Only the hardiest of souls and sheep braved a traditional wet and windswept Abington Show, where livestock lorries and pickup and trailers ensured much needed shelter against the elements.
Going by the weather forecast and torrential early morning rain, most people would abandon the thought of stepping out the door, let alone heading off to a show in the middle of no-where. However, the quality of Blackface sheep at Abington Show is second to none, and like the sheep, their hardy owners are well accustomed to a bit of wet, windy weather.
It was therefore extremely fitting that the inter-breed sheep championship and indeed the overall champion of champions was won by an entry from this year's hardy Blackface section which this year attracted 150 head.
History is also believed to have been made as it was the shepherd's champion that ruled supreme for the first time. Taking that accolade was a one-crop ewe by a £22,000 Dalchirla from Andrew McMillan, Dalwyne, Barr.
"She's full of style with a fantastic head, shape and great black," said the overall champion of champions judge, Jim Robertson, Becks, Langholm, who added that the reserve, a commercial cow and calf, wasn't far behind the Blackie.
This was a British Blue cross cow from Ian McGarva, Nether Abington, shown with her third calf, a January-born heifer at foot by the well-known stock sire, Abington Nitro, a bull that has already bred several show winners for the farm.
Inter-breed sheep judge, Jim Pate, Toxside, initially tapped out the shepherd's Blackface as champion added: "She's a very correct sheep and the type of animal I like to breed. She's a fantastic showy female."
Mr Pate was also impressed by his choice of reserve, a Bluefaced Leicester ewe lamb from the Wights of Midlock. Their ET-bred entry is the result of a flush from a ewe by a £7200 Shafthill and sired by last year's £40,000 Shittlington. Notably, her ET sister which stood second in the class, was reserve.
Leading Awards
Blackface (Judge: W Dunlop jnr, Elmscleugh). Champion – H and M Rorison, Clonrae, with a one-crop ewe by an son of a £150,000 Auldhouseburn, out of a ewe by Auldhouseburn Joko. Champion at East Kilbride 2022 and champion at Dumfries 2023. Brought out by shepherd, Michael Robertson. Reserve – J and J Anderson, Upper Wellwood, with a gimmer by an £11,000 Merkland, out of a ewe by a £22,000 Auldhouseburn. Champion at Catrine and Dalry. Aged ram, group, male champion – J Wight and Sons, Midlock. Shearling ram – M Coubrough, Hartside. Tup lamb – T Muirhead, Orchilmore. Ewe – H and M Rorison. Gimmer – J and J Anderson. Ewe lamb – JP Campbell and Sons, Glenrath.
Shepherd's Blackface (Judge: B Bland, Abington). Champion, inter-breed sheep and overall champion of champions – A McMillan, Dalwyne, with a home-bred gimmer by a £22,000 Dalchirla, out of a ewe by a £6500 Gass. Champion at Dalrymple. Reserve – A McMillan, with a Dalwyne ewe lamb b the 28,000gns Glenbeg lamb bought last year at Ballymena, out of a ewe by a £22,000 Dalchirla. Ewe, group – B Gilchrist, Crimp Cramp. Gimmer, ewe lamb – A McMillan. Tup lamb – M Robertson, Clonrae. Three gimmers – G McKinlay, Whelphill.
Cheviot (Judge: T Elliot, Hindhope). Champion – B and M Cockburn, Skirkfield, with a previously unshown two-crop ewe by Crossdykes Predator, out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve – RH Paton, Castle Crawford, with a ewe lamb on her first outing by Castle Highlander, a two-shear ram that will be sold at Lockerbie in October. The dam is by Castle Famous Grouse. Brought out by shepherd James Cochrane. Aged ram, tup lamb pair, ewe, gimmer, group, bred pair – B and M Cockburn. Shearling ram – T Aitchison, North Shortcleugh. Tup lamb, ewe lamb – RH Paton.
Cheviot shepherd's (Judge: T Elliot). Champion – J Cochrane, Castle Crawford, with a ewe lamb by Castle Crawford out of a Castle Famous Grouse-sired dam. First outing. Reserve – J Goodfellow, Granton, with a gimmer by Stirkfield Alcatraz, out of a home-bred ewe. Ewe, ewe lamb, tup lamb – J Cochrane. Gimmer – J Goodfellow.
Texel (Judge: J Orr, Wester Walston). Champion – A Campbell, Overburns, with a ewe lamb by Haymount Foremost, out of a Hexel ewe, brought out by shepherd, Raymond Baynes. First at the Great Yorkshire. Reserve – D McArthur, Nunnerie, with a previously unshown ram lamb by Ettrick Free Willy, out of a home-bred ewe by Knap You're The Man. Bound for Club sale at Lanark in September. Ewe, shearling, ram, group – K Johnstone, Boghouse. Ewe lamb – A Campbell. Ram lamb – D McArthur.
Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: G Graham, Burnbank). Champion and reserve – J Wight and Sons, Midlock. Supreme was a ET-bred ewe lamb bred from a ewe by a £7200 Shafthill and sired by the £40,000 Shittlington tup bought last year at Hawes. First outing and an ET sister to the reserve winner, the second prize ewe lamb. Aged ram, shearling ram, gimmer – C Campbell, Easter Happrew. Tup lamb, ewe, ewe lamb, group – J Wight and Sons.
Breeding sheep (Judge: J Graham). Champion – J Wight and Sons, Midlock, with a Scotch Mule gimmer by the M2 Asby Hall, out of a home-bred Blackface ewe. Champion at the Royal Highland 2022, first at the Royal Highland and Biggar, 2023. Reserve – M Coubrough, Hartside, with a ewe lamb by a home-bred shearling bound for the ram sales at Stirling that is a son of a £14,000 Blarnavaid. The same shearling sired the fifth prize ewe lamb. Two cross ewe lambs – K Johnstone, Boghouse. Single Scotch Mule ewe lamb, two Scotch Mule ewe lambs – M Coubrough. Scotch Mule gimmer, Scotch Mule ewe – J Wight and Sons.
Butchers lambs (Judge: I Struthers, Craigend). Champion – K Johnstone, Boghouse, with a pen of three three-quarter Texel lambs bred from Texel cross Cheviot ewes. April-born, they are by a home-bred sire. Reserve – I McGarva, Nether Abington, with a pen of three Beltex cross lambs. Three Blackface wedders – A MacLarty, Firm of Shawhead. Three Texel cross lambs, beginners class – K Johnstone. Three Beltex lambs – I McGarva. Three prime lambs – D Mitchell, Burnhouse.
Suckler cow and calf (Judge: R Struthers, Greenfield). Champion and reserve overall champion of champions, I McGarva, Nether Abington, with a a British Blue cross cow with three-quarter-bred British Blue cross cow with her third calf at foot, a January-born heifer by Abington Nitro – the sire of the supreme overall at Peebles Show and several other big winners. Reserve – A Muirhead, Wolfcrooks with a cow and bull calf at foot. Cow with heifer calf – I McGarva. Cow with bull calf – A Muirhead.
Young handlers – Under 10s – 1, Jamie Fallows; 2, Hayley Dick; 3, Callum Young. Over 10s – 1, Joanna Dale; 2, Stuart McLeod; 3, Rory Johnstone.
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