Maud farmer Harry Brown was crowned cream of the crop at the prime cattle championship at this year’s Aberdeen Christmas Classic.
The event, organised by Aberdeen and Northern Marts in association with the Aberdeen Fatstock Association, attracted 44 entries of prime cattle.
The 24 heifers averaged 282.5p per kg or £1,739.70, while 20 steers sold to average 260.9p or £1,702.04.
The overall champion was a 23-month-old, home-bred Limousin cross heifer from Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud. By Culsh Invincible, she weighed 615kg and sold for £4,100 to Forbes Raeburn Butchers in Huntly.
Forbes Raeburn Butchers also paid the second top price of £2,400 for the champion native animal – an April-2019 born, home-bred Aberdeen-Angus cross bullock from DAvid and Neil Work, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny. Weighing 622kg, he is by Sebay Jacobite.
Stewart Mackie Butchers, Aberlour, paid £2,100 for the reserve overall champion – a June 2018-born Limousin cross heifer scaling 645kg from Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart of Huntly and Insch. She was bred by Ron Cruickshank, Little Kype Farm, Strathaven.
Blair and Rebecca achieved the next best price of £2,072 for an 18-month-old Limousin cross bullock. Weighing 562kg, and bred by WD Stephen and Co, Meikle Geddes, Nairn, he sold to BT Kitson Butchers, Hutton Rudby, Yarm.
Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, won the butchers’ champion title with a Limousin cross heifer named Sparky, which was bred by the Duncans at Achdregnie, Glenlivet. She weighed 600kg and sold to Bruce Of The Broch, Fraserburgh.
The Young Farmers champion was a 706kg Limousin cross bullock, bred by John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait, from Cally Harper from Turriff. He sold for £1,750 to Malcolm Allan, Larbert.
In the prime lamb section, the overall championship was won by Ronnie Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt, with a pair of home-bred Beltex cross lambs scaling 43.5kg which sold for £250 each to the judge Charlie Anderson, Nether Stenries, Dumfries, who was buying on behalf of HM Sheridan Butchers, Banchory and Ballater.
The reserve champion lambs, a pair of 54kg Texel crosses from Jacqueline Davidson, Southfield, New Deer, sold to the same buyers for £180 each.
Selling for the top price of £260 per head was the Young Farmers’ champion lambs from Lewis Gallier, The Sheiling, Daviot, Inverurie.
This was a pair of Beltex crosses weighing 45kg which sold online to Andrew Polson, Glenfinnan, Findon.
