Braco Show enjoyed a sunny but somewhat sultry day on Saturday until just after 3pm as the grand parade of livestock was leaving the ring.
“Who turned the tap on?” asked parade commentator David Leggat as the heavens opened for a downpour of tropical intensity.
Fortunately it didn’t last long. After a break the afternoon programme was able to continue, with the children’s games being the only casualty.
Earlier in the afternoon a newly introduced champion of champions competition saw honorary show vice-president Willie McLaren Sr selecting a one-year-old Clydesdale filly ahead of the leaders of the cattle, sheep and light horse sections.
Roughlands Jubilee Princess from Ian, Arabella and Alana Johnston, Kirkton, Bothkennar, Falkirk, was Clydesdale champion at Central and West Fife on her first show outing this year. She took Mr McLaren’s eye on Saturday and he described her as “ a beautiful filly with nice silky hair on her legs”.
The interbreed cattle championship, judged by Neil McGowan, Incheoch, Alyth, saw an Aberdeen-Angus heifer from Stephanie Dick take the red, white and blue rosette.
The Dick family at Mains of Throsk, Stirling, have an enviable reputation with their pedigree Limousins, but Stephanie has also dipped her toes into one or two other breeds.
The in-calf Aberdeen-Angus heifer Windyedge Jewjet Erica is her only breeding female of the breed and was reserve junior champion at the Royal Highland Show this year, breed champion at Stirling and reserve interbreed at Gargunnock.
Mr McGowan said: “I was very impressed with the heifer. She is long and fleshy and shows wonderful breed character.”
The reserve interbreed was 21-month-old Limousin heifer Brockhurst Howzat owned by Doug Mash, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, and brought out by Dougie McBeath and Sarah-Jane Jessop of McBeath Livestock Services, Stirling.
Howzat is just back from the Royal Welsh where she was part of the winning interbreed pairs, and amongst other wins this season was supreme champion at Newark.
Dougie and Sarah-Jane then collected top awards in both the interbreed pairs and the groups of three with Brockhurst cattle.
The winning pair comprised breed reserve champion Brockhurst Elvis and young cow Brockhurst Evidence, with the trio made up of those two and the interbreed champion Howzat.
Father and son Donald and Bryon MacNaughton, Centre St, Kelty, were in close reserve both times.
Their pair included breed champion Skye 3rd of Rannoch and Flora 2nd of Merkland, with Skye 4th of Rannoch joining them to make up the group of three.
Neil McGowan was kept busy because as soon as he had placed the cattle interbreeds, he was whisked off to perform the same duty on the sheep lines.
His interbreed was, as it had been at Kirriemuir a week earlier, drawn from the Blackface breed.
This was a home-bred South-type gimmer from Mary McCall Smith at Connachan, Crieff, and was by Black Caviar, the son of an £18,000 Midlock tup.
He was brought out on Saturday by shepherd Scott MacAuley, assisted by Ruaridh McCartney.
The reserve supreme sheep was a two-crop Suffolk ewe from Robert Bryce, Chalmerston, Stirling.
This one, by a Middlemuir sire, had already stood champion at Gargunnock and Stirling.
Mr McGowan said: “The Blackface was a very true sheep, very correct, with everything going for her.
“The Suffolk was a tremendously powerful ewe with great presence.”
The sheep groups of three were led by Connachan with the champion gimmer joined by a two-crop ewe and a ewe lamb.
Results were as follow.
CATTLE
Aberdeen-Angus
Judge: Mike Massie, Ellon.
Stephanie Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling, with in- calf heifer Windyedge Jewjet Erica by a Galawater sire. Reserve junior at RHS, reserve interbreed at Gargunnock and breed champion at Stirling.
Reserve: Richard and Carol Rettie, 3 Aberdona Mains, Alloa, with 10-month-old heifer Billinge Magic Jenya by Netherallan Peter Pershore and out of Mosstonmuir Josephine Erica. Bought privately. Heifer calf champion at National Show at Three Counties.
Limousin
Judge, Mike Massie.
Doug Mash c/o McBeath Livestock Services, Stirling, with 21-month-old heifer Brockhurst Howzat by Wilodge Vantastic and out of Brockhurst Bolshoi. Interbreed at Newark, interbreed heifer pairs at Royal Welsh and reserve at Doune and Dunblane.
Reserve: Doug Mash
with five-year-old bull Brockhurst Elvis by Samy and out of Brockhurst Bolshoi. Male champion at Great Yorkshire.
Charolais
Judge: Mike Massie.
Major Walter, Balthayock, Glencarse, and Jim Muirhead, Firhills, Arbroath, with the bull Ugie Echo by Goldies Banker. Junior champion at Stirling in October 2011 where bought for 8,000gns. Sons sold to 15,000 gns. First at RHS.
Reserve: Murray Lyle, Mid Cambushinnie, Dunblane, with 16-month-old home- bred heifer Loganbar Isabella by Wesley Fixture. Shown by Robbie McNeill. Reserve at Doune and Dunblane and Stirling, first at Gargunnock and third at RHS.
Simmental
Judge: Mike Massie.
Jim McLaren, Dargill, Crieff, with rising-two-year old heifer Dargill Diana by Drumsleed Alpha and out of Blackford Sara 2.
Jim McLaren with
four-year-old cow Dargill Bonny, by Boswell Warrior and out of Blackford Vadellene. Due to calve in September.
Commercial cattle
Judge: Roddy Thomson, Strathtay.
John and James Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blair Drummond, with 13-month-old heifer
Jessie J. Bred by Hugh Dunlop and by a British Blue sire out of a Limousin
cross cow. Champion at Gargunnock, reserve at Stirling, fourth at RHS and interbreed at Doune and Dunblane.
Reserve: W Brewster & Son, Wester Borland, Thornhill, with an un-named nine-month-old British Blue cross heifer out of a pure Limousin cow. Sired by Imperial De Lacluse. Reserve at Gargunnock,
first at Drymen and reserve at Doune and Dunblane Show.
Highland cattle
Judge, Fergie Ormiston, Kilwinning.
Donald and Bryon McNaughton, Centre St, Kelty, with two-year-old heifer Skye 3rd of Rannoch by Fergus of Isle of Bute and out of Skye 2nd of Rannoch. Champion at Alyth, East of Scotland Club, Campsie, Doune and Dunblane and Kirriemuir. Reserve at North of Scotland Club.
Reserev: Mr and Mrs O’Hara, Cnoc Lodge, Appin, with three-year-old heifer Bridean 4th of Kynedor by Eoin Mhor of Beinn-Latha- Ur and out of Bridean of Kynedor. Champion at Arisaig.
Any other breed
Judge: Mike Massie.
Stephanie Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling, with two-year-old British Blue heifer Ronick Hallie by Tamhorn Sumo and out of Tamhorn Ebony. Interbreed at Stirling and breed champion at Doune and Dunblane.
There was no reserve in this section.
SHEEP
Blackface
Judge: Allan McClymont, Selkirk.
Mary McCall Smith, Connachan, Crieff, with a home-bred gimmer by Black Caviar and out of a ewe by a home-bred son of HD. Not shown previously.
Reserve: Tom and Mairi Paterson, Dunruchan, Muthill, with a home-bred shearling by a home-bred son of a £22,000 Pole and out of a Milnbank ewe. First outing.
Scotch Mules
Judge: David Gray, Kilsyth.
James Campbell, Shields, Milton of Campsie, with a home-bred March-born ewe lamb by a £900 Blairnareid and out of a home-bred gimmer. Interbreed at East Kilbride and champion at Campsie.
Reserve: William Adam, Shankhead, Stirling, with a pen of three ewe lambs.
Bluefaced Leicester
Judge: David Gray.
John and James Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blair Drummond, with the aged ram Buzzby by the £18,000 Buzz bought from Dalpeddar and shared with Stewart Park. First outing.
Reserve: Duncan Jarvie, Cherryfield, Muthill, with a gimmer by a £2,000 Hundis tup bought at Hawes.
Border Leicester
Judge: David Walker, Girvan.
Sandy and Alex Watson, Culticheldoch Cottage, Muthill, with a homebred gimmer by Didcot Drambuie and out of an Eildon Eager sired ewe which was RHS champion.
Reserve: Sandy Haggart, Muirmouth, Madderty, with a gimmer by a Didcot sire out of a home-bred ewe.
Texel
Judge: D Walker.
Kerr Jarvie, Cherryfield, Muthill, with the shearling tup Duncryne Uber Cool, a 7,000gns purchase shared with a NI breeder. By Baltier Thunderbird and out of a Knock Reebok ewe.
Reserve: Kerr Jarvie with a February-born ewe lamb by the champion and out of a ewe by the 12,000gns Milnbank Sound Investment. First outing.
Commercial sheep
Judge David Mitchell, Auchterarder.
Alan Lambie, Loanhead of Duchally, Auchterarder, with a homebred Texel cross two-crop ewe with a pair of lambs by a Beltex sire from West Park.
Reserve: John Guthrie, Cuiltburn, Muthill, with a pen of three Beltex-sired ewe lambs out of Beltex cross dams. Previously unshown.
Beltex
Judge: Mr M Dunlop, Biggar.
Andrew Morton, Lochend, Denny, with Mortons Tullisa, an ET gimmer by Kingledores Rascal and out of a Dooley ewe. Reserve at Stirling and champion at Doune and Dunblane.
Reserve: Robert and Maimie Paterson, Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane, with a ewe bought at Stirling as a one-crop. Thimbleby bred. First at Doune and Dunblane.
Any other breed
Judge David Walker.
Robert Bryce, Chalmerston, Stirling, with a home-bred Suffolk two-crop ewe by a Middlemuir sire. Champion at Gargunnock and Stirling.
Reserve: Robert and Maimie Paterson with a Charollais gimmer by a Sands sire and out of a home-bred ewe. Champion and reserve interbreed at Doune and Dunblane, champion at Stirling and prize winner at RHS.
Goats
Judge Mrs N McCreath, Newton Stewart.
Mary Woods, Woodside, Muthill, with the pygmy goatling Cookie.
Reserve: Mary Woods with the pygmy 30-month-old milker Ruthie.
NATIVE HORSES
Clydesdales
Judge: Robert Meiklem, Stirling.
Ian Johnston, Bothkennar, Falkirk, with yearling filly Roughlands Jubilee Princess by Dillars Scottie Boy and out of Barlauchlan Jubilee Princess. Reserve champion of champions at West Fife and reserve at East Kilbride.
Reserve: Robert Sibbald and Mhairi Dawson with three-year-old yeld mare Thorn Lady Poppy by Mollinhillhead Celebrity and out of Thorn Leading Lady. Champion at Braco last year.
Highland ponies in-hand
Judge: John Reid, Inverurie.
Mrs Beverley Malim, Meggernie, Glen Lyon, with nine-year-old yeld mare Eve of Meggernie, by Torrin of Criolla and out of Scherazade of Meggernie. Champion at West Fife and first at RHS. Shown by Julie Voules.
Reserve: J and J Bonar, Kirkmuirhill, Lanarkshire, with six-year-old yeld mare Bowmore Lady Laura by Carlung Findlay and out of Lesley of Whitefield. Champion at Kittochside.
Shetland ponies
Judge: James Swan, Conon Bridge.
Donna Lochtie, St Serf Rd, Tillicoultry, with four-year-old yeld mare Mawcarse Lady Dionne by Stow Vulcan and out of Hawkdale Dixie.
Reserve: Dougal Dick, Transy Stud, Devonshaw, Dollar, with yeld mare Roseseljord of Transy.
Miniature Shetland ponies
Judge: James Swan.
Kirsty and Stevie McKay, Alichbrae Shetlands, with eight-year-old stallion Kersewell Montgomery, by Newpark Chieftain and out of Kerswell Mitzie. Miniature champion at Central Group Show and Doune and Dunblane.
Reserve: Mrs A Stewart, Grange of Elcho, Perth, with three-year-old mare Nairnan Lottie.