It was a Royal Highland Show to remember for the Grahams Limousins team from Stirling when their three-year-old cow was crowned the supreme beef winner on Saturday.
Keith Redpath from Kelso had the task of selecting his overall champion from the 14 breed champions, tapping out the Limousin – a breed he has been connected with since 1979.
He previously ran up to 120 pedigree Limousin cows after importing 25 heifers from France to establish the herd but now keeps just 10 females at Mid Softlaw.
Lifting the top honours was Grahams Ruth, from Robert and Jean Graham, and new stockman Stewart Bett and his wife Lynsey, who brought out the polled Claragh Franco daughter.
Shown with her October-born heifer calf at foot, she is out of the French cow Gigue, and was overall champion at Drymen Show and inter-breed beef at Gargunnock.
In reserve, was the Aberdeen-Angus leader from far travelled exhibitors, Michael and Melanie Alford of Foxhill Farm, Devon.
This was the two-year-old in-calf heifer Blelack Princess Carina, which the couple purchased for £32,000 at the herd dispersal at Stirling Bull Sales in 2021.
She is by the 14,000gns Kilmaluag Eriskay, out of another Blelack Princess Carina, and was champion of champions at Ayr, as well as winning numerous prizes in the south last year.
The Limousin breed was back in the tickets when Iain Nimmo’s April 2022-born heifer Maraiscote Tangerine from Lanarkshire, won the junior inter-breed judged by Charolais breeder Hamish Goldie from Dumfries.
This rising star is by Sliabh Felim Mourinho, a stock bull which Mr Nimmo paid €11,000 for at Roscrea, out of Maraiscote Orange.
Richard McCornick from Dumfries took the reserve spot in the junior inter-breed with 15-month-old bull Ricnick Thor, which stood champion at Cumberland.
He is an embryo bred out of Ricnick Precious and by Goldstar Gentleman.
The beef cattle inter-breed teams were won by the Limousins from the Grahams, Maraiscote, Whinfellpark and Wilodge herds, while Charolais from AJR Farms, McMurrich Partners, Brailes Livestock and the Hartwrights, took reserve.
