The newly branded LiveScot event, held at Lanark Market on Saturday, was hailed a triumph by exhibitors and spectators alike, with the primestock spectacle enjoying a strong turnout of both.
The Scottish National Fatstock Club opted to ‘rebrand and revamp’ the show previously the Scottish National Winter Fair and held at Ingliston after the termination of their long-standing relationship with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society Scotland, last year.
The smaller venue ensured a good atmosphere and was given the thumbs up by club chairman Donald Harvey
“We need to do some fine tuning and take comments on board for next year, but we’ll definitely be back at Lanark again,” he said.
“There’s been a great buzz about the place; we’ve had an excellent display of livestock and a better show all round.
“We don’t have an exact number of spectators because it was free entry, but the car park was full and the ringsides were busier than I remember them ever being at Ingliston, so we’re delighted with that,” said Mr Harvey.
Exhibitors also appeared to be impressed with the new format, with strong entries in both the cattle and sheep.
Leading the way in the cattle section was the heifer champion from Northern Ireland’s Dermot Small and son Gareth, winning the overall title for the first time, on their 20th year showing at the event.
Their best was home-bred Charolais cross yearling Candy Floss. Weighing 604kg, this daughter of Billingley Sir Alex is out of Limousin cross dam Bambi, which was also a successful show heifer in her day.
The champion later sold for £3,000 to Chris Pennie of the Sarkley Limousin herd in Wales.
She had been selected as best overall by Welsh judge Will Owen, a well-known commercial show man himself.
“She’s a really classy heifer, very correct and she carries her weight well, with lots of character,” said Mr Owen, who chose his steer champion as reserve overall.
That was Golden Charm, another Charolais cross, this time by Carradale Neptune, shown by Sean Kennedy of Overton Farm, Ayr.
He was bred by David Henderson, Auchenrivoch, Banton, and bought by Sean’s mum, Sheena, at Caledonian Marts, Stirling, in September. Weighing in at 626kg, this one sold for £1,900, to butcher H Cairns, Uddingston, Glasgow.
The sheep show also attracted a huge audience, which witnessed the prime lamb champions go on to take the overall award.
Shown by young couple Robert Rennie and Becca Oldham, of Sydenham Farm, Kelso, the winners were two 44kg three-quarter Beltex wedder lambs by Beechcross Storm and out of Tercrosset-bred Beltex cross Texel dams. They were later bought for £500 per head by sheep judge Haig Murray, on behalf of Dunbia.
The reserve sheep pair, two home-bred Beltex cross ewe lambs also weighing a combined 88kg, from Carlisle-based John Hall and daughter Joanne, sold at £250 each to Robert Lawson of East Mains, Newbigging, Carnwath.
Overall hill sheep champions were two pure South Country Cheviot wedder lambs from Andrew Reid, Glendearg, Langholm.
Sired by a home-bred ram and out of ewes from the 800-strong flock, they sold at £155 apiece, weighing 46kg each, to butcher Ann Davidson, Scone, Perth.
The reserve in that section was the best from a strong show of Blackfaces
This was a pair of wedder lambs from Mrs Chrissie Reid, Boreland, Eddleston, Peebles.
Shown by farm manager Dougie Gray and shepherd Phil White, they made £200 a head to Comrie Butchers, Perth, weighing a total of 90.5kg.
At the Beltex Scotland show and sale of females, also held on the day, top price was 1,500gns, for the champion, Woodies Windstorm, a ewe lamb from Aberdeenshire’s Stuart Wood, Skene, Westhill.
Sired by Woodies Razzledazzle, she sold to the show judge, Janet McQuiston, High Airyolland, New Luce.
Leading awards follow.
Cattle
Steer Sean Kennedy, Overton, Ayr, with Golden Charm, a 14-month-old Charolais cross by Carradale Neptune; £1,900 to H Cairns, Brightside Avenue, Uddingston. Reserve D MacPherson & J Currie, Castlehills, Berwick-on-Tweed, with Sixteen Drops, a 14-month-old Limousin cross by Bailea BMW, bred by M Durno, Auchorachan, Glenlivet; heading to Smithfield.
Heifer Dermot Small, Kilkeel, Co Down, with overall champion Candy Floss; £3,000 to C Pennie, Gwern Yr Ychain, Montgomery, Powys. Reserve Dermot Small’s Khaleesi, a 15-month-old Limousin cross bred by James Alexander, Randalstown, Co Antrim, by Swarland Eddie. She won the recent AgriExpo and is heading to Smithfield.
Butchers’ Grant Cook, Glendoune, Girvan, with the Gambler, a 730kg Limousin cross steer by Swarland Eddie, bred at Balluskie and bought at Ayr Market; £2,013 to A Paton & Son, Cairnhill, Girvan. Reserve Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff, with a home-bred 640kg Limousin cross steer by Kype Elliot; £1,540 to Ann Davidson, Scone, Perth.
Commercial calf G & JA Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange, Co Durham, with Priceless, a home-bred March-born Limousin cross heifer by Confluence Faddel; heading to Smithfield. Reserve D McBeath and SJ Jessop, Lower Greenyards, Stirling, with Munchkin, a January-born Limousin cross heifer, bred by J Robertson, Newton of Logierait, and destined for Smithfield.
Housewife’s choice J Mackay, Harelaw, Barrhead, Glasgow, with Selfie, a 16-month-old Limousin cross by Lumbylaw Talent, bred by TC Whiteford Tercrosset, Carlisle, unsold.
Sheep
Blackface Mrs CM Reid, Boreland, Eddleston, with two home-bred wedder lambs weighing a total 90.5kg; £200 per head to Comrie Butchers. Reserve AJ Kennedy & Son, Mitchellhill, Broughton, with a pair of lambs weighing 70.5kg, by a £4,500 Mitchellhill sire; £92 each to Dunbia.
Swaledale DM White, High Garnshaw, Skipton, with home-bred lambs weighing a combined 97.5kg; £100 per head to West Scottish Lamb, Carlisle. Reserve BD Greenwood, Walburn Hall, Downholme, North Yorks, with home-bred 84.5kg lambs by a tup bred by Sean Hodgson; £96 per head.
Cheviot Andrew Reid, Glendearg, Langholm, with two 46kg South Country Cheviot April-born wedder lambs, by a home-bred tup; £155 to Ann Davidson Butchers. Reserve CR Graham & Sons, Carruthers Farm, Waterbeck, Lockerbie, with two home-bred North Country Cheviot wedder lambs, by Nuncote Mutton Chops, weighing 96.5kg combined, £94 each to J Chapman Butchers, Wishaw.
Mules and crosses H Cockburn & Partners, Kingside, Leadburn, with home-bred Cheviot Mule wedder lambs, by a West Bolton tup, 96kg combined; £85 per head. Reserve JP Lee, Morely Hill, Whitefield, Hexham, with two 46kg North of England Mule wedder lambs, by home-bred tups; £92 per head.
Butchers’ lambs RA Rennie, Sydenham, Ednam, Kelso, with the overall sheep champions, home-bred
three-quarter Beltex wedder lambs, 88kg combined; £500 each to Dunbia. Reserve R Hall & Son, Inglewood Edge, Dalston, Carlisle, with two home-bred Beltex cross ewe lambs, 88kg; £250 per head to R Lawson, Eastmains, Newbigging.