The Saturday at the 2015 Royal Highland Show is not a day that will easily be forgotten for Forfar father and son Alastair and Graeme Fraser.
Their five-year-old Aberdeen-Angus stock bull Shadwell Black Broughton was always going to be “there or thereabout” after winning the breed championship on Thursday and the male part of the beef pairs championship on Friday.
But he had an outstanding Saturday, firstly as a member of the winning team of four and then as the individual beef interbreed champion.
Although the Frasers have been involved with the Aberdeen-Angus breed for decades and sold numerous high-price bulls from their 60-strong herd at East Idvies, this was the first time they had exhibited at the Royal Highland, making the victory all the sweeter.
Black Broughton was bought privately from the Shadwell herd in Suffolk and has run with cows for the last three years. He is by Muirhall Total Deal and out of Shadwell Blackbird, a cow which goes back to the successful Blelack Blackbird line.
Interbreed judge Jimmy Wilson, from Barnyards, Mintlaw, said his champion was an excellent bull, especially considering he had been working for three years.
The interbreed reserve was another animal that had made its presence felt all week.
Major David Walter’s two-year-old bull Balthayock Imp had already stood breed champion, junior bull champion, Beefbreeder champion and been half of the interbreed pairs championship when he entered the individual interbreed ring.
Mr Wilson selected him as his reserve and said it was quite a close call between Imp and the champion.
“Both bulls had great locomotion, which is very important.
“The Charolais is only two years old and has the potential to be a great stock bull,” he said.
Brought out by David and Tracy Nichol, the win would undoubtedly be a landmark for Major Walter, who has bred and shown Charolais cattle for more than 40 years.
Jimmy Wilson had earlier placed the groups of four.
With 11 top quality teams in the ring he had one of the toughest jobs on the show circuit, but said the winning Aberdeen-Angus quartet stood out.
“There were other good teams, but the thing that stood out was the quality of the calves-at-foot with all three females. Two of them were just two-year-old heifers but they were obviously doing the job for which they were intended,” he said.
The team consisted of the Frasers’ Broughton Black Shadwell; the 29-month-old Duncaziemere Edwina from Alistair Clark, Avisyard, Cumnock; the 28-month-old Netherton Evita from WD McLaren and HW Angus, Netherton, Blackford; and the four-year-old cow Haughton Justine Erica from Whittaker & Co Farms, Stickle Heaton, Cornhill-on-Tweed.
The Limousin team was pulled up into reserve slot, with Mr Wilson commenting that they “were very well matched but maybe a bit too fit”.
The male in the team was prolific show winner Brockhurst Elvis from Doug Mash, Chesham, Buckinghamshire. This six-year-old senior bull is by Samy and out of show cow Brockhurst Bolshoi.
Devon-based Michael and Melanie Alford provided two of the team including the 28-month-old Wilodge Vantastic daughter Foxhillfarm Ivy and the six-year-old in-calf cow Bankdale Elizabeth, also by Wilodge Vantastic.
Thomas Illingworth, Howgillside, Lockerbie, provided the fourth member, the yearling heifer Glenrock Jewel.
The Charolais team stood second reserve.
The junior bull championship had been decided earlier in the day with Iain Green, Corskie, officiating. His top choice was Balthayock Imp, which he praised as being “outstanding, with tremendous length, power and width”.
The reserve junior was 17-month-old Limousin bull Foxhillfarm Jasper from the Alfords.
This Loosebeare Fantastic son was a close second said Mr Green and was “an excellent example of the breed”.