Exhibitors and spectators were treated to what was described by many as the biggest and best show of dairy cattle and calves in decades at Ayr, with a supreme overall claimed to be exemplary.
While there were several new exhibitors from as far afield as Northumberland and Lanarkshire, it was local producers, Salvy Esquierdo and Robbie and Margo Scott, who brought out the star performer in the Holstein champion, Clydeview Sidekick Matilda.
A second calver, bred by Ewan and Emma Kennedy, she was described by the inter-breed judge, John Montgomerie, Newlands as an easy winner.
“There’s not a hole in her. She’s full of quality from head to foot having the length, depth, balance, veination throughout her udder and she handles herself so well on her legs,” said Mr Montgomerie, adding that the overall quality of cattle on parade was back up to where it used to be – 30 years ago!
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Taking the show by storm to win the supreme dairy and later the reserve overall when placed on a points basis, was a daughter of Walnutlawn Sidekick, purchased privately by Mr Esquierdo after winning the Winter Herds competition in January.
Matilda then went on to stand intermediate champion and reserve Holstein at the Borderway UK Dairy Expo in March. She calved in January, is giving 50litres per day and is bound for the Royal Highland. Her big win also secured a second consecutive supreme dairy for the Scotts – Robbie and Margo and sons Rory and Kyle, who brought out last year’s inter-breed dairy and overall champion of champions in Berryholme Callen Rae.
Northumberland breeders, Richard Baynes of the Marleycote herd, Hexham and Stuart Mullan, also had plenty to celebrate after winning the reserve inter-breed with their Ayrshire champion, Morwick Peggy 126, a similarly aged cow with form bred by Michael Howie.
She was bought privately in 2023 after winning the breed honours at the Dairy Expo and went on to land the reserve at Cumberland and Northumberland before winning the tri-colour at this year’s Borderway Expo. She also calved in January and is giving 45litres per day.
While there was no doubting the quality amongst the adult cattle, the number of extremely able youngsters taking part was second to none, with both the showmanship and calf classes attracting record entries. Such were the sections that many had to be split, while one of the calf classes saw 27 head on parade.
First time competitor, Hattie Hassall (13), Dumfriesshire, scooped the supreme showmanship having previously won the young handlers at Dumfries Show and the Dairy Expo. She was exhibiting David Gray’s Holstein calf, Drointon Royal Virtue, an October-born Holstein heifer that stood third at the Expo.
Reserve was the winner of the senior section, Mark Bryson (19), Dykehead, Lesmahagow, showing another of Mr Gray’s entries, Meiklefirth The Alps Lustke, owned in partnership with the Drointon herd.
Adding to the team Gray celebrations, son Calum won the calves with the 13-month-old Holstein, Overside Grayridge Dynasty Diamond, while the reserve was presented to Ellis Caldwell with the 10-month-old Woodcatt Lustre Angle.
Leading Awards
Ayrshire (Judge: M Davis, Canalside, Burlescombe, Devon). Champion and reserve inter-breed dairy – GG Baynes and Son, Marley Cote Walls, Hexham, with the second calver, Morwick Peggy 26, owned in partnership with Stuart Mullan. Classified VG89, she was bought privately last year after standing champion at the Borderway Dairy Expo, Carlisle. Reserve AOB champion at Cumberland and Northumberland she was also champion at the Dairy Expo in March. Calved in January, she is giving 45litres per day. Reserve – A Struthers, Boylston, Cumnock, with the second prize winner to the champion, Knowe Renoir Bertha VG86, a similarly aged cow bought at the Knowe sale in July 2021. She won the Ayrshire Winter Herds competition as a heifer and since calving three weeks previous, is giving 38 litres per day. In-calf, heifer in milk, veterans, pair, group of three – Firm of DM Lindsay, Harperfield, Sandilands, Lanark. Yeld heifer – A Struthers. Junior cow in milk – GG Baynes and S Mullan. Senior cow in milk – GG Baynes.
Jersey (Judge: M Davies, Canalside). Champion – B and M Yates, East Logan, Castle Douglas, with the American ET, Logan Chrome Caribbean, a VG88-classified daughter of River Valley Cece Chrome that was champion at the evening show at Castle Douglas in 2022. She produced her second in February and is now giving 36litres per day. Reserve – R, M and S Scott, Shacklehill, Tarbolton, with Nethervalley Oliver Regina, a heifer in milk paraded 10 weeks calved and giving 33kg per day. She is sired by Oliver and bred from the show cow, Monument Chrome Regina. Maiden heifer – G and Gwen Cochrane, Nethercraig, Kilmarnock. Heifer in calf, cow in milk, pair – B and M Yates. Heifer in milk – R, M and S Scott.
Holstein (Judge: S Wake, Kettering, Northants). Champion and inter-breed dairy – R and M Scott and S Esquierdo, Shacklehill, Tarbolton, with Clydeview Sidekick Matilda, a second calver bred by Ewan and Emma Kennedy, Perryston. She was bought privately by Mr Esquierdo after she won the Winter Herds Competition and has since won the intermediate championship and reserve Holstein title at the Borderway Dairy Expo. She is by Walnutlawn Sidekick and was paraded giving 50 litres per day having calved in January. Reserve – A and E Lawrie, Grangehall, Pettinain, Lanark, with the third calver, Grangehall Pepper Whiterose Ex93. Champion cow in the Lanarkshire Herds competition, champion at Lesmahagow and supreme overall at Carnwath last year, this big white cow is by Delaberge Pepper and bred from a home-bred VG dam. Second in her class at the Borderway Dairy Expo, she produced her third in January and is now giving 46litres per day. In-calf female, yeld heifer – D Gray, Grayridge and Drointon herds, Drumtall, East Kilbride. Junior heifer in milk, junior cow in milk, pair, group of four – Nethervalley Holsteins and S Esquierdo. Senior heifer in milk – M Bryson, Dykehead, Lesmahagow. Intermediate cow in milk – A and E Lawrie. Senior cow in milk – Nethervalley Holsteins and Mrs McInnes, Shacklehill, Tarbolton. Veterans – D Brewster, Boclair, Lennoxtown, Glasgow.
Red and white (Judge: S Wake, Kettering). Champion – G Lawrie, Myremill, Maybole, with Arranview Rubels Tabitha Red, an ET bred from the VG89 former Agriscot champion, Eastford Diamondback Tabitha 2 and sired by Rubels Red. She was on her first outing and having calved her second in January, is giving 70litres. Reserve – B and M Yates, East Logan, Castle Douglas, with the American-bred ET heifer in milk, Logan Latenite Shania. Bred from the Ex92-2 Milksource Shania Red and sired by Avant Garde-i Latenite, she stood first in her class at the Borderway Dairy Expo on her sole previous outing. She is giving 35litres per day. Heifer in milk – B and M Yates. Cow in milk – G Lawrie.
Showmanship (Judge: A Wilson, Park Hall, Carmarthen). Champion – Hattie Hassall (13), Beyond the Burn, Dumfries, competing for the first time at Ayr, having previously won the young handlers at Dumfries and Borderway Dairy Expo. She was parading David Gray’s calf, Drointon Royal Virtue, an October-born Holstein heifer that was third at the Expo. Reserve – Mark Bryson (19), Dykehead, Lesmahagow, parading David Gray’s Meiklefirth The Alps Lustke, a 13-month-old on its first outing. Honourable mention – Calum Gray, Drumtall, East Kilbride with Overside Grayridge Dynasty Diamond, an 11-month-old calf that stood second at the Dairy Expo. Under 12 at 01/01/24 – 1, Struan Kennedy; 2, Tommy Borland; 3, Grace Walker. Aged 12-13 – 1, Calum Gray; 2, Ellis Caldwell; 3, Rory Scott. Aged 13-18 – 1, Hattie Hassall; 2, John Caldwell; 3, Kyle Scott. Aged 18-26 – 1, Mark Bryson; 2, Katie Watson; 3, Max Bryson.
Calves (Judge: A Wilson). Champion – D Gray, Grayridge and Drointon Holsteins, with the 13-month-old heifer calf, Overside Grayridge Dynasty Diamond, by Kings Ransom Dynasty, out of the VG88-2yr Knowlesmere Chief Diamond. Reserve – S Caldwell, Ladyard, with the 10-month-old Woodcatt Lustre Angle, by Cherry Lily Zip Luster P ET.
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