A strong show of primestock cattle from across Scotland and beyond descended on Lanark Market for the Scottish National Fatstock Club’s annual LiveScot event, with the heifer champion going on to secure the supreme accolade, winning the King George V Cup.
Top spot went to 22-month-old Limousin cross, Moonlight, a Gallaber Leo daughter, out of a pure British Blue dam, which realised a life-long ambition for owner James Nisbet, Sorn Mains. James began showing primestock cattle 22 years ago, at the Scottish Winter Fair, as it was known then, in Perth.
His champion – picked out by judge Neil Lloyd, Herefordshire – had been bought at Pateley Bridge in March, from Mark Ewbank. Now weighing 724kg, she went on to sell for £7,800 at the post-show auction, going to Allan Butchers, Stewarton.
Standing reserve supreme, was the reserve heifer, Martha Mae, a home-bred Limousin cross from Hugh and Stewart Dunlop, Holehouse, Ochiltree. This 19-month-old is an AI daughter of Huntershall Nutcracker, out of a Limousin cross cow bought from John McAllister at UA Stirling.
Overall steer championship
Securing the overall steer championship, as well as the Housewife’s Choice award, was Andrew Ireland, Braeside, Darvel, with another Limousin cross, Buckaroo. Bred by Andrew Marston, this one sold weighing 638kg, for £3,600, to Briggsy’s Butchers, Jedburgh.
Reserve steer was ‘Balmoral’, a Limousin cross from Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, bred by Balfour Baillie in Orkney, and bought earlier in the year at Thainstone Mart. Weighing in at 668kg, he went on to make £4/kg, to Hugh Black Butchers, Lanark.
The calf championship was won by Stewart and Lynsey Bett, Boquhan, Stirling, with their March-born Limousin cross heifer, Phoenix – also bred by Balfour Baillie. Reserve were the Robertsons of Fodderletter, Tomintoul, with a home-bred Limousin steer, named Maui, by Homebyres Nistleroy.
Bill Mackinnon, West Dron, Bridge of Earn, judged the sheep classes and selected the butcher’s champions as best overall. That was a pair of three-quarter Beltex ewe lambs from Andrew Baillie, Carstairs Mains, weighing 44kg each. Sired by Clary Dumfries, they sold at £380 per head to Scotbeef. Reserve overall went to two Texel cross lambs from the Hall family, Inglewood Edge, Dalston. Sired by a Dutch Texel and weighing 40kg, they sold at £260 a head to S Stark, Bluebell, Milton of Campsie.
The hill championship was won by the Blackface winners from the Dickie family, Spango, Sanquhar. The pair, a ewe lamb and a wedder lamb, were sired by a Waterhead tup and weighed a combined 97kg. They made £172 per head, knocked down to Messrs Ballard. Finishing reserve hill champions were the South Country Cheviot duo from Alan and Scott Frame, High Dyke, Strathaven – April-born wedder lambs weighing 40kg each, which sold at £128 each.
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