The sun shone on the busy sheep lines at the Royal Highland Show, with an overall entry number of 2,089 – up from last year’s 1,919.
Retaining the title he won last year, Inverurie’s Finn Christie triumphed once again in the Suffolk sheep section, one of 15 breeds judged on day one. In fact, this year’s star of the ring, a home-bred gimmer, was by the same sire as his winner last year, the Lanark-bought ram, Howgill Footsniper. Finn keeps just five Suffolk ewes in his Maidenstone flock, which run alongside his flock of Beltex sheep.
Reserve rosette in the Suffolks went to John Christie, West Carse, Stirling, who was exhibiting sheep at the show for the first time since he won the breed title 23 years ago. His best this time, was a home-bred two-crop ewe by Ballyboe Boe, a ram bought at Stirling Mart.
The Crawford family – Colin, Carolanne and daughter, Carrie – of Teuchitfauld, Maud, had a day to remember in the Lleyn section. They secured the champion and reserve honours, with their champion being a home-bred gimmer and reserve a home-bred shearling ram. This was a step up for the team, who have been showing at the Highland for a decade, having taken home the reserve title last year.
In a strong commercial sheep section, John Messenger and sons Ross and Neil, triumphed for the first time in their 20 years exhibiting at Ingliston. The family run 350 Texel, Suffolk and Cheviot cross ewes at Ayton, Abernethy, with their champion being a home-bred Beltex cross gimmer, sired by a Cultburn ram and out of a Texel cross ewe. Reserve in that section went to last year’s winners, the Morton family, Lochend, Denny, with a pair of Beltex cross prime lambs.
The Blackface section is always a crowd puller and this year the busy ringside saw a ewe from Archie and John MacGregor’s Kilsyth-based Allanfauld flock tapped out as champion – a fourth breed title for the family, who are also showing Scotch Mules, Texels and Limousins at the event. One of 1200 ewes in the flock, this one-crop ewe was shown by shepherd David Kinloch and Robert Flett. Judge, breed stalwart John MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally, described the turnout of Blackfaces as “a great show of sheep, with some particularly strong classes.” He added: “The champion is as good a sheep as I’ve seen at the Royal Highland; she’s a tremendous, all-round ewe.”
Other notable results included a reserve breed title in the Ryelands for Eddie and Janice Henderson, Landriggs, Milnathort, with their stock tup, Grassknop Conker. And, securing the reserve award in the Park type North Country Cheviots were the Barclays of Harestone, Banchory, with their three-shear ram, Allanshaws Bullseye, shown by Robert Marshall.
RESULTS
Ryeland
Tom Wright, Tenbury Wells, winning the section on his show debut here, with a home-bred gimmer, by the home-bred sire, Juggis Asteroid. Reserve: Eddie and Janice Henderson, Landriggs, Milnathort, with the shearling ram Grassknop Conker, a Bryn Caffro son, bought as a lamb at Worcester. He is stock tup to their 25-ewe Landriggs flock.
North Country Cheviot Park
Willie Thomson, Hownam Grange, Kelso, with a four-crop ewe that went one better this year, having stood reserve at Ingliston last year. A Synton Vespa daughter, she is out of the 2019 Highland Show champion, Victoria. Reserve: Neil and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Banchory, with Allanshaws Bullseye, a three-shear ram bought as a shearling at Lockerbie and sired by a Seabay ram. The Barclays were showing Cheviots at the show for the first time.
Suffolk
Finn Christie, Newton of Balquhain, Inverurie, with the gimmer that was overall sheep at Angus Show. Sired by Howgill Footsniper, a ram bought for 5500gns at Lanark, she is out of a ewe by Crewlands Kingpin. This is the second year in a row that Finn has secured the Suffolk championship at the Highland. Reserve: John Christie, West Carse, Stirling, showing here for the first time in 23 years and taking reserve with a two-crop ewe by Ballyboe Boe, a ram bought at Stirling for 4400gns. The dam is a home-bred ewe by Cairness Lucky Strike, one of 60 ewes in the flock.
Charollais
Ben Radley, Loaningfoot, Dumfries, with the home-bred gimmer, Loaningfoot Abracadabra. A Foxhill Vavavoom daughter, out of a Foulrice ewe, she was inter-breed sheep champion at Ayr Show. Reserve: The Ingram family, Logie Durno, Pitcaple, with the sire of the champion, Foxhill Vavavoom, a three-shear ram bought as a lamb for 16,000gns. Sired by Loanhead Triathalon, he is the main stock tup on the Loanhead and Logie Durno flocks.
Blackface
Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, winning the breed championship here for the fourth time, with a home-bred one-crop ewe, sired by a £30,000 McCurdy tup. She is out of a ewe by a £32,000 Midlock, one of 1200 Blackface ewes in the family’s flock. Reserve: The
Wight family, Midlock, Crawford, with a two-shear ram bought for £19,000 from Tullykeeran and shared with the Dalchirla and Nunnerie flocks. He is sired by a £16,000 Elmscleugh and out of a ewe by £160,000 Elmscleugh.
Border Leicester
Sandy and Alex Watson, Mitchelston, Stow, winning their sixth championship here, with a two-crop ewe by Didcot Diamond, a ram bought at Lanark as a lamb. On her first show outing, this daughter of Eildon Rob Roy is one of 24 ewes in the flock. Reserve: Duncan Whyte, Whiteleegate, Newton Mearns, with a two-shear ram by Ditton Wham Bam, bought at Lanark as a ram lamb. Out of a ewe by Lammermuir Jake, he stood second in his class last year.
Commercial
John Messenger, Ayton Farm, Abernethy, with a home-bred Beltex cross gimmer, by a Cultburn sire and out of a Texel cross ewe. This is a first win for the Messengers after exhibiting at the Highland for 20 years. Reserve: Andrew Morton, Lochend, Denny, with the champion prime lambs, a pair of Beltex cross ewe lambs by Gyffin Dexter, weighing a combined 96kg.
Cheviot
WJ Douglas and Son, Upper Hindhope, Jedburgh, with a home-bred three-crop ewe that Gavin Douglas picked out as part of the show team, shortly before his untimely death this spring. A Stirkfield Willie Wassle daughter, she was shown by shepherd Callum Caskie. Reserve: Norman and David Douglas, Catslackburn, Yarrow, with a home-bred shearling ram by Catslack Immortality, a home-bred sire retained for use in the flock. This shearling will be sold at Lockerbie later in the year.
Lleyn
Colin Crawford, Teuchitfauld, Maud, Peterhead, with a home-bred gimmer on her first outing, sired by a tup bred by Ian Walling which stood champion at the Great Yorkshire two years ago. Reserve: Colin Crawford’s home-bred shearling ram, by a Laga sire. He will be heading to Carlisle later in the year.
Hill Cheviot
David Douglas, Whitehope, Yarrow, with a home-bred shearling ram by Whitehope Batman. He will be sold next year as a two-shear. Reserve: WD Allen, Stouphill, Alnwick, with a one-crop ewe by Whitehope Xpense, out of a home-bred ewe.
Bleu du Maine
Sally Shone, Sheriton, Cheshire, with Maximum Treacle, a two-crop home-bred ewe by a Perdi sire, out of Maximum Pancake. She won the breed’s National show last week. Reserve: Callum Cruden, Standingstones, Aberdeen, with a home-bred gimmer by Standingstones Ramos, out of a Perdi-bred ewe, one of 15 ewes in the flock.
Jacob
Mairi Connor and Scott Dalrymple, Dun-mor, Linlithgow, with Luruha Randan, a shearling ram bought at Skipton last year, where he had been reserve champion. Sired by Harbell Lincoln, he is out of a Dun-mor ewe. Reserve: Mairi Connor and Scott Dalrymple’s home-bred gimmer, Dun-mor Isla, a daughter of Harbell Lincoln. She stood first at East Fife Show.
Dutch Spotted
Robbie Jackson, Rigghead, Dumfries, with a gimmer bred by M and R McCornick, Barquhill, by Westbroad Diego, out of Kilroot Cinnamon. Reserve: Henry Jewitt, Gracies, Barnard Castle, with a home-bred, February-born ewe lamb on its first outing, by the 28,000gns Diamond Fireball.
