The two breeds which dominate the Kintyre Agricultural Society’s show at Campbeltown, in Argyll – Ayrshire dairy cattle and Bluefaced Leicester sheep – both came to the fore to win their respective overall championships.
The bright sunny day was matched by the exhibitor’s smiles around the ringsides as the championships came to fruition.
But none more so than that of Sandy Pirie, from Machrihanish Farm, Machrihanish, who produced the Ayrshire and ultimately the overall dairy champion and also, with son John, the reserve overall sheep with a Suffolk.
His dairy champion was an unregistered second calver, which still retains some impressive bloodlines.
She is by Cogent Retinue Red and out of a family line which goes back to the famous Househill Evelyn family.
Reserve at Kintyre last year, she calved in April and is giving 40kg per day to follow on from a heifer lactation of 7800 litres.
Son John Pirie’s sheep success came for a gimmer judged in her section by Turriff-based breeder, Robbie Wilson, North Dorlaithers. She was home-bred and by Cairnton Eycatcher and out of a Proctors ewe.
But she had to hold sway in the busy sheep section to the winner of the show’s largest section, that of the Bluefaced Leicester breed.
This was a sheep with some form behind her as she also won the Royal Highland Show last year for her owners, Joe and Mary Turner, Kildalloig.
Now a three-crop ewe, she is sired by an £1,100 Clennel sire and out of a dam by £6,000 Carry House sheep. She had also been champion at Mid Argyll last year.
Another major talking point at the show was a tremendous parade of Clydesdale horses and, outwith the Royal Highland, it would be difficult to find a show which could put on a class of six brood mares all with foals at foot.
It was fitting, therefore, that this class produced both the champion and reserve.
Winner was the four-year-old mare Gar-Cal-Fra Sweet Chloe from local breeder, David MacPhail, Garcalfra, a Glenside Master Tom daughter which was shown with a colt foal at foot by Dillars Top Gun.
Reserve Clydesdale, though, was the first prize foal, this time a filly forward from Tom McMillan, who had made two ferry journeys from the Isle of Bute to show this well-grown foal which was out of Torrs Belle and by the Campeltown-bred stud horse, Whinhill Lord of the Isles.
Other than that, the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigners were out in full show trying to canvass support for the various arguments for and against independence – including the SNP’s Mike Russell, the current CabSec for Education and Lifelong learning, who is the local MSP, and Alan Reid, the MP for the region.
The champions:
Ayrshire – A and J Pirie, of Machrihanish, with the supreme dairy animal. Reserve – Malcolm Ronald, Ormsary, with an unregistered third calver by KC Roses Chatter, which calved in June and is giving 44kg per day.
Holstein – Gavin Semple, Kilkeddan, finally after 25 years of trying, with a junior cow in milk by Dalby Top Phil, which calved in March and is giving 40kg per day; reserve at Kintyre last year. Reserve – Lindsey Armour, West Trodigal, with the third calver, West Trodigal Amy, which calved in May and is sired by Sand Valley Bolton; first time shown.
Jersey – Tommy Ralston, Dhurrie, with the Danish import, Danish Helena, a heifer in milk which has been calved four weeks. Reserve – Tommy Ralston’s Dhurrie Pride Aglow, a second calver by Potterswalls Belle’s Pride.
Beef cattle – Duncan Semple, Dippen, Carradale, with Clyde, a September-born steer calf which had been bought as part of a cow and calf combination from John McAlister, Wester Thomaston. Reserve – Duncan Semple’s spring-born Charolais cross calf by West Carse Ernie and out of a Charolais cross dam.
Blackface – Iain and David McArthur, Arnicle, Glenbarr, with a home-bred gimmer by a £20,000 Auldhouseburn and out of a dam by the £18,000 Connachan, Ronaldo. Reserve – Donald Shaw, Innisaig, Ardfern, with a ewe lamb by £1600 Glenrath and out of a dam by a £3500 Dalchirla. Confined champion – Jake Ronald, Coulinlongart, Southend, with a home-bred gimmer by a Kilbride sire and out of a dam by a Dalchirla sire.
Bluefaced Leicester – Joe and Mary Turner, Kildalloig, with the supreme sheep. Reserve the Turners’ ET-bred gimmer, by a £900 Blairnavaid sire and out of a dam by Midlock Nunscleugh.
Suffolk – John Pirie’s reserve supreme sheep. Reserve – Thomas Cameron, Gartveigh, with a Cairnton-bred shearling tup by Solway Poundstretcher; first time shown.