The agricultural section at Strathardle Gathering came up trumps again this year thanks to an outstanding show of commercial stock and Blackface sheep.
It is generally agreed to be one of the best shows of these types of livestock in the country and is all the more remarkable because all the entries are from Kirkmichael and its surrounding parishes, with the vast majority previously unshown.
It was a day to remember for David Houstoun from Glenkilrie at Blacklunans. Helped by daughter Rachel he had to move between the prime lamb pens and cattle lines, but it proved worthwhile with championships in each section and a show champion of champions award for his cattle champion.
It capped off a busy week which also saw David in action as a part-time fireman tackling the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel fire.
His cattle champion, selected by judge David Blair, Little Inch, Gauldry, was an April-born heifer calf by Tiger Woods, a Limousin cross British Blue bull bought from Harry Emslie and out of a Limousin cross British Blue stock cow.
David runs 150 cows at Glenkilrie.
Saturday’s champion will be sold at United Auctions in the autumn.
Mr Blair said: “This is a very correct heifer. She is flashy, and she knows it!”
The heifer was selected champion of champions by all the section judges on a points system.
Reserve in the cattle section was from Peter and Murray Alexander and stock manager Ian Wilkinson from Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie. This was a May-born home-bred Limousin cross bullock calf.
It was on its first outing, and is destined for the Scotbeef live\dead competition next November.
The Mains of Mause team, going head-to-head with the best of the Blackfaces, also produced the overall champion breeding sheep. This was a home-bred Mule gimmer by a McNee-bred Bluefaced Leicester sire and out of a Blackface hill ewe.
The Blackface sections were, as always at Strathardle, highly competitive. Not for the first time the umpire had to be called in to choose between North and South types.
This task fell to Donald Hood from Middlehill, Cortachy, who had already placed the cross breeding classes.
He gave the tap to the North-type champion, a two-crop ewe from David Nicol, Viewmount, Glenisla. This one is by the Woolfords-bred Joe Smith and out of a ewe by a £3,500 Viewmount shared with Doldy.
The South-type champion was a four-crop ewe from Mark and David Simpson, Sidlaw, Blairgowrie. She was bought at Lanark from Dean Aitken in 2012 and is a granddaughter of Crackpot.
The reserve South type was another four- crop ewe bought from Dean Aitken on the same day but this time from Brian Cocker, Auldallan, Lintrathen. Sired by Crackpot, she was third at the Highland this year and champion at Angus, reserve at Strathardle and second at the Highland last year.
The reserve North type was from Brian Groom, East Tullyfergus, Alyth, on his last show outing before emigrating to New Zealand.
A gimmer which had stood champion at Alyth and reserve at Angus, she is by a £950 Glendamph shared with Jim Ferguson and out of a home-bred ewe.
The Houstouns collected their prime lamb championship with a pair of Texel-sired lambs weighing more than 80kg in total. These were by a tup bought from Mains of Dalrulzion and out of Blackface cross Texel ewes.
The reserve pair were from the same home and the same way bred, but in the under 80kg class.
Cattle
(Judge: David Blair, Little Inch, Gauldry)
Calves born before 31.10.13
Stot calf: Peter Alexander, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie.
Heifer calf by Char or Simm: Alan Bryce, Gormack, Blairgowrie.
Heifer calf by any other breed: Mains of Mause.
Calves born between 1.11.13 and 28.2.14
Stot calf by Char or Simm: Gary McGibbon, West Quarter.
Stot calf by AOB: Robert Simpson & Son, Mains of Creuchies, Blairgowrie.
Heifer calf by Char/Simm: West Quarter.
Heifer calf by AOB: Brian Webster, Whitefield.
Calves born after 1.3.14
Stot calf by Char/Simm: D Cameron, Auchenleish, Glenisla.
Stot calf by AOB: Cloquhat Farms, Bridge of Cally.
Heifer calf by Char/Simm: David Bryce, Formal, Kilry.
Heifer calf by AOB: Houstoun, Glenkilrie, Blacklunans.
Other cattle classes
Heifer calf, by any native breed before 31.1.14: Mains of Creuchies.
Stot calf by any native breed before 31.1.14: Raymond Martyn, Wester Bleaton, Blacklunans.
Heifer calf by any native breed after 1.2.14: Wester Bleaton.
Pair of heifer calves: Mains of Creuchies.
Pair of stot calves: Mains of Mause.
Suckler cow: Mains of Creuchies.
SHEEP
North-type Blackface sheep
(Judge: Ewan Robertson,
from Lochwinnoch)
Shearling ram: Alan Petrie, Tannadice.
Ram lamb: David Nicol, Viewmount, Glenisla.
Ewe: Viewmount.
One-crop ewe: Viewmount.
Gimmer: Brian Groom, East Tullyfergus, Alyth.
Ewe lamb: Viewmount.
Shepherd’s class: Brian Cocker, Auldallan, Lintrathen, with a gimmer.
Group of three females: Viewmount.
Group of three males: Alan Petrie.
South-type Blackface
(Judge: Archie Paterson, Kilmacolm)
Aged ram: Tomchulan.
Shearling ram: David Heathcote-Amory, Glenfernate, Enoch Dhu.
Ram lamb: Fraser Wilson, Steading, Ashintully,Kirkmichael.
Ewe: David and Mark Simpson, Sidlaw, Blairgowrie.
One-crop ewe: Sidlaw.
Gimmer: Sidlaw.
Ewe lamb: Steading.
Shepherd’s shearling ram: Ross McIntosh, Glenfernate, Enoch Dhu.
Shepherd’s ram lamb: Fraser Wilson.
Shepherd’s ewe: Brian Cocker.
Shepherd’s gimmer: Brian Cocker.
Shepherd’s ewe lamb: Fraser Wilson.
Shepherd’s overall champion: Brian Cocker.
Group of three males: Sidlaw.
Group of three females: Sidlaw.
Prime lamb pairs
(Judge: Alan Frame, High Dykes, Strathaven)
Leicester cross: Major J Gibb, Folda, Glenisla.
Blackface Wedder: Mains of Mause.
BF dam by any sire: Glenkilrie.
Suffolk out of BF dam: Wester Bleaton.
Suffolk out of Mule dam: Wester Bleaton.
Suffolk cross under 80kg:
W and A Lindsay, Runavey, Glenshee.
Suffolk cross over 80kg: Richardson, Ardlebank, Bridge of Cally.
AOB under 80kg: Glenkilrie.
AOB over 80kg: Glenkilrie.
Cross breeding sheep pairs
(Judge: Donald Hood, Middlehill, Cortachy)
Pair mule ewe lambs: Ashintully.
Cross ewe lambs: Peter Alexander, Persie, Blacklunans.
Cross ewes: Mains of Mause.
Mule ewes: Mains of Mause.
Cross gimmers: Mains of Mause.
Mule gimmers: Mains of
Mause.