion winners for the Andersons.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts is once again offering a special buyers’ incentive of £500 for any Spectacular entry that goes on to win the overall live cattle championship at a number of future shows, including the East of England Winter Stock Festival, Countryside Live, Borderway Agri Expo, Royal Welsh Winter Fair, Livescot 2018 and Thainstone’s own Aberdeen Christmas Classic.

To qualify, the winning entry must have been purchased at the Spectacular, exhibited by the buyer, and sold at the event as a champion.

For those unable to attend on the day and who wish to purchase animals, this year’s sale will again benefit from the i-bidder.com online auction system, allowing bidders to view the sale in real-time and bid against ringside buyers for entries. The event will be streamed live on ANM Group’s Facebook channel, with live photo updates throughout the day. Photographs of the entries can also be seen before the event on the mart’s website at http://www.anmarts.co.uk/event-details.cfm/eID/2344