Unpredictable weather certainly didn’t hamper the mood at Craigie Show, where a Border Leicester ewe led the way after much controversy in the dairy lines.
John Gilmour snr, Maybole, had the task of judging all the inter-breed competitions and the coveted champion of champions. He found his supreme sheep in Duncan Whyte’s Clola Double Deal-sired ewe, out of a Feodafuri Festival mother, which went on to win the supreme overall
Runner up to her was the inter-breed dairy champion Ve-Tech Pharo Atlee, a Holstein cow in milk from Robert Veitch, Strandhead, Tarbolton, which controversially was placed reserve champion in her class to the Holstein champion, Maverick Crushabull Licorice from Craig Cochrane.
The Veitchs also won the inter-breed group of three in the cattle lines, while George Borland, of Mossbog, Mauchline, lifted the reserve.
Ross Montgomerie, Assloss, took the overall beef title with his Charolais cross bullock, Marmaduke.
Reserve inter-breed sheep was the Blue Texel ewe, Hodges Golddust, from J and D Hodge, Dykes, Auchinleck, while Matt Steel of Ditton, Kilmarnock won the sheep inter-breed group with Border Leicesters, with the Beltex group from J and L Cousar, Howcommon, Craigie in reserve.
Overall horse champion was Caroline Woodburn’s Clydesdale, Braehead Harmony. Reserve was the ridden horse from Elizabeth Laurie, Hegglelane LA.
Leading Awards
Holstein (Judge: A Logan, Holehouse, Kilbirnie). Champion – C Cochrane, Nethercraig, Kilmarnock with Maverick Crushabull Licorice, a heifer in milk. Reserve – R Veitch, Strandhead, Tarbolton with the cow in milk, Ve-Tech Pharo Atlee. Heifer in milk, bred – C Cochrane. Junior cow in milk, group – R Veitch. Senior cow in milk – A Brown and Sons, Kirkhill, Craigie. Pair – G Boreland, Mossbog. Mauchline. Young farmers – D Howat, C/o Borland, Mossbog, Mauchline.
Dairy calf (Judge: A Logan). Champion – I Howie, Tarshaw, Tarbolton. Reserve – T Cochrane, Nethercraig, Kilmarnock. Calf born Aug 10, 2023-Jan 31, 2024 – I Howie. Calf born after Feb 1, 2024 – T Cochrane.
Beef cattle (Judge: J Hamilton, Mid Shawtonhill, Chapelton). Champion – R Montgomerie, Assloss, Kilmarnock with the Charolais cross bullock, Marmaduke. Reserve – T Holloway, Crawlaw, Galston with the British Blue cross heifer, Calypso. Cow/heifer with calf – M Whyllie, Skeldon Drive, Dalrymple. Bullock – R Montgomerie. Heifer – T Holloway. Pure continental – A Sheils, East Doura, Craigie. Young farmers – Helen Beattie, East Doura, Craigie.
Border Leicester (Judge: P Brown, Clachaig, Kilmory). Champion – D Whyte, Newton Mearns with a ewe. Reserve – M Steel, Ditton, Kilmarnock with a tup lamb. tup, tup lamb, ewe hogg, ewe lamb, group, bred by exhibitor – M Steel. Ewe – D Whyte. Young farmers – Cailean Knapp, Coach House, Carnell.
Beltex (Judge: J Hamilton). Champion – J and L Cousar, Howcommon, Craigie with the tup, Caruthers Jasper. Reserve – J and D Hodge, Dykes, Auchinleck with the ewe lamb Hodges Keep Sake. Tup, ewe, ewe hogg, tup lamb, group – J and L Cousar. Ewe lamb, young farmers – J and D Hodge.
Texel (Judge: J Hamilton). Champion – WA and D Robertson, Valleyview, Blackwaterfoot, Isle of Arran with a ewe hogg from the Valleyview flock. Reserve – W Baird, Floors, Eaglesham with an Usk Vale ewe. Tup, ewe – W Baird. Ewe hogg, group – WA and D Robertson. Tup lamb – J and C Hodge, No 1 Ploughlands, Dundonald. Ewe lamb – A Mitchell, Hall of Caldwell, Uplawmoor. Young farmers – G Brown, Kirkhill, Craigie.
Native sheep (Judge: P Brown). Champion – S Gray, Sornbeg, Galston with a Sufflolk ewe. Reserve – M Weir, 2 Springbank, Prestwick with a Hampshire Down ewe lamb. Tup, ewe lamb – M Weir. Ewe, ewe hogg, tup lamb, group, young farmers – S Gray.
Continental sheep (Judge: J Hamilton). Champion – J and D Hodge, Dykes, Auchinleck with a Blue Texel ewe, Hodges Golddust. Reserve – J and L Cousar, Howcommon, Craigie with a Blue Texel ewe hogg, Howcommon Hermione. Tup, ewe, group, young farmers – J and D Hodge. Ewe hogg, tup lamb, ewe lamb – J and L Cousar.
Sheep young handlers (Judge: J Gilmour, Maybole). 1, R Brown, Kirkhill, Craigie; 2, G Brown, Kirkhill, Craigie.
Clydesdale (Judge: J Rochead, Malcolmwood, Blantyre). Champion – Caroline Woodburn, Hirst, Craigie, Kilmarnock with Braehead Harmony. Reserve – D McGill, Bayview, Dunure Road, Ayr with Caperhill Callie. Mare, foal – C Woodburn. Two-year-old filly – D McGill. Yearling filly, bred – A Baird, Langholm, Symington. Yearling colt or gelding – Sally Taylor, C/o Charlotte Young, Hall Stud Farm, Ayr.
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