Trade reached a top of £3,600 for the supreme champion at Dingwall and Highland Marts’ annual Young Farmers’ overwintering calf competition yesterday.
The event, which attracted 41 calves from 24 exhibitors, saw the show take place on Tuesday evening when judged by David Wright from Ardgour near Fort William.
Bullocks averaged 325p per kg and heifers levelled at 389.6p.
Taking the overall honours and leading the same was the home-bred champion from Nairn JAC member Adam Mackillop, who works as a trainee for Dingwall & Highland Marts.
This was Adam’s nine-month-old Limousin cross heifer bred at Lower Cairnglass, Gollanfield.
Scaling 370kg, she is by Arradfoot Ozymandius, and bred out of a Limousin cross British Blue dam.
The buyer was Kenny MacIver, Jindalee, Humberston, Dingwall, who plans to show her in the summer.
Fellow Nairn JAC member and first time exhibitor Fergus Forbes from Little Kildrummie, Nairn, had a great day securing the reserve overall championship and the haltered bullock championship.
Selling for the second top price of £2,200 and producing the best profit margin of £860, was Fergus’ reserve overall, a Charolais cross heifer weighing 540kg.
Bred by Ewan MacDonald, Torgorm, and purchased at Dingwall in November, she was bought by the judge Mr Wright.
The bullock champion from Fergus, this time a 600kg Limousin cross bred by Ian Grant, Slattadale, was bought in October at the firm’s first calf sale when it stood champion.
He sold for £1,700 to Donald Budge, Brae Edge, Castletown, Thurso.
Forss Young Farmers member Shayne Mackay, sold his third prize haltered heifer for £1,900 to Euan Fettes, Braes of Enzie, Buckie.
This Limousin cross heifer weighed 385kg and was bred by Robert MacDonald, Castle Grant Home Farm.
The reserve bullock champion from Shayne made £1,700, to Donald Budge.
Weighing 525kg, this British Blue cross bullock was bred by Walter Cruikshank, Clury, and was bought in October for £1,260.
Aimee Campbell produced the best daily liveweight margin as her Limousin cross bullock gained 235kg in total or 1.53kg per day over 154 days.
RESULTS
Unhaltered purchased bullock (+401kg) – 1 and unhaltered bullock champion, Callum MacIver, £1,900; 2 and unhaltered reserve bullock, Michael Matheson, £1,550; 3, Carrie Hamilton, £1,550. Unhaltered purchased bullock (-400kg) – 1, Michael Matheson, £1,450; 2, George MacEachen, £1,600; 3, Keira Lockhart, £1,250. Unhaltered purchased heifer (+401kg) – 1 and unhaltered heifer champion, Callum MacIver, £1,400; 2 and unhaltered reserve heifer, Ross MacKenzie, £1,450; 3, Robert Harcus, £1,300. Unhaltered purchased heifer (-400kg) – 1, Duncan Munro, £1,250; 2, George MacEachen, £1,300; 3, Keira Lockhart, £1,100. Overall unhaltered and reserve overall unhaltered – Callum MacIver. Haltered purchased bullock (+401kg) – 1 and haltered bullock champion, Fergus Forbes, £1,700; 2 and reserve haltered bullock, Shayne MacKay, £1,700; 3, Bruce Forbes, £1,550. Haltered purchased bullock (-400kg) – 1, Jessie Bisset, £1,400; 2, Jamie MacKay, £1,150. Haltered purchased heifer (+401kg) – 1 and haltered heifer champion, Fergus Forbes, £2,200. Haltered purchased heifer (-400kg) – 1 and reserve haltered heifer, Carrie Hamilton, £1,400; 2, Esther Grant, £1,550; 3, Shayne MacKay, £1,900. Overall haltered champion – Fergus Forbes. Reserve overall haltered – Carrie Hamilton. Home-bred haltered bullock – 1 and reserve home-bred champion, Duncan Munro, £1,450; Rachel Forbes, £1,600. Home-bred haltered heifer and home-bred champion – 1, Adam MacKillop, £3,600; 2, Ellie Mann, £1,150. Home-bred unhaltered bullock – Stephanie Anderson, £1,700. Supreme overall – Adam MacKillop. Reserve supreme – Fergus Forbes.
