Rob Forrest, Preston, was given the honour of judging the champion of champions at his local Berwickshire County Show and found his supreme in the inter-breed beef winner, a Simmental from James Hodge, Horndean, Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
This was Heathbrow Milk Way, a January 2021-born cow bought at the Heathbrow dispersal, at Stirling for 14,000gns from her breeders David and Lesley Sapsed. She is sired by Scotland Hill Cairo Ex92 out of Dirnanean Girlie E31 Ex93 and was selected by overall beef by the breed judge Jim Cowen, Kersknowe.
Taking the blue and white sash was the supreme sheep, a Bluefaced Leicester gimmer from Bill Hedley, Corsbie, Earlston. She fought off stiff competition to catch the eye of judge Stephen Little, Boreland, Peebles. The gimmer, which stood champion at the Border Union, retained the 2023 title she claimed as a lamb. She was also reserve inter-breed at Haddington and is by the home-bred Baz tup, out of a home-bred ewe by an Alwinton ram.
Sheep supreme was the Bluefaced Leicester
David and Clare Gray’s Blue Texel ram lamb took the reserve sheep accolades with Ettrick Jacob which is bound for Carlisle at the end of the month. He is a half-brother Ettrick Jackpot.
Andrew and Emma Hodge’s Aberdeen Angus, Rulesmains Rosebud Z792, a February 2023-born heifer sired by Blelack Prince Camelot W017 was tapped out reserve beef inter-breed champion. Reserve at Northumberland County, she was reserve female at the Great Yorkshire and first in her class at the Aberdeen Angus National show at the Border Union.
Supreme horse for the third year on the trot, was the ridden hunter, Greenhall Dictator, exhibited by Alan Thomson, Muirfield, Gullane. He wasn’t forward for the overall championship as he was resting in preparation for the competition at Hopetoun on Sunday.
Leading Awards
Aberdeen Angus (Judge: T Bradley Farmer, Westparkgate, Dumfries). Champion – A and Emma Hodge, Rulesmains, Duns, with Rulesmains Rosebud Z792 a yearling heifer that was reserve at Northumberland County, reserve female at the Great Yorkshire and first in her class at the Border Union. Reserve – Kersquarter Angus, Kelso with a March-2023 heifer, Kersquarter Black Widow by Kersquarter Eriboll out of Kersquarter Black Widow X434. Bull, senior heifer, junior heifer – A and Emma Hodge. Calf – J Steel.
Simmental (Judge: R Nicol, Bannockburn, Stirling). Champion – J Hodge, Horndean, Berwick-Upon- Tweed with Heathbrow Milky Way bred by D and Lesley Sapsed, and bought at the Heathbrow dispersal for 14,000gns. A January 2021-born cow by Scotland Hill Cairo 11 Ex91, she is out of Dirnanean Girlie E31 Ex93. Sole entry.
Hereford (Judge: T Bradley Farmer). Champion – E Hodge, Rulesmains, Duns with RM-1 Lily a December-2022 heifer by Coley 1 Teddy out of Coley 1 Lily 56. Shown as a calf at foot in 2023 and junior champion and reserve female champion at the Royal Highland and junior champion and reserve female at the Scottish National at Biggar. Sole entry.
Highland (Judge: T Bradley Farmer). Champion – A and D MacKinnon with Bryar Rose of Rannoch bred by D MacNaughton. Now a four-year-old, she is by Seamus Dubh Mill of Craigowmill, out of the former show winning female, Hayley 1 of Rannoch. Champion at West Fife, Kinross and Fife Shows 2023. Sole entry.
Beef young handlers – 1, Henry Wilson; 2, Eilidh MacKinnon; 3, Hamish Warner; 4, Kyla Porteous.
Blackface (Judge: K Hedley, Denholm, Hawick). Champion – J and G Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot with an Elmscleugh gimmer on her show debut, bought from the Dunlops as a lamb. She is by a £150,000 Auldhouseburn tup. Reserve – C McColm, Lauder with a shearling ram bought at Lanark in 2023 and sired by £2000 Glenrath, out of a £1000 Silloans ewe. He was first at Dalkeith and Haddington Show. Two-shear ram, naturally shown ewe, naturally shown ewe lamb, group – Tollishill Farming. Shearling ram, ewe lamb, naturally shown gimmer – Prof WA Penny. Ram lamb – C McColm. Ewe, gimmer – J and G Sinclair.
Suffolk (Judge: B King, Gospelhall, Jedburgh). Champion and MV champion – J Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso with a home-bred shearling ram by Bessiebell Evil Knievel. Male champion at the Border Union and bound for Kelso Ram Sales. Reserve – D Laing, Oxmuir, Greenlaw, with a gimmer on her first outing out of an Oxmuir ewe and sired by his show tup. Aged ram, shearling ram – J Elliot. Ram lamb – T Darling. Gimmer, ewe lamb – D Laing.
Suffolk non MV (Judge: B King, Gospelhall, Jedburgh) Champion and reserve – GS Shaw and Co., Smailholm Mains, Kelso. Champion was a home-bred gimmer by a Sitlow ram, out of a Soutra-sired dam. Former champion at St Boswells. Reserve was the champion from the Border Union, an aged ewe bred the same way as the gimmer. Shearling ram, ram lamb, ewe, gimmer – S Shaw. Ewe lamb – Gemma Fleming.
Scotch Mule/Greyface (Judge: K Hedley, Denholm, Hawick). Champion – J and G Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot with a Dawyck gimmer bought as a lamb at St Boswells in 2023. First at the Border Union. Reserve – C McColm with a ewe lamb by a Newbigginwalls tup bought at Kelso in 2023 out of a home-bred ewe. Bound for sale at St Boswells in September. Ewe, gimmer – J and G Sinclair. Ewe lamb – C McColm.
Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: K Hedley, Denholm, Hawick). Champion – B Hedley, Corsbie Farm Cottages, Earlston, with a home-bred gimmer that stood champion at the Border Union. She’s by the home-bred Baz tup and out of a home-bred ewe by an Alwinton ram. Reserve – RJ Claydon, Clarilaw House, Melrose with a March-born ram lamb by a West Bolton tup. First at the Border Union. Shearling ram, ewe lamb – Prof WA Penny. Ram lamb – RJ Claydon. Ewe, gimmer – J and G Sinclair.
Texel (Judge: W Waite, East Ord, Berwick-Upon-Tweed). Champion – AJE Calder Ltd, Bogend, Duns with a gimmer that was placed third at the Border Union. Sired by the 3000gns Strawfrank Cowboy out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve – J Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso with a shearling ram that will be retained as a stock sire. Reserve male at Border Union and sired by the £65,000 Campsie Drambuie. Shearling ram – J Elliot. Ram lamb, gimmer, ewe lamb – AJE Calder Ltd.
Texel non MV (Judge: Wesley Waite, East Ord, Berwick-Upon-Tweed). Champion – D Mair, Kypie, Northumberland with a home-bred one-crop ewe by an Ettrick tup purchased privately. Placed at St Boswells. Reserve – Halliday Livestock, Oxton, Lauder with a Logie Durno-bred tup bought at Kelso, by the 22,000gns Roxburgh Dirrington. Ram, shearling – Halliday Livestock. Ram lamb – J Goldie. Ewe, gimmer, ewe lamb – D Mair.
Multi-breed sheep (Judge: W Waite). Champion and reserve – D and Clare Gray, Lindean, Selkirk. Champion was the Blue Texel ram lamb, Ettrick Jacob, a half brother Ettrick Jackpot. Reserve was a home-bred Beltex ET gimmer by the 18,000gns Curwen Hill George, bred from Artnagullion Fiery. Champion at Kelso. All classes – D and Clare Gray.
Multi-breed sheep Non MV (Judge: B King, Gospelhall). Champion – Halliday Livestock, Oxton, Lauder with a Beltex gimmer by a Woodies tup out of a home-bred ewe. Reserve – J Goldie, Oxton, Lauder with a ram lamb by a Dawyck tup out of a home-bred ewe. Ram, gimmer – Halliday Livestock. Ram lamb, ewe – J Goldie. Ewe lamb – A Dixon.
Cross-bred sheep (Judge: S Little, Boreland, Peebles). Champion and reserve – Lorna McGowan, Craiglea with a gimmer and ewe respectively. Ewe with pair of lambs – Emily Hay. Single ewe and gimmer – Lorna McGowan.
Prime cross-bred lambs (Judge: S Little, Boreland, Peebles). Champion – Lorna McGowan, Craiglea with a pen of two over 80kg. Reserve – J and G Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot with a pen of two up to 80kg. Under 80kg – J and G Sinclair. Over 80kg – Lorna McGowan.
Coloured Shetland (Judge: A Bain, Boggs Holdings, Pencaitland). Champion and reserve overall Shetland – A Runciman, East Mains Farm, Lauder with the black shearling ram Kaimknowe Robbie, by Todhill Erikson out of Kaimknowe Midnight Geranium. Bought from Denise Playfair in 2023; first at Dalkeith and second at Border Union. Reserve – M Everett, Boggs Farmhouse, Pencaitland with the Katmoget grey gimmer Wanster Laura sired by Kate Sharp’s Odysseus of Spalford out of Greenacre Josie. Ram, ewe, ewe lamb – D Playfair. Shearling ram – A Runciman. Ram lamb, gimmer – M Everett.
White Shetland (Judge: A Bain). Champion, reserve and supreme Shetland – Denise Playfair, Kelso, with a Kaimknowe gimmer by Greenacre Maverick out of Kaimknowe Charlotte. Reserve was a shearling ram also by Greenacre Maverick out of the Royal Highland Show 2021 champion Kaimknowe Sorrell.
Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset (Judge: J Newland, Little Ewe Farm, Cambridgeshire). Champion – A Morton, Stobielee, Lanark with the two-shear tup Stobilee Emperor Napoleon, an embryo purchased from Laura Weir, Lisnafillan. Reserve – Cathryn Pritt, Thornbank Farms, Cumbria with a four-year-old, C registered home-bred ewe by a Sherbourne tup, out of a home-bred ewe. Two-shear ram, ram lamb, gimmer – A Morton. Shearling ram, ewe lamb – D Rankine. Ewe – Thornbank Farms.
Cheviot (Judge: B King). Champion and reserve – J Goldie, Oxton, Lauder. Champion was a gimmer out of a Boreland ewe, by a Broomhillbank tup. Reserve was a tup lamb out of a Boreland ewe by Overacres Amorous. Tup lamb, ewe, gimmer ewe lamb – J Goldie.
Young handlers – (Under 11yrs) Champion – Gregor Gray. Reserve – Ewan Mair Chapman. 11yrs + – Champion – James Goldie. Reserve – Lucy Goldie.
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