The highest price for several years was paid yesterday at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic for the supreme cattle champion, despite butchers having one of their toughest trading periods for decades.
Father and son Charles and Gary Raeburn, of Forbes Raeburn and Son of Huntly, went to £6,000 to secure Beldie, a 20-month-old 600kg British Blue cross heifer shown by Harry Brown, of Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, and bred by Rory Hood at Middlehill, Glen Clova, Kirriemuir.
The Raeburns, who last month won the annual award for Scotland’s top butcher’s shop, are celebrating their golden anniversary in business.
Beef from Beldie will play a central role in their festive offering.
Beldie was bought at the Thainstone Spectacular for £1,600 by Mr Brown, who has 140 cows. He won the Classic in 2009 and was reserve in 2011.
Kinlochbervie crofter Donald Morrison, of Cairn Nulla, Burnside, was reserve with Red Snapper, a 570kg 19-month-old Limousin cross heifer bred by the Scotts at Thirlwall Castle, Carlisle.
She was commercial champion at the Black Isle for Mr Morrison, who runs the NorScot fish merchanting business.
He keeps and shows cattle as a hobby and won the supreme at the classic two years ago.
Aberdeen butcher Andrew Gordon paid £3,800 for her.
Gary Raeburn and Alan Healy, the operations director with Coventry catering butcher Aubrey Allen, judged the cattle and were full of praise for the entry.
But Mr Raeburn said the focus had been on selecting cattle which met the needs of the butchery trade.
Several of the classes had been difficult to judge because of the quality forward, but there were animals deemed too heavy and carrying too much cover.
The supreme was showy and ideally suited for the trade.
“She just shone out for the butcher and is what we prefer,” added Mr Raeburn.
The butchers’ champion received warm praise from both judges. Mr Healy backed up his decision by paying £3,800 for the 514kg 22-month-old home-bred Limousin cross heifer, by Killerton Travis and out of a Limousin, from father and son George and Don Anderson, of Brucewells, Netherley.
Blair Duffton, of 2 Bogie Street, Huntly, sold his reserve butchers’ leader for £2,200 to Mr Gordon. Winning for him was Gee Whizz, a 568kg Limousin cross heifer, by Bailey Elton John and out of Limousin cross British Blue, bred by Lloyd Fowlie at Guise, Tough.
Mr Duffton also won the unhaltered and bullock championships.
Averages were: 27 heifers at £2,108 a head and £4.69 a kg, against 19 at £1,605 and £2.62 last year; 32 bullocks at £1,741.56 a head and £2.73 a kg, against 20 at £1,665.86 and £2.43 a kg.
Caithness sheep breeders Calum and Vivienne Angus, of West Mey, chalked up an unprecedented seventh prime lamb championship at the Classic.
Their winners were a pair of 44kg home-bred 15/16th Beltex lambs, by a home-bred Beltex sire and out of home-bred Beltex cross Texel ewes.
The couple have a flock of 1,500 ewes and hoggs. Their winners made £200 each to Backmuir Livestock, Keith.
The reserves were a pair of 41.5kg home-bred March-born Beltex, by Maverick, from Ross and Kirsty Williams, of Upper Tullochbeg, Huntly. They sold for £190 each to Adam Wright, of Hillhead, Glen of Newmill, Keith. The Williams also had the butchers’ champions. This pair of 44kg Beltex, by Godfather, were also sold to Mr Wright at £320 each.
The championship in the Young Farmers’ section was won by Morag Brown, of Hilton of Culsh, New Deer, with a pair of 46kg Texel crosses, by a home-bred Texel and out of cross Texel ewes. They made £170 a piece to Backmuir Livestock.
Nicola Wylie, of Balbrydie, Kirriemuir, was reserve with a pair of 47kg home-bred Beltex, by Balbrydie Superstar and out of Beltex crosses. Scotbeef Inverurie paid £140 each for them.