Well-known Huntly cattleman Blair Duffton took the top honours in the carcase cattle contest at this year’s Royal Northern Spring Show.
Mr Duffton, who is a regular face at shows and sales across Scotland, took the overall champion on the hook prize with the reserve heifer champion on the hoof.
This was a Blue cross Limousin heifer, bought last July at ANM Group‘s Thainstone Mart, near Inverurie, for £1,060 from Hugh Barclay, Seafield Farms, Nairn. She scaled 610kg live, and was 407kg deadweight with a grade of E4L.
She also landed Mr Duffton the prize for the entry with the best combined score in both the hoof and hook contests.
Reserve overall champion on the hook – as judged by Jim Holden from Morrisons, Colne, Lancashire – went to a continental bullock from Alexander G Douglas, Crimonmogate Mains, Lonmay, Fraserburgh.
The reserve champion bullock on the hook prize went to a Limousin cross from Ellis & Keir, Cairncoullie, while the reserve champion heifer on the hook prize went to a Limousin cross from A & E Cumming, Tillydesk.
Meanwhile, growers were also crowned cream of the crop at the show with special prizes awarded for the best cereals, roots, silage and hay.
The overall prize in the cereals contest went to an entry of Jackal wheat from Alan Grant, Copper Quarry.
Reserve went to the leader from the milling oats section – an entry of Elyan from George Campbell Farmers Ltd, Thurdistoft Farm.
George Campbell Farmers Ltd also took the top title in the malting barley contest with an entry of Firefox, while the overall barley section championship went to an entry of Laureate spring seed barley from Robert Wilson, Turtory.
Other cereals prizes included: reserve overall barley to J & E Forrester, Aldie Farm, with Propino; reserve malting barley to R & J Francis, Scotston, with Laureate; reserve milling oats to James Shepherd, Murpiehowe Farm, with Canyon; and reserve wheat to A J Duncan, Muirden Farm, with Saki.
In the roots section both the overall and reserve potato champion prizes went to George Cumming, Bucksburn – an entry of Winston stood champion, with Nadine potatoes standing reserve.
The champion turnip prize went to an entry of Massiff from J & E Forrester, Aldie Farm, while the reserve award went to an entry of Lomond from William Stewart, Bomakelloch.
Lastly, the silage championship went to Robert Anderson, Corskellie, with the Stronach family at Berryleys standing reserve. Champion in the hay section went to William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, with reserve going to W & A Stephen, Balquhindachy Farm.
Royal Northern Spring Show 2022: Pedigree bulls sell to a top of 8,500gn
