Some of the country’s best known stockmen and women will take to the judging rings at the Black Isle show to place their class winners.
Caithness commercial beef and sheep producer Arnott Coghill from Skinnet at Halkirk, will have the task of selecting the inter-breed sheep champion from the bumper line-up of breeds.
Arnott farms 1,600 acres with his three brothers between Skinnet, and the home farm Hillhead, near Wick, running 130 suckler cows and 1,000 breeding ewes.
They also grow 300 acres of mainly spring barley and oats for home consumption, with all progeny from the suckler herd and an additional 200 store cattle finished on farm.
The cows are all bulled to the Charolais resulting in all replacements being bought in and the ewe flock includes mainly Scotch Mules tupped to the Texel, Suffolk and Charollais.
Beltex and Blue Texel tups go to the stronger Texel cross Mule ewe hoggs.
Lambing kicks off around April 7, with the first of this year’s lambs sold three weeks ago through Caithness Livestock Breeders for Kepak McIntosh Donald.
Texel cross ewe lambs are also sold privately.
Speaking ahead of his judging stint next week, Arnott said it is an honour to judge at any show, particularly when you are asked to pick the champion between so many breeds.
He has previously judged Border Leicesters at the Balmoral and Royal Welsh shows, and Half-breds at the Royal Highland Show, while also exhibiting many years ago at the Black Isle with Border Leicesters.
Arnott said he will be looking for a ‘true to type’ sheep next week which boasts size and scale.
“I’ll be looking for a correct sheep with breed characteristics and one that shows its commercial traits,” he said.
Stephanie Dick from Stirling will head up the beef section, judging the inter-breed champion, groups of three and the pairs competition.
Ms Dick has a wealth of knowledge in cattle breeding, hailing from the well-known Ronick Limousin herd, as well as running her own pedigree Stephick Limousin and Aberdeen-Angus herds.
A well-known face in the local farming community, Ian MacLeay, from Armadale, will judge the champion of champions in the main ring outside the pavilion at 3.10pm.
Last year, Mr MacLeay retired as a fieldsperson from Aberdeen and Northern Marts after 30 years of service to the firm.
He has worked 47 years in the livestock industry and quickly became a popular and friendly face across Caithness, Sutherland, Easter Ross and the Black Isle.
In the horse rings, Freda Newton from Inverness, who will tap out the overall horse winner.
Other judges who are far travelled include Colin Wight from Carwood, Biggar, for the Charolais and Simmentals, and Roderick Runciman from Allanshaws, Galashiels, for the any other pure breed sheep MV section.
Livestock photographer Wayne Hutchinson from Hawes, will judge the Bluefaced Leicesters, with Graeme Sinclair from Heriot, judging the Beltex.
The Texel judge is Jennifer Aitken from Proctors, Lancaster, while the Charollais is James Clanachan from Dumfries.
Innes Graham, Lockerbie, will place the park-type North Country Cheviots, and Alan Hutcheon from Alnwick, for hill-types.
This year’s Clydesdale judge is Neil Christie from Balfron.
