A British Blue cross heifer from Mintlaw farmer Harry Emslie took home the supreme title and top price at yesterday’s Royal Northern Spring Show.
Thousands of farmers flocked to the show, which was organised by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society and held at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ headquarters at Thainstone, Inverurie.
Judge Andrew Ewing, of Dumbretton Farm, Annan, awarded his supreme champion rosettes to the heifer champion at the exhibition cattle show.
This one from Emslies Livestock at Kinknockie, Mintlaw, is an October-2014 born British Blue cross heifer, called Anna, weighing in at 598kg.
He was bought by the Emslies when Harry placed it champion while judging a show and sale in Hexham, Northumberland.
Yesterday’s sale saw the beast exchange hands another time for 6,000gn to Aileen Ritchie, of Tamara, Burnside, Whitecairns.
Next best at 5,100gn was a fourth-prize winning Limousin heifer from Graham Henderson, 8 Murrayfield, Castletown, Thurso.
June 2015 born Oochababy is a home-bred daughter of Hunterhall Gladiator, weighing in at 375kg. She heads for a summer on the show circuit with Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, of Huntly and Insch.
The next best price of 2,700gn was paid twice.
First at this price was a second-prize winning Limousin heifer from John Robertson, of Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry.
March 2013 born Pussy Galore, which is by Lodge Hamlet and out of a British Blue cross by Bringlee Blackstar, was sold weighing 418kg to Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart.
The next at this price was another Limousin cross heifer from John Robertson.
This July-2015 born lot weighed 359kg and sold to Lin Pidsley of Upton Ley Farm, Honiton, Devon.
Two lots sold for 2,400gn – a British Blue cross heifer from Donald Morrison, of Cairn Nulla, Kinlochbervie, and a British Blue cross heifer from John Robertson at Logierait.
Mr Morrison’s lot, which was born in July 2014 and weighed 495kg, sold to L. Mitchell, Woodstock, Victoria Street, Insch.
Mr Robertson’s lot, which was born in February 2015 and weighed 408kg, sold to J. and S. Wareham, Little Tottingworth, Broadoak, Heathfield, Essex.
In all, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 28 out of the 44 cattle entered in the sale. This is up on last year’s sale when 25 out of 41 sold.
The average for the 19 heifers sold was £4,72 a kg and £2,121.05 a head. The nine bullocks sold to an average of £2.81 a kg and £1,286.67 a head.
This compares to 11 heifers at an average of £4.94 a kg and £2,045.45 a head last year, when 14 bullocks sold to an average of £3.40 a kg and a £1,469.29 a head.