Aberdeen-Angus breeders received warm accolades from the judge for an outstanding turn-out at the 21st Black Beauty Bonanza calf show, at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, last weekend.

Northumberland breeder, Dallas Allen, whose experience as a judge includes officiating at the all-Ireland Aberdeen-Angus calf show a month earlier, said the show of calves and yearling Aberdeen-Angus was the best he had ever judged.

“There was depth in every class and the first three-or-four in each of the 13 classes would have been worthy winners,” he said, adding that the characteristics he was looking for were breed character, easy fleshing and good locomotion and he found that in all four champions.

“All the cattle I put to the top have a bright future ahead of them and the potential to make a real impact on the breed,” he pointed out.

It was a successful day for the Macpherson-Grant family, of Ballindalloch Home Farms – the new main sponsors of the annual show – who won the reserve heifer calf championship with the eight-month-old, Ballindalloch Greta, by the home-bred Ballindalloch Earl, and went on to take the yearling heifer championship with the 20-month-old, Ballindalloch Pev U539, by Deveron Lookout.

The recently retired Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, Clare Russell, took particular pleasure in presenting the championship awards to her farm manager, David Johnstone, the current chairman of the North-east Aberdeen-Angus Club who organise the event, and his wife, Susan.

“It’s great to see the Ballindalloch herd back winning top awards,” said Mrs Russell, whose great grandfather, Sir George Macpherson-Grant, founded the Ballindalloch herd in 1860 and is recognised as one of the great founders of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. He was also a founding director of The Scottish Farmer.

Aberdeenshire breeder, Neil Wattie, and his son, Mark, of Mains of Tonley, Alford, repeated their recent success from Stars of the Future at Stirling to carry off the heifer calf championship with the SoF junior champion, the 10-month-old, Tonley Lady Heather V591, by Blelack Evermore, a sire bought in Ireland as an older bull and also stood reserve for the yearling bull championship with the 19-month-old, Tonley Jezza Eric U518, by Warrenho Emperor.

Also enjoying a double success was Stephanie Dick, Westerton, Cowie, Stirling, who took the reserve yearling heifer championship with the 20-month-old, Crew Destiny U601, an ET daughter of Hallington Evo, which was following on from her reserve female championship success at Agri Expo two weeks earlier, and the bull calf championship with the 10-month-old, Stephick Ezra V561, an ET son of Weeton Diamond Mine, a first prize winner at SoF.

Reserve bull calf was the seven-month-old, Retties Paramount, by Gretnahouse Blackpot, from Richard and Carol Rettie, Devonside, Clackmannan.

The Newlogie herd of David Stubbs, AJR Farms, Hilton of Collieston, Ellon, repeated its success of last year by winning the yearling bull title, this time with the 19-month-old, Logie Endresult, by Isauld Prime.

LEADINGawards:

Heifer calf – N and M Wattie's 10-month-old, Tonley Lady Heather V591, by Blelack Evermore; reserve – Ballindalloch Home Farms' eighth-month-old, Ballindalloch Greta V565, by Ballindalloch Earl.

Yearling heifer – Ballindalloch Home Farms' 20-month-old Ballindalloch Pev U539, by Deveron Lookout; reserve – Miss S Dick's 20-month-old Crew Destiny U601, by Hallington Evo.

Bull calf – Miss S Dick's 10-month-old Stephick Ezra, by Weeton Diamond Mine; reserve – R and C Rettie's seven-month-old, Retties Paramount, by Gretnahouse Blackpot.

Yearling bull – AJR Farms' 20-month-old, Logie Endresult U812, by Isauld Prime S641; reserve – N and M Wattie's 19-month-old, Tonley Jezza Eric, by Warrenho Emperor.

Pair home-bred calves – R Galloway, Cardona, Doune, with second prize seven-month-old bull calf, Cardona Exchequer, by Deveron Master Banbury, and fifth prize seven-month-old heifer calf, Cardona Ermus V096, by Fordel Magic Potion; reserve – NF Massie and Sons, Blelack, Dinnet, Aboyne, with third-prize 10-month-old bull calf, Blelack Eyebright, and second prize seven-month-old heifer calf, Blelack Poppy V957, both by Tonley Jester Eric.

Pair home-bred yearlings – H and M Sclater, Denhead of Dunlugas, Turriff, with the second prize, Deveron Legend and the third prize, Deveron Endurance, both seven-month-old sons of Deveron Lomax; reserve – R and C Rettie's 15-month-old Retties Lady Rose U033, by Water End Payton and second prize 13-month-old, Retties Lionheart, by Gretnahouse Blackpot.

New herd award – Karl Scott, Foggie, South Brownhill, Turriff.

Special prize for endeavour – Harvey Stuart (13), Glenlivet

Class winners

Heifer calves

Born Jan 4-March 1 – 1, N and M Wattie’s Tonley Lady Heather V591; 2, R and C Rettie’s Retties Eveline V045; 3, NF Massie and Sons’ Blelack Eyebright V955.

Born March 15-April 8 – 1, Ballindalloch Home Farms’ Ballindalloch Greta V565; 2, NF Massie and Sons’ Blelack Poppy V957; 3, AJR Farms’ Logie Eyebright V926.

Born April 10-May 25 – 1 and 3, H and M Sclater’s Deveron Elize V665 and Deveron Elderberry V672; 2, R and C Rettie’s Retties Lady Ruth V056.

Yearling heifers

Born Jan 28-April 17, 2018 – 1, Ballindalloch Home Farms’ Ballindalloch Pev U539; 2, S Dick’s Crew Destiny U601; 3, H Heerema’s Balavilhouse Rita U757

Born April 26-Oct 10 – 1, K and M Howie’s Cairnton Blackcap U430; 2, R and C Rettie’s Retties Lady Rose U033; 3, Donald Rankin’s Kilmaluag Lady Isobelle U035.

Bull calves

Born Jan 1-31 – 1, S Dick’s Stephick Ezra; 2, E and G Macgregor’s Raddery Lothario; 3, NF Massie and Sons’ Blelack Evening Standard.

Born Feb 12-28 – 1 and 3, AC Grant and Son’s Varis Punch and Varis Petro; 2, R and C Rettie’s Retties Elo.

Born March 1-18 – 1, K Scott’s Foggie Edition; 2, E and G Macgregor’s Raddery Exige; 3, C McCombie’s Auchincrieve Lord Inferno.

Born March 19-30 – 1, H and M Sclater’s Deveron Laidlaw; 2, Ballindalloch Home Farms’ Ballindalloch Emperor; 3, C McCombie’s Auchincrieve Jekyll Eric.

Born April 1-27 – 1, R and C Rettie’s Retties Paramount; 2, R Galloway’s Cardona Exchequer; 3, N and M Wattie’s Tonley Kante.

Born April 28-May 10 – 1, NF Massie and Sons’ Blelack Equator; 2, E Campbell’s Kilmalllie Jukebox Eric; 3, H and M Sclater’s Deveron Evans.

Yearling bulls

Born March 3-April 17, 2018 – 1, AJR Farms’ Logie Evolution; 2 and 3, H and M Sclater’s Deveron Legend and Deveron Endurance.

Born April 21-Dec 22 – 1, N and M Wattie’s Tonley Jezza Eric; 2, R and C Rettie’s Retties Lionheart; 3, K and M Howie’s Cairnton Killimanjaro.

Junior showmanship

Senior – 1, Eion Cumming, Mains of Collieston, Ellon; 2, Mark Wattie, Mains of Tonley, Alford; 3, Katie Meston, Ballater.

Intermediate – 1, Aimee Stronach, Keith; 2, Craig Coutts; 3, Andrew Reid, Ellon.

Junior – Harvey Stuart, Glenlivet; 2, Alex Crombie; 3, Jasmin Strachan.