The enthusiasm of youth triumphed over experience at Strathardle Show when juniors swept the boards in both the cattle and sheep sections and went on to win the overall championships.

Champion of champions on Kirkmichael’s Bannerfield was a 10-month-old British Blue cross Limousin bullock called Bill Black, shown by 12-year-old Ruby Simpson from Mains of Creuchies, Alyth, who reared him from a calf.

Winning was no new experience for Ruby who has been a regular at shows all summer, competing at Fife, Alyth, Kirriemuir and Perth and winning the young handlers championships at Alyth and Kirriemuir. She also triumphed at the same show last year with another calf, Jimmy Black.

The show’s top sheep, and reserve champion of champions, was the cross ewe, one of a pair of Texels “with a tiny bit of Beltex” from 11-year-old Ben Macdonald, Meadows of Ballied, Blairgowrie, showing at Strathardle for the first time.

He also won the prime lambs class with a pen of March-born Texel cross Beltex lambs.

Reserve amongst the cattle was a March-born Limousin cross bullock from Neil Drummond, Cloquhat Farm, Bridge of Cally.

LEADING awards

Cattle (Judge: G Cameron, Wester Bonhard). Champion – Mains of Creuchies with the 10-month-old British Blue cross Limousin bullock, Bill Black, shown by 12-year-old Ruby Simpson who reared him from a calf. Reserve – N Drummond, Cloquhat, Bridge of Cally with a March-born Limousin cross bullock. Stot calf AOB of bull (born before 31st October 2018) – M of Creuchies. Heifer calf by AOB of bull (born before 31st October 2018) – Easter Dounie. Stot calf AOB of bull (born between 01/11/18 and 28/02/19), heifer calf by AOB of bull (born between 01/11/18 and 28/02/19), stot calf by AOB of bull (born after 1st March 2019), heifer pair, stot pair, suckler cows in milk – Cloquhat. Char/Sim cross stot (born after March 1, 2019) – Middle Drimmie. Char/Sim heifer calf (born after March 1, 2019), AOB heifer calf (born after March 1, 2019) – Wester Bleaton. Native stot calf (born after January 1, 2019), native heifer calf (born after January, 1 2019) – Glenkilrie.

Prime lambs (Judge: G Mather jnr, Shandford). Champion – B Macdonald, Meadows of Ballied, Blairgowrie with a pen of March-born Texel cross Beltex lambs. Reserve – E Stewart. Leicester crosses, Blackface wedders – Folda. BF dam (by and other sire) – Glenfernate. Suffolk crosses (BF dam), Suffolk crosses (Mule dam); Suffolk crosses (any dam under 80kg) – Laighwood. Suffolk crosses (any dam over 80kg), AOB lambs under 80kg – E Stewart. AOB lambs over 80kg – Meadows of Ballied.

Cross breeding (Judge: D Beaton, Newmill of Inshewan) Champion – B Macdonald, Meadows of Ballied, Blairgowrie, with a Texel cross Beltex ewe. Reserve – Mains of Dalrulzion. Mule ewe lambs – Mains of Mause. Cross ewe lambs, Cross gimmers – Mains of Dalrulzion. Cross ewes – Mains of Ballied. Mule ewes – Laighwood. Mule gimmers – Mains of Creuchies.

Blackface North-type (Judge: D Baillie jnr, Calla). Champion – A Petrie, Ruthven, Alyth, with a tup lamb by an Achdregnie tup, out of an Achdregnie-bred ewe. He is destined for the ram sales at Stirling. Reserve – Cadogan Estate, exhibing for the first time here, with a tup lamb by a Calla sire used on loan by a £3500 Haughton and out of a home-bred ewe by a £3000 Calla. Aged ram, shearling ram, gimmer, ewe lamb, group of three – Cadogan Estates. Ram lamb, one-crop ewe – A Petrie. Ewe – Viewmount. Shepherds class, ram lamb – J Fordyce.

Blackface south-type (Judge: J Rock, Pitnacree). Champion – Balnabroich with a two-crop ewe by a £2000 Troloss, that was champion at Alyth this summer. Reserve – Glenfernate Estate with a ewe lamb by a £2200 Lurg out of a dam by a £3000 Elmscleugh. Aged ram, ewe, group of three males – Glenfernate. Shearling ram – Tomchulan. Ram lamb, one-crop ewe, gimmer, group of three females – Fruechies. Ewe rearing a lamb – Balnabroich. Shepherd's shearling ram, shepherd's one-crop ewe, shepherd's ewe lamb – R McIntosh. Shepherd's ewe, shepherd's gimmer, shepherd's ram lamb – F Wilson.