One of the main winter agricultural shows in Scotland – the Aberdeen Christmas Classic – will return as a full in-person event at the end of November.
The two-day event, which takes place on November 29-30, is organised by Aberdeen and Northern Marts (ANM) in conjunction with the Aberdeen Fatstock Association.
Held at ANM’s Thainstone Centre, near Inverurie, the event includes a showcase of prime cattle and sheep from across Scotland, as well as shows and sales of pedigree sheep, pedigree beef bulls, and the Rising Stars exhibition calf show.
This year’s event is sponsored by construction company Rapid Project Development (RPD), which is owned and run by the Duxbury family who farm near Rothienorman.
“RPD is proud and privileged to be sponsoring the Aberdeen Christmas Classic for a second year, and we are very much looking forward to being involved in an important and significant event in the agricultural calendar,” said John-Paul Duxbury from RPD.
“It will be great to see exhibitors and spectators return to the Exchange Hall at Thainstone after a long period of no shows and events. We look forward to seeing you all in November, if not before.”
The Aberdeen Fatstock Association has recently appointed former auctioneer and current ANM director, Alan Hutcheon, as its president.
He will be supported by Huntly butcher Gary Raeburn, from Forbes Raeburn Butchers, in the role of vice-president.
Last year’s Aberdeen Christmas Classic was held in a condensed format due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The overall champion in the prime cattle show was a Limousin cross heifer from Harry Brown, who farms at Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud.
By Culsh Invincible, the 23-month-old home-bred heifer weighed 615kg and sold for £4,100 to Forbes Raeburn Butchers in Huntly.
The pedigree sheep sale topped at 3,800gn twice for Suffolks from the Stewart family’s Birness flock at Milltown of Birness, Ellon.
The first, selling to Orkney breeder David Delday for his Newark flock, was a gimmer by Limestone Legacy, which is in-lamb with twins by the £30,000 Salopian Scuderia.
The other, selling to Fife breeder Stewart Lathangie for his Pyeston flock near Glenrothes, was a ewe lamb by the £16,000 Castleisle Capaldi.