The spotlight was well and truly on James Nisbet from Sorn, in Ayrshire, when his classy black Limousin cross heifer, Starlight, shone through to take a second LiveScot supreme beef championship in succession.
Starlight was matching the feat of her paternal half-sister, Moonlight, which won last year for Mr Nisbet – with both of them being bred by James and Katherine Huck in the Yorkshire Dales. They share a common sire, the Limousin bull Gallaber Leo, and similarly bred dams, both Limousin crosses.
Described by the judge Gareth Corrie as ‘an exceptional animal, with meat in all the right places and a star attitude to match’, the 704kg Starlight has been raising a storm in the show ring for most of the summer, winning at the Royal Highland, Royal Welsh, Ayr, Catrine, and Dundonald shows.
Later, the champion made £9800 when knocked down to Andrew Ewing, from Drumbretton, Annan, who was buying for fellow Ulsterman, James Alexander.
Another star-performing heifer followed her through to the final line-up to be reserved supreme. That was Stewart and Lynsey Bett’s Phoenix, which was rising again from winning the baby calf classes at last year’s LiveScot.
The Stirling-based couple are stock managers for the Graham family’s well-known Limousin herd and keep a few cattle in their own right. This one was purchased for £5000 as a spring-born calf at the Thainstone September Spectacular in 2022 from Orcadian Balfour Baillie, who had bred her from a British Blue cross Limousin dam and by the Limousin sire, Redriver Powerful.
She headed after the show to the Welsh Winter Fair where she stood supreme and all her success came despite having the dreaded 666kg weight ticket.
Taking the overall steer championship was Top Boy, an April 2022-born Limousin cross from Andrew Gammie, Drumforber, Laurencekirk. Sired by the family’s stock bull, Johnstown Premier, this one was bred by Hugh and Stuart Dunlop in Ayrshire and had been bought at the Welsh Winter Fair last year after he had been reserve in the baby beef classes.
His track record included reserve at the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire shows this summer. At the sale, he made 355p per kg (£2690.90) to Bowland Foods.
Following him through from the classes to be reserve heavy steer and reserve overall steer was Tyson, from Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff. February 2022-born, he was bred by the Scottish National Fatstock Club chairman Brian Harper, Greenwells, Falkirk, being sired by the Limousin bull, Huntershall Nutcracker, and bred out of a Limousin cross dam.
Heading up the light steer section was Gold Rush, an August 2022-born calf shown by Jean Mackay Parker, from Auchenairney, Kirkmichael. Bought as part of a pair at UA Stirling from James Stevenson, Coilavoulin, Pitlochry, he is by the Limousin bull Melys Label and out of a Limousin cross dam.
He was first at the recent Beef Expo in Carlisle on his only other outing this year.
Gold Rush was also selected as the Housewife’s Choice champion by Steven Strachan, of Strachan Craft Butchers, Glasgow, which then backed his decision by paying 443p per kg for her. Mr Strachan also paid 432p per kg for the unhaltered champion that he chose, Andrew Purdon’s 602kg heifer off Stravenhouse.
The reserve light steer was Katrina Donaldson’s Loveable Rogue, a December 2022-born steer bred by Ivan Lynn, by a Limousin sire onto a British Blue cross dam.
Leading the light heifers was another from Wilson Peters, CC Cindy, a September 2022-born home-bred animal by Carmon Lionbar out of a British blue cross dam.
She had also been first at the Expo, and was ahead of Gavin Scott’s Beaver Fever, a home-bred daughter of Volcano – a French-bred sire owned by John Richardson – and out of a British Blue cross dam.
This one had been placed first in her class at the recent Stars of the Future.
From the continental pure-breds, the silverware went to Kevin Watret’s British Blue Solway View Spicy, from Maulscastle, Annan. By Doudou de St Remacle, she was out of the show star, Solway View Kesha, and later went on to win the best pure overall.
From the pure native cattle on parade, the best was deemed to be the home-bred Galloway bullock The Wee Man, from Peter Hunter Blair, Nether Cleugh, Dalry. By Klondyke Domino and out of Turbo’s Largo 1 of Orrest, he was ahead of George McFadzean’s pure Angus, Cherrybank, which is by Cherrybank Potter out of Cherrybank Jewel Erika.
Leading Awards
Pure native bullock – 1, P Hunter Blair’s The Wee Man (Galloway); 2, G McFadzean’s Cherrybank (Aberdeen-Angus).
Native cross bred bullock – 1, TS Stewart’s Black Shadow (Aberdeen-Angus); 2, RSPB Scotland’s Turbo Tam (Aberdeen-Angus); 3, G McFadzean’s Big Brown (Aberdeen-Angus).
Continental bullock 550kg and under – 1, J Mackay Parker’s Gold Rush; 2, K Donaldson’s Loveable Rogue; 3, K Watret’s Marsbar.
Continental bullock 551kg to 670kg – 1, A Ireland’s Jack In The Box; 2, K Watret’s Double Decker; 3, H and S Dunlop’s Ace of Spades.
Continental bullock 671kg up – 1, A Gammie’s Top Boy; 2, WA Peters’ Tyson; 3, C and J Hendry’s Chunky Monkey.
Native heifer – 1, C and K Malone’s Phoeonix (Aberdeen-Angus cross); 2, WA Peters’ Kippen Lady (Aberdeen-Angus cross); 3, P and K Brannen’s Agnes (Aberdeen-Angus cross).
Continental heifer 550kg and under – 1, WA Peters’ CC Cindy; 2, G Scott’s Beaver Fever; 3, B Duffton’s Peek A Boo.
Continental heifer 551kg to 610kg – 1, H and S Dunlop’s Queen of Hearts; 2, A MacGregor’s Moonshine; 3, N Slack’s Dream.
Continental heifer 611kg to 639kg – 1, WA Peters’ Lady Luck; 2, WA Peters’ Barbarella; 3, J Nisbet’s You’re the One I Want.
Continental heifer 640kg to 680kg – 1, S and L Bett’s Phoenix; 2, A and E Vance’s Baby Bell; 3, B Duffton’s Golden Girl.
Continental heifer 681kg upwards – 1, J Nisbet’s Starlight; 2, R and J Hamilton’s Gypsey Queen; 3, A and S Campbell’s Coco.
Unhaltered steer – 1, Anderson and Blair; 2, Andrew Purdon and Partners; 3, C and K Malone
Unhaltered heifer – 1, Andrew Purdon and Partners; 2, C and K Malone; 3, D Cunningham.
Beef rib competition – Heifer rib – 1, Brian Capper; 2, Willie Purdon; 3, John Brown.
Steer rib – 1, Matthew Currie; 2, Tom King; 3, Messrs McMillan.
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