Crowds flocked to Dornoch Links on Saturday to see a fine display of livestock and enjoy the other attractions at the annual Sutherland County Show.
Society president, Katherine Marr, said she was delighted as entries for the show were up, despite a clash of dates with the Caithness show.
She said she was also encouraged by the number of teenage stock women and men who were handling animals, either in their own right, or on behalf of their families.
Ms Marr also praised the many hours of voluntary effort, put in by lots of people, in the run up to the show and said the turnout made it all worthwhile.
Leading the field for Gregor Laing and his niece Helen Laing of Westerfearn, Ardgay, was the home-bred Westerfearn Princess Royal – a seven- year-old Aberdeen- Angus cow, by Bellhaven Tabernacle.
She scooped the native cattle championship, progressed to interbreed cattle champion and ended the day as the show supreme champion of champions.
In the sheep rings, the interbreed championship went to the commercial cross sheep champion.
This was a one-crop Suffolk-cross-Texel ewe with her twin cross-Texel lambs at foot.
Put forward by Gavin and Norma Breathet, Woodside Croft, Blackpark, Ardersier, she was bought as a lamb and her appearance at Sutherland was her first outing.
Meanwhile, Alexander Manson, Upper Bogrow, Edderton, took the native horse interbreed championship with his Highland champion – four-year-old mare, Scaraben Eilidh Donn, being taken out on the show circuit for the first time.
The horse interbreed reserve title went to the champion from the Shetland section.
This was the standard seven-year-old yeld mare Stow Violetta from Jim and Renee Swan’s Stow Stud at Conn Bridge. She is by Warrackston Bob and out of Stow Violet. As a yearling and a three-year-old she was supreme horse at Brodie.
Other prizewinners included the any other breed sheep championship being awarded to a South Country Cheviot.
At a show that is very much home to its low ground and hill North Country Cheviot cousins, Jan MacKenzie of Langdale, Strathnaver, Kinbrace, took the red rosette with the three-shear tup Langdale Diamond, by Catslackburn Ace.
Another successful exhibitor was Andrew Polson of Smerlie, Lybster.
Mr Polson split his North Country Cheviot entries between the Sutherland and Caithness shows and had success at both.
In Caithness he won the supreme sheep championship tile, while his son and daughters lifted the North Country Cheviot lowground championship at Sutherland.
The family’s winner at Dornoch was a home-bred four-crop ewe by Durran Prospector.
RESULTS
CATTLE
Pure native breed – ELM Laing, Westerfearn, Ardgay, with Westerfearn Princess Royal, a seven-year-old, in-calf, Aberdeen-Angus cow, by Bellhaven Tabernacle. Reserve – TJ & G Maclean, 1 Raddery, Fortrose, the Raddery Esprit IT 205, a 16-month-old Aberdeen-Angus bull by Deveron Master Bambury. This bull will be going to the Stirling sale in October.
Pedigree cattle – WJ&J Green, Corskie Farm, Garmouth, Fochabers, with the 15-month-old Simmental bull, Corskie Infinity by the 45,000gns Bel Dhu Capercaillie . Reserve junior male at the Royal Highland Show. Reserve – Michael Robertson, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul, with the 11-month-old Limousin bull calf, Fodderletter Nimrod by Spittalalton Gold.
Highland cattle – Tordarroch Estates, Farr, Inverness, with the two-year-old home-bred heifer Heather of Tordarroch, by Hamish of Knockdon. Reserve – Leys Castle Farm, Leys Castle, Inverness, with the two-year-old bull Duke The 11th of Leys, by Jock of Lyntoun. Reserve male champion at North of Scotland Club Show and reserve male at Granton and Black Isle last year.
Commercial – Donald Morrison, Burnside, Kinlochbervie, with Amari, a yearling cross-Limosin heifer. Reserve – Mark Munro, Invercharron Farms, Ardgay, with Baby Shambles, a 10-month-old home-bred Limousin heifer calf by Bailea Cavalier.
Crofters – Donald Morrison, with a cross-Limousin yearling stot.
SHEEP
North Country Cheviot lowground – Andrew Polson, Smerlie, Lybster, with a four-crop home-bred ewe by Durran Prospector. Reserve – K & R Sutherland, 24
Sinclair Square, Halkirk, with an April-born tup lamb by Smerlie Vanwinkle.
North Country Cheviot hill farmers – Badanloch LLP, Kinbrace, with a home-bred gimmer by North Loch Naver Nomad. Reserve – North Loch Naver Estate with Badanloch Battleship, a four-shear tup by North Loch Naver Nomad.
North Country Cheviot hill crofters – Andrew Robertson, 183 Strathtongue, Clebrig, with a tup lamb.Reserve – Alisdair Robertson, Clashbreac, Lairg, with a gimmer.
Beltex – J Scott & Partners, Fearn Farm, Tain, with the three-crop ewe Fearn Winnie, by Callacrag Ruben, Reserve – Ryan Munro, Runachloie, Gruids, Lairg, with three-shear tup Bharangyne Action Man, by Broxty Wishful Thinking.
Texel – Alan Chisholm, Wester Moy, Urray, Muir of Ord, with a gimmer by Arkle Ying Yang. Reserve – Alan Chisholm with a mid February-born ewe lamb, also by Arkle Ying Yang.
Suffolk – Louise McAuley, 3 Easter Coxton, Elgin, with a shearling tup by Cairnorrie Big Impression. Reserve – M & I Bissett, Mariain, Culnaskeath, Evanton, with three-shear tup, Muirton His Royal Highness, by Muirton One Direction.
Shetland – Isla MacIntosh, West Knockbain Mains, Munlochy, with an aged tup.
Reserve – S & L Brown, Balmore, Bogallan, North Kessock, with a ewe.
Blackface – Charlie McIntyre and Gemma McIntosh, Upper Croft Na Garn, Boat of Garten, with a two-shear tup bred at Dunrachan. He was bought at Lanark last October for £4,000, with a half share being retained by Dunrachan. Reserve – Charlie McIntyre and Gemma McIntosh with a gimmer by a £3,000 Crosswoodburn and out of a ewe by the £1,000 Northern Sychie.
Zwartbles – C & S Bissett, Mariain, Culnaskeath, Evanton, with the shearling tup Carrah Elite, by Donbraid Big D. Reserve – K & W Anderson, Cairnhill, Farr, Inverness, with a late January-born ewe lamb by Carrah Diesel.
Cross sheep commercial – Gavin and Norma Breathet, Woodside Croft, Blackpark, Ardersier, with a one-crop Suffolk cross Texel ewe and her twin cross Texel lambs at foot.
Any other breed – Jan MacKenzie, Langdale, Strathnaver, Kinbrace, with Langdale Diamond, three-shear South Country Cheviot tup, by Catslackburn Ace.
NATIVE HORSES
Highland Ponies – Alexander Matheson, Upper Bogrow, Edderton, with the four-year-old mare Scaraben Eilidh Donn by Scaraben Runa. Reserve – Alan and Carolyn Munro, The Stables, Loandhu, Fearn, with a mid-April born colt foal by Loandhu Silver Shadow. Class winner at breed show in Strathallan two weeks ago.
Shetland standard and overall – Jim and Renee Swan, The Stow Stud, Conn Bridge, with seven-year-old home-bred yeld mare Stow Violetta, by Warrackston Bob and out of Stow Violet. She was supreme horse at Brodie as a yearling and three-year-old. Reserve – Caroline Window, Carrisgill Shetlands, Roster, Lybster, with Esthers Imogen a six-year old standard mare by Brockville Endeavour.
Shetland miniature – E&S Knight, St Catherines Cross, Fearn, with the miniature six-year-old mare Hjatland Lily. Reserve – Steph Mitchell, 47 Windsor Place, Conon Bridge, with Tillyorn Violet, a seven-year-old mare by South Keith Mey Heather.