Spirits were high at Neilston Show as the commercial champion Baby Guiness, a 14-month-old bullock from Gareth Scott, Hawhill, Dalry, was crowned supreme champion on a points basis by the various judges.
The title winner, a Limousin cross British Blue, was originally purchased from Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid, for £4300 at the Clyde and Central Young Farmers’ Calf Rally. Champion prime animal at Beith, he is sired by Wilodge Merlin and is bound for Ayr and the Royal Highland.
Local producer Alastair Wylie, Broadstone, Beith, landed the dairy championship with an in-calf second calved Holstein cow paraded 200 days in milk and giving 39 litres. Sired by Annandale Mickey, she was champion at Neilston in 2023 and at Beith last weekend.
In the sheep rings, the inter-breed sheep, a Suffolk ewe from David McMillan, Bute, went on to lift the reserve overall champion of champions. His two-crop ewe that was champion at Beith was purchased privately from John Christie of Westcarse and is sired by Ballyboe Boe.
Runner-up for the inter-breed sheep was a previously unshown Blackface ewe hogg from Stuart Kerr, Middleton, Newton Mearns. She is sired by a son of £5500 Auldhouseburn and out of a £4500 Auldhouseburn ewe.
Champion Clydesdale was the five-year-old mare Jackton April Grace, from Laura Smith, Jackton, East Kilbride, sired by Doura Master Eddie and out of Jackton Mary Rose.
Leading Awards
Ayrshire (Judge: G Baillie, Over Dalserf, Larkhall). Champion – The National Museum of Rural Life, Kittochside, with the in-calf cow Kittochside Louise Sundance Ex95. In her ninth lactation she is due in August, and boasts a lifetime yield of 53,236kg. She is a Grandage Bright Spark daughter and out of Ex93 classified, Kittochside Nora Louise. Reserve – J Jardine, Kildavanan, Isle of Bute, with an in-calf heifer, bought from Kevin Lawrie, Maybole. She is sired by Vouge Redeye. Heifer or cow in calf – Museum of Rural Life. Quey derby – G Reynolds, Kildavannan, Isle of Bute.
Holstein Friesian (Judge: G Baillie). Champion – A Wylie, Broadstone, Gateside, Beith, with an in-calf second calver, shown 200 days in milk, and giving 39litres. She was champion at Neilston last year and champion at Beith last weekend. Sired by Annandale Mickey. Reserve – A Wylie with a heifer 70 days in milk and giving 41l. She was reserve Holstein at Beith. Cow, heifer or cow in calf, quey derby in calf/milk, calf – R Wylie. Female pair – J MacLeod, East Uplaw Farm, Uplawmoor. Three female animals – A Scott, Kilburn Farm, Neilston.
AOB dairy (Judge: G Baillie). Champion – D and JM Parker, Auchenairney, with a Jersey heifer bought from Bryce and Robert Sloan, Darnlaw. Reserve – J Macleod, East Uplaw Farm, with the Brown Swiss, Kedar Golden Auburn, bought from the Lochhead family, Dumfries. This third calver is giving 42 litres per day having calved in March and is by Bo Joy Agenda Goldwyn, out of Kedar Vasient Amber. All classes – D and JM Parker.
Commercial beef (Judge: D Smith, Burnockstone, Ochiltree). Champion – G Scott, Hawhill, Dalry, with the 14-month-old Limousin cross British Blue Baby Guiness, bought from Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid, for £4300 at the Clyde and Central Young Farmers’ Calf Rally. He is sired by Wilodge Merlin. Reserve – R and J Hamilton, Mid Shawtonhill, Chapelton, with the 15-month-old Limousin heifer Uptown Funk. She is by Elite Lacette, out of Gunnerfleet Noliny. Bullock – G Scott. Heifer, calf born after Jan 1, 2024, pair, bred – R and J Hamilton.
Pure-bred continental (Judge: D Smith). Champion – Messrs Dent and Chester, Holehouse, Irine, with the 17-month-old Limousin bull Delnic Taggart, sired by Homebyres Neman and bred from Delnic Pearl. He is destined for Ayr. Reserve – G Reyolds, Kildavanan, Isle of Bute, with the two-year-old Charolais heifer Harestone Tasmin. She is out of Westcarse Candace and sired by Harestone Jacquard. Cow or heifer in calf or calf at foot – G Reynolds. Heifer, bull, pair – RN Gent.
Pure-bred native (Judge: D Smith). Champion – D Atherton, South Highgate, Beith, with South Highgate Lysine Sweetpea, a two-year-old Beef Shorthorn heifer bred from HW Lysine 2 and sired by Muiresk Numero Uno. All classes – D Atherton.
Highland (Judge: A McArthur, Tiretigan Farm, Tarbert). Champion – T Sloan, West Linton, Coatshouse, Netherurd with the two-year-old heifer Somasag of Lyntoun, by Eion Mhor 23 of Mottistone out of Carole 3 of Gray Brae. Champion at Beith and first at the Highland in 2023, she is bound for Kilmacolm Show. Reserve – A Prentice, Westbank, Lanark, with the two-year-old heifer Banrigh 16 of Hyndford, out of Banrigh 3 of Hyndford and sired by Torquil 2 of Ubhaidh. Calf, three-year-old heifer, bull, calf, pair – Glasgow City Council, Pollok Park. Two-year-old heifer – T Sloan, The Coach House, Netherurd. One-year-old heifer – A Prentice.
Simmental (Judge: D Smith). Champion – A J Wilson, West Croft, Kilwinning, with the maiden heifer Cairview Rea 8, bred from Cairnview Rea 7 and sired by Slievenagh International. Reserve at Neilston 2023 and reserve at Beith this year. Reserve – J and E Dyet, East Merkland, Strathaven, with the 17-month-old bull Merkland Nipper, by Merkland Infinity 17 out of Merkland Corrie 1. Heifer – A J Wilson. Bull, pair – J and E Dyet.
Blackface (Judge: R Duncan, Larg, Creetown, Newton Stewart). Champion – S Kerr, Middleton, Newton Mearns, with a ewe hogg on her first outing, sired by a son of £5500 Auldhouseburn and out of a £4500 Auldhouseburn-sired dam. Reserve – AC Patterson, The Plan, Bute, with a ewe. Rams, ewe, outwintered – A and C Patterson. Ewe hogg – S Kerr.
Suffolk (Judge: A McKerrow, Bo’ness). Champion and reserve – D McMillan, Isle of Bute. Supreme was a two-crop ewe purchased privately from J Christie, Westcarse, by Ballyboe Boe. Champion at Beith Show. Reserve was a gimmer also bought from J Christie at Lanark last December. She is sired by Forkins Firefly. Both are destined for Ayr and the Royal Highland. Ram – Rigfoot Suffolks. Ewe, ewe hogg, tup lamb, ewe lamb, group of three – D and M McMillan, Kerrycrusach, Isle of Bute.
Border Leicester (Judge: R Duncan). Champion and reserve – D Whyte, Whitelee Gate, Newton Mearns. Supreme was a gimmer purchased at Lanark for £3600, by Gortnagross Rocket and out of a Clola Double Deal sired ewe. Reserve was a home-bred shearling tup bred the same way. Both stood first at Beith and are heading to Ayr and the Royal Highland. All classes – D Whyte.
Texel (Judge: Alistair McKerrow). Champion – D Whyte, Whitelee Gate, Newton Mearns, with a gimmer, reserve at Beith last week. She is an embryo by Hollylee Foreman and out of a Watchknowe-sired ewe. Reserve – E Runciman, Huntington, Lauder, with a two-crop ewe, sired by a ram from John Green’s Greenall flock and out of a homebred ewe. She is destined for local shows. Reserve – E Runciman, Huntington, Lauder, with a two-crop ewe by a Greenall ram and out of a homebred ewe. Ram, ewe – E Runciman. Tup lamb – D Whyte. Ewe lamb, group of three – H McPhee.
Dutch Spotted (Judge: A McKerrow). Champion – A Robb, Chalmerston, Mauchline with a gimmer purchased at Carlisle last August and bound for the Royal Highland. Reserve – M and J Simpson, Tardoes, Kilmarnock with the shearling ram Glencloy Gunner, purchased last year from L Campbell at Swatragh Market, Northern Ireland. Ram – M and J Simpson. Ewe – W Baird, Floors Farm, Eaglesham. Ewe hogg, tup lamb, ewe lamb, group of three – A Robb.
AOB sheep (Judge: R Duncan). Champion and reserve – E Runciman, Huntington, Lauder. Champion was a Beltex gimmer ewe, purchased from James Whiteford, Tercrosset, Brampton. Reserve was the ewe’s tup lamb, born in March and sired by Edward Tedfox. Ewe, tup lamb, ewe lamb – E Runciman. Pair butcher lambs – Rigfoot Suffolks.
Clydesdales (Charlotte Young, Hall Farm, Ayr). Champion – L Smith, Jackton, East Kilbride, with the five-year-old mare, Jackton April Grace, sired by Doura Master Eddie out of Jackton Mary Rose. Reserve – B and D McMillan, Clydeview, Rothesay, with the two-year-old filly Fordelhill Sapphire, by Macfin Starlight out of Fordelhill Jubilee Ruby. She was champion at Beith and reserve at Kilmaurs. Mare – J Steel, Jackton Farm, East Kilbride. Two-year-old – Clydeview Clydesdales. Best pair – L Smith.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here