The National Premier Meat Exhibition had a new section to compete for this year, and it was to turn up at least one surprise.
Joint organisers Scotbeef, the Scottish National Fatstock Club and Marks & Spencer had decided it would be a good idea to introduce a young producers’ section to this well-established carcase competition and were delighted to have more than 20 entries in both the beef and lamb sections.
Scotbeef chairman Ian Galloway was, however, surprised when Pier Carlo Botta, judge of the Premio Speciale Italiano, came around to his office to say he had found the perfect carcase for the Italian market not in the open entry but in the young producers’ class.
The young producers were not intended to compete for the major prizes, but Mr Galloway decided there and then that if it was the best carcase for the Milanese market it should have the prize.
The 360kg Charolais cross heifer carcase from 26-year-old James Young of Girvan Mains, Girvan, had already been placed as reserve champion in the young producers’ class, but now he had a 500-euro prize and a magnificent trophy to take home.
James and his father Andrew and brother David run 400 beef cows and finish 1,500 cattle including bought-in stores.
His winner on Saturday was a 15-month old-heifer weighed at 566kg live and graded U+3.
Mr Botta said the carcase was a perfect combination of pink flesh, conformation and weight for his purposes.
The young producers’ champion was also a Charolais cross, this time a 19-month-old bullock from SRUC Edinburgh student Isla King, 19, of Crossrig, Hutton, Berwick-on-Tweed.
The bullock was bought in the store ring at St Boswells from J Anderson & Son, Headshaw, Oxton. It produced a 415kg carcase killing out at 65.2% and grading U+3.
Sheffield meat wholesaler and abattoir operator Steven Woolley judged all the beef classes and praised the “fantastic show of cattle.”
His open champion was a Charolais cross heifer from Wilson Peters, Ibert, Monzie, Crieff.
Mr Peters is farm manager at Monzie but always keeps half a dozen cattle of his own for show purposes.
This one, nicknamed Nae Luck, was bought at the United Auctions calf sale at Stirling last November specifically with this competition in mind. The breeders were the Campbell family at Glenrath Peebles.
The heifer weighed 605kg live, 384kg deadweight and graded U+4L.
The reserve open champion carcase was exhibited by Ian Murray and his father Fred from East Horton, Wooler, and was from a home-bred Charolais-sired steer out of a British Blue cross dam from their 40-strong herd.
Regular competitors at Bridge of Allan, this was their third reserve championship.
The April 2012-born steer weighed 558kg live, 352kg deadweight and graded U3.
Lamb carcase judge Rudolphe Le Poureau has the sixth-largest sheep abattoir in France and processes 6,000 lambs weekly.
His champion on Saturday was a Beltex cross Texel from Malcolm Stewart, Brotherstone, Melrose. It was by a Borderesk tup bought in Carlisle two years ago and produced an 18.9kg carcase, killing out at 51.1% and grading E2.
The lamb was born as a single outside in mid-May.
It also won the prestigious Jean-Marie Macquet prize for best export lamb.
Mr Stewart runs 350 pure Suffolk ewes, 100 Beltex cross Texels and 700 Lleyns.
The reserve lamb carcase was also a Beltex cross, but this time from Andrew Baillie of Carstairs Mains, Lanark. Out of a ewe from his 300-strong cross ewe flock, this one was by Topflite Secret Weapon. It produced a 19.5kg carcase, killing out at 54.2% and grading E2.
The inaugural young producers’ lamb section was won by Craig Bell, Craigo, Milnathort, with a 22.2kg carcase grading E2.
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