Glorious sunshine prevailed for Carsphairn Show, where a Charollais gimmer was crowned overall champion of champions for local breeder Graeme Sinclair, Carnavel.

His showstopper, selected by inter-breed judge Alan McClymont, Kirkstead, Yarrow, was a previously unshown Logie Durno-bred female bought at the Ingram’s online export sale in November. Foundation female for Mr Sinclair’s flock which is run in partnership with his nephew Mathew, she is sired by Crogham Aries and bred from Logie Durno ewe.

The gimmer which first took the any other continental championship was also providing a second supreme overall here for Carnavel, having previously scooped the big one 10 years ago with a Texel ewe – the only other time a continental has landed the inter-breed honours.

Alec and Anders Brown, Macqueston, Tynron, were also in the tickets winning the tri-colour in both the Bluefaced Leicester and Mule sections with ewe lambs by the £15,000 R002 Hewgill.

The largest section, the Blackfaces, was topped by the open champion, a rough tup hogg from Ian Campbell, Grimmet, Dalmellington, brought out by shepherd Joe Cockburn. Their show best was a £15,000 Gass-bred ram bought last year at Lanark.

Reserve overall was the confined champion, a £6500 Towiemore ram bought last year as a lamb at Stirling, from Richard Nixon, Marbrack.

Leading Awards

Blackface open (Judge: M Coubrough, Hartside, Lamington). Champion – I Campbell, Grimmet, Dalmellington, with a £15,000 Gass-bred ram brought out by shepherd Joe Cockburn. He was bought last year at Lanark in partnership with Auldhouseburn and is sired by a £48,000 Midlock shearling bought at Dalmally and out of ewe by a £24,000 Glenrath. Reserve – A Paton and Sons, Craig, Straiton the second prize winner to the champion, a £4000 Burnhead bought at Lanark last year as a lamb and shared with Knockdon. He is by £32,000 Dyke. Aged ram, ewe hogg pair, tup hogg pair – D Fergusson, Drannandow, Newton Stewart. Tup hogg, ewe lamb – I Campbell. Ewe hogg – A Paton and Sons. Shearling ram – D Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr. Ewe, tup lamb – W Stevenson, Balrazzie, Ballantrae. Shepherd’s ewe – J Cockburn, Grimmet. Shepherd’s ewe hogg – A McMillan, Dalwyne.

Blackface confined (Judge: A Shennan, Farden, Girvan). Champion and reserve overall Blackface – R Nixon, Marbrack, with a £6500 Towiemore tup hogg bought last year at Stirling as a lamb and shared with Auchnafree. He is by a £13,000 Glenrath. Reserve – W Ramsay, Knockreoch, with a ewe hogg by the £55,000 Easter Happrew out of a ewe by a £30,000 Elmscleugh. First outing. Aged ram, group of three – J Wallace, Fingland, Dalry. Tup hogg – R Nixon. Ewe, ewe hogg – W Ramsay.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: A Shennan). Champion – A Brown, Macqueston, Tyron, Thornhill with a ewe lamb by the £15,000 R002 Hewgill and out a gimmer by M001 Highberries which goes back to some of the best crossing bloodlines in the flock. Reserve – W Lockhart and Sons, Culdoach, Kirkcudbright with a ewe lamb by a S1 Culdoach – a son of the R1 Barnshangan ram that stood first at the Highland in 2023 – out of a home-bred ewe by the K3 Culdoach. Ram – R McTurk, Glenhowl, Dalry. Ewe, ewe lamb – A Brown. Ewe hogg, ewe lamb – W Wallace and Sons, Hannaston. Dalry.

Mule (Judge: A Shennan). Champion – A Brown, Macqueston, with a previously unshown ewe lamb s by the £15,000 R002 Hewgill and out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve – W Lockhart and Sons, Culdoach, with the second prize winner to the champion, a ewe lamb by the R1 Barnshangan out of a Drannandow-bred ewe. Ewe lamb – A Brown. Ewe hogg – J Guild, Ashmark. Ewe – J and K Guild, Laight, New Cumnock.

Any other native breed (Judge: Fiona Gilligan, Finniness, Laurieston). Champion – E and G Faulds, Minuiton, with a Hampshire Down ram. Reserve – A Marshall, Eastlands, with a South Country Cheviot two-shear ram bought last year for £1300 from Mount Benger. He is sired by Mount Benger Crackpot and is shared with Lagghead. Ram, ram lamb – E and G Faulds. Ewe, ewe lamb – A Marshall.

Any other continental (Judge: Fiona Gilligan). Champion and overall champion of champions – G Sinclair, Carnavel, with a Charollais gimmer bought as a foundation female for a new flock owned in partnership with nephew Mathew. She was bought at the Logie Durno online export sale and is sired by Crogham Aries. Reserve – Gail Paterson, Moss Nae, Twynholm, with Muirton Horacio, a two-shear Beltex ram bought at Carlisle in 2022 as a lamb. The sired of show winning progeny, he is a full brother to the 16,000gns Muirton High and Mighty and is sired by the £10,000 Heatheryhall Fireman Sam. Ram – G Paterson. Ewe – G Sinclair. Tup lamb – South Boig. Ewe lamb – J Guild, Ashmark.

Working Collie dogs (Judge: A McClymont, Kirkstead, Yarrow). Champion – Archie Welsh with Bob. Reserve – Elaine Craig with Jinty.

Young handlers (Judge: A McClymont). Under 16s – 1, Bruce Guild; 2, Grant Faulds; 3, Matthew Sinclair. Under 10s – 1, Archie McMillan.