Greenhall Dictator, a British eventing horse ridden by Cameron Swales but owned by Alan Thomson, Wheatrig Farmhouse, Longniddry, took the coveted overall champion of champions accolade at a busy Haddington Show, when selected by Peter Douglas of Ruletownhead, Hawick.
The event is renowned for its sheep and this year inter-breed judge James Herdman, Edlingham, found his supreme in the winner from the MV Texel section, a two-crop ewe from Kirsty Cameron, Crow Wood, Gorebridge. It was an Auldhouseburn-bred female bought at the Select Seven gimmer sale at Lanark 2021. Backed by the best of breeding she is by a son of 125,000gns Rhaeadr Best of the Best and bred from Hull House's 2016 Scottish National show and sale reserve female champion that sold for 13,000gns.
A two-crop Country Cheviot ewe from Philiphaugh Estates, Selkirk, shown by Allan and James (12) Cowens, secured the reserve sheep honours. Placed at the Royal Highland Show, she is by Hownam Grange Xplode with her dam being a daughter of Allanshaws So Solid.
READ MORE: Haddington Show 2023: Special recognition for pair
Kate Sharp's Shetland sheep from Ewingston, Humbie, continued on their winning ways too taking three of the four championships in the section. She first picked up the award for the champion white with her home-bred gimmer, Ewingston Hazel, with the reserve presented to her shearling ram, Ireland Ollie. Kate was back in action amongst the coloureds winning the championship with a home-bred shearling ram, sired by Orestes of Spalford (bred by the late Alan Hill), and jointly owned with Susan Russell.
CoCo Pops, a nine-month-old British Blue cross Limousins heifer from JH Craggs and Miss Heslop of Glower-Oer-Him, Co Durham, topped the cattle lines. This black heifer on her show debut was bought at Carlisle, in March.
Leading Awards
Heavy horses/Clydesdales (Judge: R Morton, Stobilee Farm, Lanark). Champion – W Dunbar, Bothwellshields Road, Newhouse, with Doura Sorrento, a two-year-old filly, by Doura Magic Touch, out of Collessie Flash Girl. Purchased as a foal from Charlotte Young, she was first at Lesmahagow and second at the Highland Show this year. Last year, she was champion at Biggar and East Kilbride, reserve at Strathaven and second at teh Winter Fair. Reserve – S Greenhill, Leuchars Lodge, Leuchers with Fordelhill Limelight, a three-year-old mare on her first outing of the year. Unbeaten in 2022, she was champion at Great Yorkshire 2022, and is by Glebeview Sir Charles, out of the home-bred Fordelhill Heather. Senior gelding or mare – S Greenhill. Two-year-old filly – W Dunbar. Two-year-old colt or gelding – L Hume, Easter Clune, Dunfermline.
Commercial cattle (Judge: K Orr, Penston, Macmerry). Champion – JH Craggs and Miss L Heslop, Glower-Oer-Him, Sedgefield, with the nine-month-old black heifer, Coco Pops, a British Blue cross heifer out of a pure-bred Limousin. She was purchased in March at a show and sale at Carlisle. Reserve – A Kennedy and Sons, Seggarsdean, Haddington with a red bullock Limousin calf accompanied by his dam. He is by the Otis and was on his first outing. Continental bullock, stockperson, prime bullock, pair, butchers, cross cow and calf under six months, cross cow and calf over six months, suckled bullock calf under a year old – A Kennedy and Sons. Continental heifer, prime heifer, suckled heifer calf under a year old – J H Craggs and L Heslop. Native nullock, native heifer – P Gray, Preston Mains, East Linton. Cross cow with native calf – M Ross, Wester Middleton, Gorebridge.
Suffolk (Judge: N Sandilands, Ruecastle Cottages, Jedburgh). Champion – D and A MacKinnon, Walterstead, Ladykirk with a home-bred gimmer from their Thistledoo flock. Sired by Drimmie Knockout, a son of Drimmie Cracker, she out of a Strathbogie Strongbow-sired Knockem 2020-born ewe. She was champion at Northumberland. Reserve – G Brown, Springfield, Leadburn with a home-bred 2019-born Capielaw ewe, shown by Clare Ann Anderson in his absence. Sired by Strathbogie Dynamite, she is bred from a 2013-born home-bred ewe by Redbrae Braveheart and was placed at the Highland Show. Ram, gimmer – D and A MacKinnon. Shearing, ewe, ram lamb, ewe lamb – G Brown.
Texel (Judge: N Harvey, Blackadder Mains, Duns). Champion and Sheep Interbreed – K Cameron, Crow Wood Cottage, Gorebridge with her 2020 Auldhouseburn bred ewe. Purchased at Select Seven Sale, December 2021, she is the dam of Kirsty’s show ewe lamb from 2022. Sired by Auldhouseburn Crackpot, a son of Rhaeadr Best of The Best who himself has Auldhouseburn genetics behind him, she is out of the 13,000gns Hull House ewe who sold at the Scottish National, Lanark 2016 as a gimmer after standing Reserve Female Champion. She herself is a daughter of Garngour Vodka. In 2022, she stood Breed Champion at Black Isle and 1st in her class at Kelso. She is now destined for Dalkeith Show next weekend. Reserve – WJ Clark and Son, Upper Bolton Farm, Haddington with a homebred gimmer. Sired by Scrogtonhead Benchmark and out of a Craig Douglas Yellowstone sired dam. Shearling – Wester Middleton Sheep Partnership, Gorebridge. Ewe, Ram Lamb – K Cameron. Gimmer, Ewe Lamb – WJ Clark and Son.
Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: D Rock, Canno Mill, Wooler). Champion – M Thornborrow, Easter Dawyck, Stobo with their homebred, previously unshown two-crop ewe. Sired by the £30,000 M1 Hewgill, she is out of G30 Dawyck who stood Breed Champion at the Highland in 2017 and is granny to this year’s Highland Show Reserve Champion from Dawyck. Reserve also from the same home was their ewe lamb. Sired by the £65,000 P1 Riddings, her dam is P78 Dawyck, a daughter of the £30,000 M1 Hewgill. P78 stood Breed Champion last year at Abington. Shearling – C Napier, Burnhead Farm, Eddleston. Ewe, Gimmer, Ram Lamb, Ewe Lamb – M Thornborrow.
North Country Cheviot (Judge: R Strawhorn, Broomhillbank, Lockerbie). Champion and Reserve Sheep Interbreed – A Cowens, Philiphaugh Farm, Selkirk with their homebred two-crop ewe. Ably shown by son James (12), she is sired by Hownam Grange Xample with her dam by Allanshaws So Solid. She comes fresh from the Highland and is now destined for Dalkeith. Reserve – J Runciman and Sons, Allanshaws Farm, Galashiels with his 2nd Prize 1-Crop Ewe, who won Breed Champion at Haddington 2022. Sired by Pengroes Xcalibur, her dam is homebred. Like the Champion, she is also destined for Dalkeith next weekend. Ram, Gimmer, Ewe Lamb – J Runciman and Sons. Ewe, Ram Lamb – A Cowens. Shearling– A Pate, Nettlingflat Farm, Heriot.
Blackface (Judge: D Rock). Champion – JB Pate and Son, Moorfoot, Gorebridge with a home-bred shearling by a £40,000 Burncastle. Reserve champion at the Lanark and Peebles Branch Show in February 2023 as a tup hogg and first at Weststruther Show last year, his dam is by an Elmscleugh sire bought privately. He is destined for the breed sale at Lanark in October. Reserve – J and G Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot, with an Elmscleugh-bred gimmer by a £7000 Little Larg. Ram, gimmer, group – J and G Sinclair. Shearling – JB Pate and Son. Ewe, ram lamb, ewe lamb – Firm of JG Hamilton, Thurston Mains, Dunbar.
Scotch Mules (Judge: D Rock). Champion – J and G Sinclair with a Dawyck-bred ewe by M2 Smearsett – the sire of this year’s Bluefaced Leicester reserve champion at this year's Royal Highland Show for the Thornborrows. She is nursing a pair of lambs. Reserve – M Thornborrow with a home-bred ewe lamb by a R2 Yorehouse, a tup that was reserve champion at Hawes last year when purchased for £5500. She is out of a home-bred ewe. Ewe – J and G Sinclair. Gimmer – Wester Middleton Sheep Partnership. Ewe lamb – M Thornborrow.
Commercial sheep (Judge: N Harvey). Champion – J and P Anderson, Headshaw, Oxton with a Suffolk cross ewe with a pair of Suffolk cross Texel lambs at foot. Reserve was a group of three Suffolk-sired prime lambs. Commercial undressed lambs, commercial cross ewe with two lambs, three prime lambs sired by continental sire – J and P Anderson. Commercial undressed hill ewe with lamb(s) – J and G Sinclair. Three prime lambs by any other sire – W Pate and Sons, Marvingston, Gifford.
Jacob (Judge: J Milton, Newton of Auchindachy, Keith). Champion – Messrs Connor and Dalrymple, Dun-Mor, Linlithgow with a home-bred gimmer that was female champion and reserve overall at the Highland and first at Fife Shows. She is by Harbell Lincoln and out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve from the same home, was Betty, a two-crop ewe purchased at Worchester 2019 from Betty Palmer's Nettlebell flock after after Scott Dalrymple placed her champion at the pre-sale show. Champion at East Fife, she stood second at the Highland. All classes – Connor and Dalrymple.
Shetland (white) (Judge: F Hipwell, Wester Cockairney, Kinross). White champion and overall supreme – K Sharp, Ewingston, Humbie with the home-bred gimmer, Ewingston Hazel, by Ewingston Jack Frost – the breed champion at last year’s Highland Show – out of a home-bred ewe. Hazel’s half-sister was this year’s Highland Show breed champion, also sired by Jack Frost. Reserve from the same flock was Ireland Ollie, a shearling ram bred by G Morrsion, Whiteness, Shetland. He was champion at East Fife. Ram, ewe lamb – P, D and A Playfair, Stichill Eastfield, Kelso. Shearling, gimmer – K Sharp. Ewe, ram lamb – S Russell, Queens Court, Irvine.
Shetland (natural coloured) (Judge: F Hipwell). Coloured champion and reserve overall Shetland – K Sharp with a home-bred shearling, by Orestes of Spalford (bred by the late Alan Hill), which is jointly owned with Susan Russell. He was reserve at East Fife Show. Orestes also sired Kate’s first prize ewe lamb. Kate’s shearling also won best wool on hoof at this year’s Highland Show out of 90 entries. Reserve – P, D and A Playfair with a home-bred two-crop ewe from their Kaimknowe flock. Sired by Hillend Cauldron, her dam is homebred. Previously unshown this year, she won her class at here last year and several others. Ram, ewe, gimmer, ram lamb – P, D and A Playfair. Shearling – K Sharp. Ewe lamb – S Russell.
Any other breed (MV Accredited) (Judge: N Sandilands). Champion – R Brand and Son, East Fortune Farm, Haddington with a Hampshire gimmer, shown by grandson Robert (12). On her first outing, she is by Eastfortune Eros, a son of Wattisfield What If, and is out of a home-bred dam by Eastfortune Gunner. Reserve – D Fleming, Shoestanes Road, Heriot with a 2019-born Viewforth Blue Texel Ewe. Sired by Millside Norman, her dam is Viewforth-bred and a daughter of Beili Blues ram. Ram, gimmer – R Brand and Son. Shearling, ewe, ram lamb, ewe lamb – D Fleming.
Any other breed (Non-MV Accredited) (Judge: N Sandilands). Champion – W Pate and Partners, Marvingston, Gifford with a home-bred Suffolk gimmer, by a Roxburgh Mains tup purchased at Kelso Ram Sales in 2021. Her home-bred dam is by a Skelfhill sire. Reserve – J and P Anderson with a home-bred, March-born Texel ewe lamb, by Logie Durno Extra, a son of Logie Durno Braveheart, bred from a homebred ewe by College Edward. Shearling – A Pate. Ewe, gimmer – W Pate and Partners. Ram lamb – C Pate, Stobshiel Mains, Heriot. Ewe lamb – J and P Anderson.
Young handlers (Judge: J Herdman, Edlingham, Alnwick). Champion – Fergus Young (4) from Crookston with a Blue Texel cross lamb. Reserve – Kirsty Turnball, Poppets Cottage, Jedburgh. Young handler 10 and under – 1, Fergus Young; 2, Innes Wason; 3, Eve Ainslie. 11-16years – 1, Kirsty Turnball; 2, Robert Brand; 3, Isla Wason.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here