Judges have been announced for this year’s Aberdeen Christmas Classic which takes place next month at Thainstone Centre near Inverurie.
The two-day event, which will be held on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 November, is organised by Aberdeen and Northern Marts in conjunction with the Aberdeen Fatstock Association.
Sponsored by Rapid Project Development (RPD), the event features prime cattle and sheep, as well as shows and sales of pedigree sheep and the Rising Stars exhibition calf show.
Judging the open haltered and butchers’ cattle is Scottish Borders’ butcher, Ryan Briggs, of Briggsy’s Quality Butcher in Jedburgh.
John Carlisle of Border Meats, will judge the Young Farmers’ haltered and unhaltered cattle, while Bill Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Keith, will head up the classes of prime sheep including Young Farmers’ entries.
The pedigree sheep, which will be shown and sold on the Monday, will see Kenny Duthie, Woodside of Chapelton, Brechin, judge the Texels, and Bruce Johnson, Heatherbrae, Baltasound, Shetland, judge the Suffolks.
Mark Wattie from Mains of Tonley, Alford, will head up the Beltex classes, while Katrina Macarthur, Huntly, will place the Blue Texels.
At last year’s event, Wilson Peters from Crieff sold his supreme winner, a Charolais cross heifer named Silver Belle, for £4,200 to butcher Anthony Kitson, Harrogate.
Wilson also won the butchers’ championship with a Limousin cross heifer which made £4,000 to the same buyer.
A new centre record for a Texel female was set at last year’s pedigree sheep sale when Robbie Wilson’s February-born ewe lamb by Harestone Eldorado, sold for 7,000gns to Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, Ayrshire.
