Local Beltex breeder, Rory Gregor and his girlfriend, Jasmine Keldie, had a field day amongst the sheep lines at Thainstone, winning the silverware for the top three championships to include the open, butchers and young farmers, with three different pairs.

Mr Gregor who owns the Gregor's pedigree Beltex flock and has been exhibiting here for the past 10 years, first produced the Young Farmers winners with a pair of late March-born seven-eighths Beltex cross ewe lambs that scaled 51kg. They are by home-bred tup lambs and realised £300 per head to the YFC judge, Anna Forsyth of WTS Forsyth and Sons, Butchers, Peebles.

The exact same breeding was behind his champion butchers' and open winners' which also sold for £300 per head each to the judge in this section, Tom Hutchon of JB Penman butchers, Crail.

These two pairs were both ewe lambs and scaled in at 55kg and 51.5kg respectively.

"There were a lot of good individual lambs, but the champion winners in the open and butchers sections were an evenly match pair with a good cover on them," said the judge.

"I went for heavier lambs as people look for chops with a bigger eye muscle and therefore as butchers we tend to always buy lambs at 45kg plus."

The judge also bought the reserve open champions, two 46kg Beltex cross lambs from Ellie, Seth and Summer Miller, The Lurg, Midmar, Inverurie, at £500 each. These were both March-born ewe lambs by Woodies Chaos, a tup bought Carlisle in 2017 for 1100gns that bred the hoof and hook champion at New Deer Show.

Ellie (16) was in the tickets the previous day too winning the blue and white sash amongst the Young Farmers with a similarly aged pair of Beltex cross lambs that scaled 49kg, that later made £200 per head to G Dinnie, Bridgeton, Muir of Fowlis, Alford.

While Beltex cross lambs dominated the prize list, it was a pair of Blue Texels scaling 49.5kg from young Faye Wilkie, Whitestone, Skene, that produced the lead price of £600 per head when selling to the same buyer. These lambs were bred by Stuart Wood.

LEADING awards

Continental lambs – Pairs – Light – 1, R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (Belt X 43.5kg); 2, RG Shand, Lythebrae, Aberchirder, Huntly (Belt X 43.5kg); 3, N Smith, Culhay, Alford (Belt X 39kg). Medium – C Angus, West Mey, Mey, Thurso (47.5kg); 2, Moir Livestock, Home Farm, Cairness (44.5kg); 3, Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly (B Tex 46kg). Heavy – 1 and champion, R Gregor, Ranch House Cottage, Thainstone, Inverurie (Belt X 55kg); 2 and reserve, Ellie, Seth and Summer Miller, The Lurg, Midmar, Inverurie (Belt X 55kg); 3, W and J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (Cont X 51kg).

Half-bred, Grey-face or Mule – 1, R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (48.5kg).

Down-cross – 1, Moir Livestock (45.5kg).

Cheviot – 1, W and J Brown, Hilton of Culsh (46kg); 2, R Wilkie, Tillyboy (54kg).

Blackface – 1, R Wilkie, Tillyboy (42kg); 2, SW Robertson, Conval Street, Dufftown, Keith (41.5kg); 3, A and J Nairn, Clashnoir, Auchnarrow, Ballindalloch (45kg).

Charollais – 1, R Wilkie, Tillyboy (59kg); 2, C Bacon, Hillhead of Cannahars, Whitecairns (43.5kg).

Butchers – Light – 1, C Angus, West Mey (42.5kg); 2, RG Shand, Lythebrae (Belt X 41kg); 3, Moir Livestock (39kg). Medium – 1 and reserve butchers', Ellie, Seth and Summer Miller, The Lurg, (Belt X 45kg); 3, Moir Livestock (46.5kg).

Heavy – 1 and champion butchers' R Gregor, Ranch House Cottage (Belt X 55kg); 2, R Wilkie, Tillyboy (51.5kg); 3, D Smith, Scobshaugh, Cortachy, Kirriemuir (Belt X 52kg).

Untrimmed – Native – 1, A and J Nairn, Clashnoir (48kg); 2, R Wilkie, Tillyboy (49kg). Continental – Light – 1, S Miller, The Lurg (Belt X 44kg); 2, Moir Livestock Home Farm 45kg); 3, D Smith, Scobshaugh (47kg). Heavy – 1, Jacqueline Davidson, Southfield, New Deer (50.5kg); 2, J and J Strachan, New Mains, Glenkindie (59kg); 3, A and C Naismith, Balmaleedie House, Grangehall, Marykirk (50.5

YFC – Light – 1, D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness (Belt X 44kg); 2, D Moir, Home Farm (Belt X 40kg); 3, Ellie Miller, The Lurg (Belt X 46.5kg). Heavy – 1 and YFC champion, R Gregor, Ranch House Cottage (Belt X 51.5kg); 2 and reserve YFC, Ellie Miller, The Lurg (Belt X 48.5kg).