Renowned livestock breeders and stocksmen and women from across Perthshire, Fife and Angus are among the judges chosen to preside over the rings at next year’s Royal Highland Show.
Other judges will travel to Scottish farming’s shop window on June 18-21 from as far as Australia, but locally the honour of placing the country’s top sheep, horses, cattle and goats include Limousin breeders Sarah Jane Jessop and Dougie McBeath from Bannockburn, who will choose the overall young handler.
The top beef young handler will be judged by Tracey Nicol, who helps run the Balthayock Charolais herd near Perth.
Clark Stewart, a prominent Border Leicester, Suffolk and Texel breeder from Cupar, will judge the sheep interbreed award and the overall interbreed honour.
The Suffolks will be judged by Gordon Mackie from Forfar and the North Country Cheviots by John McClymont, from Leven.
Esmor Evans, owner of the famous Maerdy herd from Flintshire in Wales, will have the task of placing the overall beef interbreed and teams, and the 2020 show will see the reintroduction of Lincoln Red classes, which will mark the breed’s 125th anniversary.
They will be judged by Harrison and Hetherington joint managing director, Scott Donaldson.
The beef native breeds interbreed team championship will be judged by Audrey Anderson from Arbroath and the Highland cattle by Donald MacNaughton of Kelty.
Commercial cattle will come under the gaze of Wilson Peters from Crieff and the Herefords will be judged by William McLaren Jr from Auchterarder.
Michael Durno from Ballindalloch, Banffshire, will judge the beef breeder competition and junior beef interbreed championship, and Alistair Cormack, Chirnside, Berwickshire, will take charge in the popular Aberdeen-Angus ring.
The Clydesdales will have the farthest-travelled judges, with Colin Brown, who runs McMurchie Clydesdale Stud in New South Wales, judging the males and Max Marriott, of Aarunga Stud in Victoria, placing the females.
Closer to home, the Highland ponies in-hand males will be judged by Jean Connell from Auchtermuchty and the in-hand females by Anne Mitchell of Denny.
Audrey E Barron, from Arbroath, will judge the Highland ponies under saddle, and the harness grooming and decoration awards will be in the hands of Alistair Ferguson, Bankfoot.
The Sanderson trophy will be judged by Elizabeth Sibbald from Dollar, and Sylvia Ormiston from Ballater, who runs the Balmoral Highland pony stud, will judge the working native ponies in harness.
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
