Among the winners at the Scottish Smallholder Festival, it was a good day in the pig ring for Isabel Soar from the Scholebrook herd, whose Berkshire sow “Spring Lady” took the overall pig championship as well as the British rare and traditional breed title and the RBST pig championship.
She also took any other breed championship with her Hampshire gilt, whilst Alan Jamieson’s Sauchenhall herd provided the Kune Kune champion ‘Willow Tutaki III’.
Douglas Stainton was a worthy champion in the sheep ring, with his Ryeland ram lamb beating off the challenge of Heather Clough’s Hampshire Down ewe lamb.
Heather was also a winner in the lamb classes of the RBST national championships, taking the top spot with her Derbyshire Gritstone ewe lamb. The reserve went to Joanne Benson with her Teeswater ewe lamb.
The Playfair family from the Borders enjoyed a good day taking the RBST National sheep championships with their Norfolk Horn ewe.
Sarah Miles was the reserve with her Castlemilk Moorit Ewe.
Overall 32 different breeds came forward in the best variety the Scottish Smallholders Festival has ever seen.
A lively Goat show saw a good mix of breeds forward including a number of rare breeds. The big winner was Sophie Agrell whose English goat Kenside Lillie took the RBST championship as well as the overall.
Reserve in both cases went to Irene Elisabeth McCreath who also bred the winner. The kid championships were a big success for Beth Fairley whose British goat ‘Ballingall Robyn” was the champion and Anglo-Nubian “Ballingall Tiree’ the reserve.
The best Goatling in the show went to Claire Bailey with her Pygmy “Brucklay Navajo”, with Golden Guernsey from Phillipa Atkins taking home the reserve.
The last session saw the goat steward and pig judges coming together with the judge for the RBST sheep classes to judge the RBST Scotland National Championships' overall best-in-show.
Mrs. Agnes Aitken, Mr. Ron Fieldhouse, and Mr. Ryan Perry viewed the champions in each species altogether and deliberated for some time before settling on the Norfolk Horn Ewe from the Playfair family in the borders, very well shown by Alex who prepared the sheep for the first time! The reserve was the Berkshire sow from Isabel Soar.
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