A 21-month-old Charolais cross heifer was crowned supreme champion at the anniversary show and sale of store cattle at Dingwall yesterday.
The home-bred heifer from Andrew Anderson, of Smallburn Farms, Plewlands, Duffus, Elgin, lifted the top title after winning the senior section at the show.
She is by the Anderson family’s 13,000gn Charolais stock bull, Chesham Fiji, which has previously bred successful show cattle including a heifer named Izzy Lizzy, which stood champion at Turriff.
Judge Noel Gall, who finishes around 500 cattle a year with his father Gray at Home Farm, Kininmonth, Mintlaw, said the champion had good width and would make a good carcase. He went on to buy his champion for £1,400.
Mr Gall also bought the reserve senior champion – a home-bred 22-month-old Aberdeen-Angus cross bullock from Robert Mackenzie, Boat of Garten – for £1,420.
Standing reserve overall and junior champion was a home-bred nine-month-old British Blue cross bullock from Ian Grant, of Slattadale, Lochmaree. This one sold for £950 to Messrs C & A Cameron, Montgrew Farm, Keith.
Mr Grant’s success did not end there and he lifted the reserve junior and intermediate champion rosettes.
His reserve junior champion – another home-bred nine-month-old British Blue cross bullock – sold for £950 to Messrs Brown, Sunhoney Farm, Echt. The intermediate champion – a home-bred 15-month-old Limousin cross bullock – sold for £1,150 to D. A. Budge, Brae Edge Farm, Castletown, Caithness.
Standing reserve in the intermediate section, and selling for £1,320, was a home-bred 15-month-old British Blue cross Limousin bullock from Messrs J.H. & S.M. Anderson, The Cloy, Fortrose. He sold to Backmuir Trading Co, Keith.
In total 873 bullocks sold to a top price of £1,430 and an average of £2.30 a kg, while 712 heifers sold to a top of £1,400 and an average of £2.22 a kg.
At last year’s fixture 972 bullocks sold to an average of £2.54 a kg and 552 heifers sold to £2.45 a kg.
