A young farmer from Ardgay dominated the Young Farmers’ overwintering show and sale at Dingwall and Highlands Marts this week.
The event, sponsored by John M Munro Butchers, Craiglands Quarry, Cloy Farm and Animal Health Highland, included 16 entries from young farmers in the north area.
In total, seven bullocks sold to average 342.3p per kg and nine heifers cashed in at 351.7p per kg.
Tilly Munro from Invercharron, who stood champion last year, secured the supreme champion ticket with an 11-month-old British Blue cross bullock tapped out by judge Ian Grant from Slattadale, Lochmaree.
Scaling 445kg, he sold for £2,400 or 539p per kg on the telephone to Messrs Marsh and Sladden from Dover, securing the highest gross margin in the competition.
The same buyers from the south purchased the top price animal from Tilly at £2,450 or 557p per kg.
This was a home-bred British Blue cross heifer by Caithness Norsman, out of a Simmental cross dam.
The reserve overall ticket was awarded to first time exhibitor, Callum MacIver from Easter Strath, Killen.
This was Callum’s unaltered Limousin cross bullock champion bred by Kenny Sinclair, Lochussie, which later sold for £1,550 to Donald Budge, Brae Edge, Caithness.
Callum also received £1,900 for a 555kg Charolais cross heifer which sold to W Kellas, Burnside Croft, Janetstown, Thurso.
Selling for £1,800 to Backmuir Livestock, Keith, was David Dingwall’s 610kg Charolais cross bullock from Clashnoch, Balblair.
This animal won the best daily liveweight gain of 1.46kg per day, followed closely by Amy McCord’s Limousin cross heifer from Lower Gaich, Dulnain Bridge, at 1.41kg per day.
Amy also won the award for the best stockperson in the competition.
Two animals sold for £1,700, firstly from Tilly Munro, Invercharron, and Bruce Forbes, Little Kildrummie, Nairn.
RESULTS
Purchased unhaltered bullock – 1 and unhaltered overall, Callum Maciver; 2, Adam MacKillop; 3, Ross MacKenzie. Purchased unhaltered heifer – 1 and reserve unhaltered, Alex Shearer; 2, Callum MacIver; 3, Adam MacKillop. Home-bred haltered heifer – 1 and champion, Tilly Munro; 2 and reserve, Georgia Fraser. Purchased haltered bullock – 1 and overall, Tilly Munro; 2 and reserve haltered, Carrie Hamilton; 3, David Dingwall. Purchased haltered heifer – 1, Bruce Forbes; 2, Tilly Munro; 3, Amy McCord.
