North Country Cheviot takes top spot at Border Union Show

Leading the sheep rings at this year's Border Union Show, Kelso, was a North Country Cheviot park type, gimmer shearling from William Thomson and family, Kelso.

Out of a home-bred ewe and by Knockoker Bodyguard, it was the first time out for the gimmer which forms part of the family's 500-head flock of North Country Cheviot ewes.

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Exhibiting at the show every year, it marks the family's seventh sheep championship win. The gimmer went onto claim the overall champion of champions trophy in the afternoon. 

Judge Peter Stott, Morpeth said his champion was a good-looking sheep which had ‘star quality' and was ‘just about faultless'.  

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Reserve

Taking home the reserve rosette was a Texel gimmer shearling from Fletcher Renwick, Kelso.

Only its first time out the home-bred gimmer is sired by the 28,000gns Haymount Foremost which the Renwick family purchased from Carlisle in 2022.  

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Aberdeen-Angus

With the show host to the Aberdeen-Angus Summer National Show, it was a fitting result when the beef inter-breed title was awarded to the Aberdeen-Angus champion.

From Owen Tunney, Cheshire, it was a January 2018-born cow, Morpheus Rosie, which took home the supreme sash.

Shown with its three-month-old bull calf at foot and Morpheus Kentucky son, Morpheus Riverdance, the cow was breed champion at this year's Royal Cheshire Show.

The cow and calf outfit went onto claim reserve in the champions of champions judging later that day.

Reserve

The Limousin champion stood reserve, a three-year-old bull named Maraiscote Sherlock, from Keith Redpath of Redpath Farms, Kelso.

By the 50,000gns Bassingfield Matchoman, the bull was purchased from Ian Nimmo's Maraiscote herd, out of Carlisle in 2022 for 10,000gns.

Out of Maraiscote Intrigue, it was also reserve inter-breed beef at last year's show.

Claiming reserve overall in the Aberdeen-Angus rings was the male champion Oakmoor Boss, a two-year-old bull from Tom Slater, York.

The first calf out of its dam Oakmoor Beauty, the home-bred bull was male champion at this year's Royal Highland Show and reserve male champion at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Results  

Beef 

Inter-breed (Judge, A. Ryder, Ainstable) Supreme, O. Tunney, Morpheus Rosie (Aberdeen-Angus); reserve, Redpath Farms, Maraiscote Sherlock (Limousin).  

Aberdeen-Angus (W. Tilson, Berwickshire) Sup. and fem., O. Tunney, Morpheus Rosie; res. and male, T. Slater, Oakmoor Boss; res. fem., D. Evans, Tree Bridge Polly Perkins T699; res. male, G. and N. Taylor, Mosshall Red Saltire Y490.  

Limousin (A. Proctor, Morpeth) Sup. Redpath Farms, Maraiscote Sherlock; res., C. Knox, Beachmount Ultimo.  

Any other native (W. Tilson) Sup., D. Mackinon, Bryar Rose Of Rannoch (Highland); res., E. Hodge, Rm 1 Hasimara (Hereford).  

Sheep  

Inter-breed (P. Stott, Morpeth) Sup., W. and J. Thomson (North Country Cheviot); res., F. Renwick (MV Texel).  

MV section: 

Beltex (J. Aitken, Hesket Newmarket) Sup., G. Gray; res., N. Harvey.  

Border Leicester (J. Aitken) Sup., S. and A. Watson; res., T. Tennant. 

Suffolk (D. Miskelly, Alford) Sup., C. Nelson; res., J. Elliot.  

Texel (J. Gibb, Biggar) Sup., F. Renwick; res., J. Elliot.  

Zwartbles (D. Miskelly) Sup., A. Thornburn.

Dutch Spotted (J. Aitken) Sup. and res., A. and J. Guthrie.  

Any other breed (C. Lamont, Dumfries) Sup., G. Gray (Blue Texel); res., Firm of Gray.  

Prime lambs (A. Warnock, Biggar) Sup., S. Craig.

Non MV section: 

Blackface (W. Craig, Biggar) Sup., D. and A. Redpath; res., Mcclymont family.

Bluefaced Leicester – crossing type (C. Napier, Peebles) S. Ainslie; res., B. Hedley.  

Bluefaced Leicester – traditional type (C. Lamont) Sup., A. Mcclymont; res., L. Flemming.  

Hebridean (E. Medway, Harrogate) Sup., J. Wingfield; res., L. Cowper.  

Jacob (B. Webster, Newburgh) Sup. and res., R. Locker.  

Kerry Hill (R. Fishwick, Penrith) Sup. and res., A. Burgess.  

Cheviot - North Country, Park type (J. Scott, Morebattle) Sup. W. and J. Thomson; res., R. Runciman.

South Country Cheviot (G. Irving, Selkirk) Sup., J. Hume and Son Sundhope; res., W.N. Douglas.  

Cheviot – Lairg Hill type (A. Hutcheon, Wooler) Sup., J.F. Irving and Son; res., W.N. Douglas. 

Scotch Half Bred (J. Aitken) Sup., G.S. Shaw and Co; res., G. Pate.  

Scotch Mule Sup. and res., J. and G. Sinclair.  

Shetland (F. Hipwell, Kinross) Sup. and res., B. Watson.  

Suffolk (D. Miskelly) Sup. and res., G.S. Shaw and Co.  

Texel (J. Gibb) Sup. and res., R.H. Bell and Co.  

Valais Blacknose (J. Walters, Devon) Sup., J. Hill; res., L. Mclean.  

Any other breed (C. Lamont) Sup., R. Powell (Berrichon); res., L. Murray (Coloured Ryeland).