A home-bred Charollais from Ben Radley, Dumfriesshire, was tapped out as champion in the inter-breed sheep judging at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
The win marked a first-time supreme victory in the 15 years since he and his family have been exhibiting at the show. Their champion was a gimmer by Logie Durno Ultimatium, out of a home-bred ewe by a Welsh ram, which was being shown for the first time.
It is one of a 25-ewe pedigree Charollais flock owned by the family, which they keep alongside some 150 commercial sheep and a number of Charolais cattle.
Standing in reserve was the Dutch Spotted champion, Tiptop Diana, a one crop ewe from Ali Jackson, Annan, on what was the first time the show has held a section for the breed.
Shown by Mr Jackson’s fianc, Hannah Sloan, the Tiptop Charlie daughter also took reserve overall champion at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2020 and formed part of the champion inter-breed team that year at the show.
The ewe forms part of Mr Jackson’s 70-head Tiptop Dutch Spotted flock and will be heading to the Great Yorkshire and Royal Welsh next.
Tasked with judging the championship line-up this year was longstanding Royal Highland Show stalwart Clark Stewart, who farms with his wife Sheila and sons, Alan and John near Cupar, Fife.
He described his champion as faultless among a high standard of champions forward which hit him as soon as it entered the ring with its substance and sweetness for its size.
He awarded the second reserve placing to the Bluefaced Leicester Traditional Type champion, a two-shear tup from Alan McClymont and family’s Kirkstead flock, Yarrow.
Bought out of Kelso last year for 3,200, this Burndale sired tup was one of a six-strong Bluefaced team the family had forward on the day, while all three red tickets in the section’s female classes were Kirkstead bred.
Eight sheep in total were pulled out in Mr Stewart’s final line-up, which included the Texel champion, a home-bred gimmer from Alan Clark and family’s Garngour flock, Lesmahagow. By the 15,000gns Procters Chumba Wumba and out of a ewe by Knock Bantastic, which has brothers which have sold to 30,000gns, the gimmer stood breed and inter-breed champion at Lesmahagow Show earlier in the season.
Another forward in the final eight was the Bluefaced Leicester Crossing Type champion, a home-bred gimmer shearling from Alan and Ben Wight, Midlock, Crawford.
By M1 Riddings, bought out of Hawes for 13,000, and a full sister to the 40,000 tup lamb, Midlock Commander, which sold at Hawes in 2021, the gimmer is out of a ewe by L27 Midlock.
BFL crossing
The Suffolk champion, a home-bred gimmer from Finn Christie’s Maidenstone flock, Inverurie, was also involved in the final eight.
By Howgillfoot Sniper, bought out of the Aberdeen and Northern Marts Christmas Classic sale, and out of a Birness bred ewe by Limestone Legacy this was the Christie’s third year of showing Suffolks at the Royal Highland.
Mr Clark also put forward the Blackface champion, a home-bred gimmer from the Ramsay family, Dalry, in his final line-up of eight. By a 9,000 Grimmet tup and out of home-bred 4,800 Milnmark dam, this is one of the 1,000-ewe Blackface flock at Milnmark.
Completing the judges line-up of eight was the Jacob champion from Robert Locker’s Edingale flock, Duns.
This Hope Rocky-sired home-bred gimmer, out of a home-bred ewe by Blackbrook Darcy, made it the first championship win for the flock in 22 years.
Suffolk
Also joining the competition this year were the Valais Blacknoses, with classes for the breed held for the first time.
Topping the section was a two-shear home-bred tup, Highland Hero, from Raymond Irvine and Jenni McAllister’s Highland flock, near Tomintoul. Its sire is Prendwick Eros an imported ram from Switzerland, with its dam, Highland Ebony, one of 40 females owned by the couple.
A strong public interest in the breed saw a two-deep ringside of spectators during the judging, with the section well-supported by a number of exhibitors.
Blackface
Jacob
Valais
Results
Inter-breed(C. Stewart, Fife) Sup., B. Radley (Charollais); res., A. Jackson (Dutch Spotted)
Blackface(A. Woodburn, Ayrshire) Sup. and fem. and res. and male, W. Ramsey and Son; res. fem., J. Wight and sons; res. male, A.J. Kennedy and Son
Suffolk(G. Mackie, Angus) Sup. and fem., F. Christie; res. and male, S. Craft; res. fem., S. Lathangie; res. male, W.G. Troup
North Country Cheviot(J. McMclymont, Fife) Sup. and male, D.N. Campbell and Son; res. and fem., W. and J. Thomson; res. male, A. Polson; res. fem., H.P. Sleigh and Son
North Country Cheviot - Hill(M. Cook, Caithness) Sup. and fem., J. Runciman and Sons; res. and male, Bowmont Farming; res. fem. and res. male, J.M. Elliot
Lleyn(J. Morton, Penrith) Sup. and male and res. male and res. fem., Farmstock Genetics; res. and fem., C. and C. Crawford
Ryeland(A. Morgan, Crymych) Sup. and fem. and res. male, A. and W. Frazier; res. and male, J. Milne; res. fem., Wellhill Steadings
Commercial(R. Struthers, South Lanarkshire) Sup. and res., K. and A. Morton
Border Leicester(R. Evans, Wrexham) Sup. and fem., T. Tennant; res. and male and res. male, North Knockglass Farm; res. fem., D. Whyte;
British Berrichon(C. Morse, Carmarthenshire) Sup. and fem., E. Burgess; res. and male and res. fem., F. Barbour; res. male, R. and J. Bett
Jacob(S. Robertson, Banffshire) Sup. and fem., R. Locker; res. and male and res. fem., Connor and Dalrymple; res. male, A. Christie
Cheviot(D. Goodfellow, Hawick) Sup. and male and res. male; J. Common and Son; res. and fem., W.N Douglas; res. fem., J.F. Irving and Son
Dutch Spotted(B. Davies, Pembrokeshire) Sup. and fem. and res. and male and res. male, A. Jackson; res. fem., Lochlad Farming Partnership
Texel(R. Wilson, Aberdeenshire) Sup and fem. J. and H. Clarke; res. and male, J. Forsyth and S. Barclay; res. fem., Procters Farm; res. male, Douganhill farm
Hampshire Down(J. Barnard, Dorset) Sup. and fem., G. Todd; res. and male, J. and R. Mcfarlane and Lrennie; res. fem., Z. Steel; res. male, R. Rundle
Swaledale(J. Nattrass, Alston) Sup, and fem., Messrs Hutchinson; res. and res. fem. and male, S. and P. Brogden; res. male, J.R. and C.M. Dalton
Bluefaced Leicester – traditional(J. Dykes, Peeblesshire) Sup., and male and res. fem., R.A. McClymont; res. and fem., L. Fleming; res. male, Strang Steel, Philiphaugh;
Bluefaced Leicester – crossing type(A. Brown, Dumfries) Sup. and fem. and res. fem., J. Wight and Sons; res. and male, A. McQuistin; res. fem., F. Robertson
Charollais(A. Kennedy, Dumfries) Sup. and fem., B. Radley; res. and res. fem., J. Aiken; male, M. Alford; res. male, C. Ingram
Hebridean(H. Brewis, Buckinghamshire) Sup. and fem., I. and E. Moore; res. and res. fem. and res. male, V. Mason; male, N. and A. Fecitt;
North of England Mules(G. Porter, North Yorkshire) Sup., P.J. Elliott; res., J.J. and A. Brough
British Rouge(J. Tannahill, Co Londonderry) Sup. and fem. and male, J. Theyer; res. and res. fem., A. Jackson; res. male, R. Rundle
Beltex(D. Thornley, Derbyshire) Sup. and fem., R. Wood; res. and male, Wilodge; res. fem., G. and F. Burke; res. male, A. Miller
Zwartbles(C. Anderson, Northumberland) Sup., C. Rae; res., A. Baird
Scotch Mule(B. Kerr, Ayrshire) Sup. A Wight; res., F. Robertson
Bleu du Maine(S. Small, Co Antrim) Sup. and fem., N. Millar; res. and res. fem., J. W. Stab bles; male, A. Wylie; res. male, L. Daff
Shetland(B. Ridland, Orkney) Sup., K. Sharp; res., L. Carruthers
Blue Texel(C. Richardson, Co Fermanagh) Sup. and fem., A.D. Brisbane; res. and male and res. fem, H. C. Jewitt; res. male, D. Atkinson
Valais Blacknose(D. Hodge, Devon) Sup., R. Irvine and J. McAllister; res., S. Dace
