The sun shone and the crowds flocked to the sheep rings to see 14 breeds being judged on day one of the Royal Highland Show.
Spectators cited the Suffolk section as being the best quality turnout of that breed for several years, and it was John Gibb of Techmuiry, Fraserburgh, who had the tough job of selecting the winners.
For champion, he picked out a gimmer from Jim Innes’ 14-ewe Strathbogie flock at Huntly, ensuring a third Royal Highland Show championship for the Aberdeenshire breeder.
Gambler’s daughter
Brought out by Jennifer McKilligan and shepherd Phil Shaw, this gimmer is a daughter of the 30,000gns Rempstone Gambler.
Reserve in the Suffolks went to Finn Christie, of Newton of Balquhain, Inverurie, with the second prize gimmer. She is a daughter of the 28,000gns Castleisle Blackadder and out of a homebred ewe.
Another championship success for the Campbell family from Caithness
The Campbell family – Jonnie, Christine and their children, Ross and Ailsa – from Bardnaclavan, Thurso, also lifted their third breed championship, when they won the North Country Cheviot section with a homebred gimmer. A Soutra Cannonball daughter on her first show outing, she runs in a flock of 1,000 ewes which includes 150 pure North Country Cheviots.
Standing reserve in this section was a three-shear ram from Andrew Polson, of the Aberdeenshire-based Smerlie flock. Andrew had bought Swinister Delphinus at Quoybrae, near Wick, for £6,500.
Brought out by shepherd Raymond Smith, this is the best result for the flock in 10 years of exhibiting at Ingliston.
Thurso breeder Andrew Campbell among Royal Highland winners too
Meanwhile, the Cheviot hill-type championship went to another Thurso-based breeder, Andrew Campbell, of Mill House. An electrical engineer to trade, he keeps 80 ewes and won the title with a homebred gimmer on its first outing. She is sired by a ram that came in utero with its dam when purchased via an online sale, from the East Lodge flock.
Regular show winners the Ingram family, of Logie Durno, Pitcaple, near Inverurie, led the way again in the Charollais classes, with their homebred gimmer taking the top ticket. Her dam, a homebred ewe, bred the first prize ewe lamb at last year’s show.
Alongside the Charollais, the Ingrams have a variety of breeds, including Bluefaced Leicesters, Texels, Suffolks and Beltex.
Winning his first champion rosette at the Royal Highland was Adam Christie, who runs a 20-ewe Jacob flock at the family’s farm, Midtown of Glass, near Huntly. His show topper was a homebred ram lamb, Adamski Quantum, an Adamski Leonardo son which is destined for sale at Carlisle this year.
The Blackface section proved as popular as ever with the spectators, who crammed around the ring to see the Ramsay family from Milnmark, Dalry, win their ninth breed championship.
This one was all the more special as they won with a one-crop ewe that also won the section last year, as a gimmer. A daughter of £30,000 Elmscleugh, she is rearing a ewe lamb, born in April and sired by £45,000 Auldhouseburn.
Sheep results
North Country Cheviot (Judge: Roderick Runciman, Stow)
Champion: DN Campbell and Sons, Bardnaclavan, Thurso, with a homebred gimmer on her first show outing, by Soutra Cannonball and out of a homebred ewe. This a third breed championship at the Royal Highland for the Campbells. Reserve: Andrew Polson, Smerlie, Aberdeenshire, with Swinister Delphinus, a three-shear ram by Overacres Big Lad and out of a Swinister-bred ewe from RJ Poleson.
Blackface (Judge: Archie MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth).
Champion: W Ramsay and Sons, Milnmark, Dalry, with a homebred one-crop ewe that also won last year, as a gimmer. She is by a £30,000 Elmscleugh sire and out of a ewe by £11,000 Milnmark. Reserve: CC MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, with a gimmer on her first show outing, named Edith. She is by £90,000 Dalchirla and out of a ewe by £60,000 Loughash.
Charollais (Judge: Dewi Evans, Moelfre, Anglesey).
Champion: G and B Ingram, Lodgie Durno, Inverurie, with a gimmer on her first show outing, by Foxhill Va Va Voom and out of a homebred ewe that also bred last year’s first prize ewe lamb. Reserve: HW Sloan, Rigghead, Dumfries, with a ewe lamb by the 3,500gns Logie Durno Craftsman and out of a Knighton-bred ewe. She was champion at Lesmahagow on her only other outing.
Suffolk (Judge: John Gibb, Techmuiry, Fraserburgh).
Champion: James Innes, Dunscroft, Huntly, with a gimmer by the 30,000gns Rempstone Gambler and out of a homebred ewe by Muirton One Direction. Reserve: Graeme and Finn Christie, Newton of Balquhain, Inverurie, with a gimmer by the 28,000gns Castleisle Blackadder and out of a homebred ewe.
Blue Texel (Judge: Izzy Hartley, Nelson, Lancashire).
Champion: David and Clare Gray, Sunnycroft, Selkirk, winning their first ever championship at Ingliston with a gimmer that had been bought at the Northern Supreme sale at Carlisle from Ty Gwyn. He is by Matts Hitman and won at Stirling Show. Reserve: Stephanie Dick, Westerton, Stirling, with Knockmult Jackie Chan, a shearling ram bought as a lamb at Carlisle and shared with Robert and Jean Graham. Sired by Beili Blues Hulk, he stood male champion at Stirling Show.
Ryeland (Judge: John Donovan, Whitland, Carmarthenshire).
Champion: Annette and David Mitchell, Wellhill, New Cumnock, with Wellhill Elizabeth, a homebred gimmer by Bryncaffo Celt. Reserve: Eddie and Janice Henderson, Landriggs, Milnathort, with a ram lamb by Grassknop Conquer and out of a homebred ewe by Landriggs ZZ Top.
Border Leicester (Judge: Jack Lamb, Ayr).
Champion: Sandy and Alex Watson, Intock, with a three-crop ewe by Didcot Diamond amd out of a ewe by Eildon Eager. She stood second in her class last year. Reserve: Duncan Whyte, Whitelee Gate, Newton Mearns, with Muirmouth Kelso, a three-shear ram bought at Kelso from Jimmy Douglas for £3,600.
Jacob (Judge: Siwan Harries, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire).
Champion: Adam Christie, Midtown of Glass, Huntly, with Adamski Quantum, a ram lamb by homebred sire Adamski Leonardo. Reserve: Robert Locker, Greenlaw Mill, Greenlaw, with a one-crop ewe by Edingale Hugh Hefner and out of a homebred ewe. She was female champion at the show last year and stood reserve at Fife Show this year.
Cheviot (Judge: Gordon Jackson, Blackburn, Newcastleton).
Champion: James Common and Son, Crossdykes, Lockerbie, with a three-crop ewe on her first outing, by Becks Revolution and out of a homebred ewe. Reserve: WN Douglas, Catslackburn, Yarrow, with a homebred shearling ram destined for sale in Lockerbie. He is by the £12,000 Tweedshaws Rocket, which stood breed champion last year.
Lleyn (Judge: Colin Price, Brecon, Powys).
Champion: Farmstock Genetics, Over Whitlaw, Selkirk, with Whitlaw Nicki Minaj, a homebred gimmer by a Norman Lawrence sire, on its first show outing. Reserve: Farmstock Genetics’ Whitlaw Ninja, a homebred shearling ram by the same sire as the champion. He is destined for sale at Carlisle.
Dutch Spotted (Judge: Gordon Troup, Inverurie).
Champion: Robbie Jackson, Rigghead, Dumfries, with Rigghead Hottie, a homebred gimmer by Dutchman and out of Triple Crown winner Barquhill Faith. Reserve: Ali Jackson, Tiptop, with a homebred ewe lamb by Whatmore Forty Winks.
Commercial (Judge: John Guthrie, Muthill, Crieff).
Champion: Andrew Baillie, Callacrag, Carstairs, winning his eighth Royal Highland Show championship with a three-crop Beltex cross ewe by Wannops Firecracker and out of a pure Texel ewe, together with her two ewe lambs at foot, by Callacrag Khrist. Reserve: Kirsty and Andrew Morton, Lochend, Denny, with Beltex cross ewe lambs, full sisters by Mortons Gremlin.
Bleu Du Maine (Judge: Pat Imlah, Newmacher).
Champion: Neil Millar, Joyfield, Dumfries, with Joyfield Abeauty, a ewe lamb by the male champion, Joyfield Zipitydoodah, out of the past Royal Welsh and Great Yorkshire winner, Aviemore Ruby. Reserve: Kerrie McDermid, New Cumnock, with Cargen Glen Zoe, a homebred gimmer by Cargen Glen Yabadabadoo and out of last year’s breed champion, Dunelm Written.
North Country Cheviot Hill (Judge: Peter Tweedie, Hownam, Jedburgh).
Champion: Andrew Campbell, Mill House, Thurso, with a gimmer by an East Lodge bred ram and out of a homebred ewe, one of 80 in the flock. Reserve: WN Douglas, Whitehope, Yarrow, with a homebred shearling sired by the 2023 Highland champion, Whitehope Dark Knight, which sold at Lockerbie last year for £28,000.
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