Dairy farmers and enthusiasts were out in force to support Holstein Scotland South’s annual Open Day and Stockjudging event, which this year was staged at the Forsyth family’s Baltier enterprise at Whithorn, Wigtownshire, last week.

With the family also celebrating 60 years of farming at Baltier, around 300 people were in attendance to check out the Forsyths 850-head of milking Holsteins which boast a herd average of 36kg per day when milked three times a day through a 60-point rotary parlour.

The Forsyth’s have invested in Holstein genetics over the years and have numerous well-known families in the herd including Jodie, Rae, Pledge, Ashlyn, Zandra, Lila Z which were all well represented in the stock judging which was the focal point of the day with just shy of 200 people competing.

There were four strong classes of six cows forward for the master judge, Glyn Lucas of Harrison and Hetherington.

Another feature of the business that was highlighted was an anaerobic digester which is capable of producing 1500kW.

Leading Awards

Stockjudging – Open – 1, Alastair Watson; 2, Andrew McKay; 3, Mungo Bryson

HYB – 1, Robbie Meikle; 2, Rory Scott; 3, Neil Hodge and Jamie Boyd

Under 12s – 1, Maeve Sloan, Struan Kennedy and John Briggs; runner-up, John Redpath