It was an extra special year in the dairy lines as the Queen’s Cup, the show’s most prestigious livestock honour which rotates between the various sections every year, was to be presented to the supreme overall.
Taking this award was the Holstein champion from the Lairds – Alister and Kathleen, son Colin and his wife Izzy – of Blythbridge Holsteins, West Linton, who have previously secured the Queen’s Cup with a Jersey.
Their showstopper this year was Mag Pandor, which was also producing a phenomenal 10th championship in the Holstein lines here for the family.
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This third calver was bought in from France, and is jointly owned with the Canadian AI company Ferme Blondin. Reserve champion here last year, she was champion at the Dairy Expo in Carlisle in March, and having calved in February is giving 60 litres per day through the robot milking system at Blythbridge. Sired by Walnutlawn Sidekick and bred from MAG Nacoby, she has also scored the maximum Ex93 points for her age.
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“She is my type of cow, with a strong top and a good udder. She is sound on her feet and legs and is just something special – I had no hesitation in placing her champion,” said the inter-breed judge David Hastings, from Nantwich, Cheshire, who awarded the reserve honours to the Jersey.
“My Jersey is a typical cow, with an outstanding udder,” he added.
This was the second calver, Logan Chrome Caribbean, from Brian and Michael Yates, East Logan, Castle Douglas. A daughter of River Valley Cece Chrome that was champion at the evening show at Castle Douglas in 2022, she is bred from Arethusa Veronicas Comet. Another scoring a maximum VG89 for her age, she calved in March and is giving 37 litres per day.
The Jersey breed also took the top honours in the junior section, with Guillyhill Webcam Daisy, a heifer from Andrew and Michelle Jackson and daughters Katie, Hollie and Sophie, Guillyhill, Dumfries, stepping up to take the supreme. Previously unshown, Webcam Daisy calved in May and is giving 30 litres per day. A daughter of Unique Webcam, she is bred from the show cow Clifton Chavez Denise.
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Runner-up in the juniors was the Holstein, Boclair Lambda Hope 18 VG87 from Ian Smith and David and John Brewster, Boclair, Glasgow. Sired by Farnear Delta Lambda and bred from Boclair Doc Hope, she calved in February and is giving 40 litres per day.
Holsteins won the group of four and included entries from Ian Smith and David and John Brewster; two from Colin Laird, and another from Salvy Esquierdo and Robbie and Margot Scott.
Following this quartet was the Red and White team comprising two entries each from Kevin Lawrie and the Yates family. Ayrshires won the progeny group.
Dairy showmanship
Rory Scott, Shacklehill, Mossblown, was crowned supreme in the dairy showmanship this year, having taken the same award here in 2019.
Rory (18) was parading the July-born Holstein calf, Logan Luster Phantasy and later went on to stand reserve overall for the supreme young handler.
Having won the youngest class, Ruth Allison (11) secured the reserve championship. She also bagged a red ticket in her class last year and this year was parading the seven-month-old Holstein heifer calf, Parkend Willows O’Kalibra.
Dairy calf
The Holstein dairy calf championship created a great atmosphere on the Sunday of the show with Brian and Michael Yates’ Logan Luster Phantasy from East Logan Farm, Castle Douglas, going on to take the supreme.
This July-born heifer calf is sired by Cherry-Lily Zip Luster and stood second at the Dairy Expo and Ayr Show this year.
Runner-up was Drointon Royal Virtue from Jim and David Gray, Drumtall, East Kilbride. Paraded by David’s son Calum, this October 2023-born heifer calf is by Blondin J Crown Royal.
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Taking the tri-colour in the coloured breeds was the yearling Jersey heifer Rivermead Engineer Bella, from Katherine Jenkinson, Carlisle.
She was purchased at the Rivermead youngstock sale in October and is sired by Enniskillen Engineer. A Rivermead Jersey also took the reserve honours for Alistair and Wendy Padkin, Drumcork Farm, Thornhill. The November-born heifer calf, Rivermead Victorious Lets Dance 2, was bought privately and is a daughter of River Valley Victorious.
Holstein
The Lairds of Blythbridge Holsteins, West Linton – Alister, Kathleen, son Colin and his wife Izzy– produced a phenomenal 10th champion winner among the black and whites.
The top performer this time was last year’s reserve Mag Pandor, which calved her third in February and has achieved maximum classification score for her age of Ex93.
Purchased out of France as an 18-month-old heifer in partnership with Ferme Blondin of the Canadian AI company, she is sired by Walnutlaw Sidekick and bred from the Ex91-classified MAG Nacoby.
She was champion at the Dairy Expo at Carlisle in March.
The blue and white rosette went to the junior champion, Boclair Lambda Hope 18 from Ian Smith and David and John Brewster, Boclair, Glasgow. This heifer calved in February and is back giving 40l being VG87 classified. Sired by Farnear Delta Lambda, she is bred from Boclair Doc Hope.
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Ayrshire
It was a case of as you were in the Ayrshire lines, with last year’s champion winner from the Lawries – Arthur and Susan and sons James and David – from Kinross, reclaiming her crown.
This was the third calver, Cuthill Towers Religious Bunty, which calved in May and is giving 60 litres being Ex92 classified. A daughter of Cuthill Towers Religious, she is bred out of Cuthill Towers Harrys Bunty.
The blue and white sash was presented to last year’s reserve champion, Swaites Bracken 19, from John Adamson, Swaites, Lanark. This fifth calver is sired by West Mossgiel Modern Reality, and out of Swaites Bracken 14. Calved in March, she is giving 65 litres per day.
The same stable took the junior championship with the heifer Swaites Bright Spark 11, which was on her first outing. A daughter of Troutbeck Progress, out of the VG86 classified dam, Swaites Bright Spark 6, she calved in April and is producing 30 litres per day.
Dairy Shorthorn
Taking the supreme among the Dairy Shorthorns was Irthingelt Wildeyes 2 from Thomas, Stephen and Mark Moscrop, Carlisle.
Previously unshown, she produced her second calf in January and is now giving 28 litres per day. She is sired by Oxton Clarity and out of Oxton Wildeyes 688.
Adam Lawson’s Lisnamulligan Royal Kathleen 2, the breed leader in 2022 and 2023, had to settle for the reserve honours. This fourth calver from North Cassingray, Fife, calved in May and is giving 40 litres. Classified Ex93, she is sired by Oxton Windfall and out of the Bishopsbrae Royal Kathleen 5 which was bought out of Penrith at a herd dispersal.
Dennis and Margaret Craig and daughter Victoria, Westgate, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, took the junior title for their six-cow herd with Newpark Gertie 23. A daughter of Churchroyd Pure Class, bred from Newpark Gertie 21, she was paraded having calved in April.
British Red and White
Kevin Lawrie’s Arranview Rubels Tabitha Red from Myremill, Maybole, was crowned supreme among the British Red and Whites.
Bred from the Ex90 Eastford Diamondback Tabitha 2, she is sired by Hoogerhorst DG OH Rubels-Red. Champion at Ayr, she calved in January, classified VG86 as a two-year-old, and is now giving 60 litres per day.
The junior champion went on to take the reserve for Brian and Michael Yates, East Logan, Castle Douglas. The American-bred ET heifer, Logan Latenite Shania, is bred from the Ex92-2 Milksource Shania Red and sired by Avant Garde-i Latenite. First in her class at the Borderway Dairy Expo and reserve at Ayr Show, she was shown giving 35 litres per day, having calved in December.
Jersey
There was more success to come for the Yates family, East Logan, when they went on to win the breed championship and reserve inter-breed.
Their showstopper was the second calved American ET, Logan Chrome Caribbean. A daughter of River Valley Cece Chrome that was champion at the evening show at Castle Douglas in 2022, she has since scored VG89 maximum classification score for her age. Calved in March, she is giving 37 litres per day.
Guillyhill Webcam Daisy from Andrew and Michelle Jackson, and daughters, Katie, Hollie and Sophie, Guillyhill, Holywood, Dumfries, landed the junior championship, junior inter-breed and reserve breed title for the 30-cow herd. A daughter of Unique Webcam, bred from the show cow Clifton Chavez Denise, this previously unshown entry calved in May and is now giving 30 litres per day.
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