The difficult tasks of choosing the coveted overall beef and sheep interbreed champions at next year’s Royal Highland Show lie in the hands of two farmers from the north and north-east.
Jimmy Wilson of Barnyards, Mintlaw, will judge both the beef interbreed teams and overall beef interbreed championship competitions at the event in Ingliston, near Edinburgh on June 18-21, 2015.
While, Rod MacKenzie of Muirton Farm, Munlochy, will chose the overall interbreed sheep champion.
Around 5,000 cattle, sheep and horses will compete at the event which has 36 judges from Scotland, 44 from England, eight from Wales, eight from Ireland and one from the Isle of Man.
One international judge has also been lined up – Mr Wes Gordeyko from Alberta, Canada – to judge the heavy horse turnouts.
Other judges from the north and north-east include James P Farquhar of Smiddquoy, Wick, for the North Country Cheviots and William Sutherland, Brackside, Thurso, for the North Country Cheviot Hill sheep.
Huntly farmer John Gordon of Wellheads will judge the commercial sheep section, while Miss Irene Spence of Suie Vale, Alford will judge the Shetland ponies in-hand section.
The 2014 event attracted around 178,000 visitors, up from around 170,556 in 2013.