One animal dwarfed all the competition in Perth Show’s livestock rings on the city’s South Inch, and went on to win the day’s supreme champion of champions honour.
The giant Charolais stock bull from Major David Walter at Balthayock dominated the day’s final line-up which included the Texel sheep interbreed champion, a British Toggenberg goat, the Clydesdale winner and an 11-year-old donkey, Gamlingay Love In A Mist, which has won the Royal Highland Show five times.
Judge Joyce Campbell from Sutherland admitted she found it hard to see past the exceptional power and scale of four-year-old Balthayock Loyalist.
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The event hosted a big turnout of Herefords for the breed’s Scottish National Show, and it was a Hereford which took reserve place in the cattle interbreed championship for Balfron breeders, G & S Harvey. Harveybros 1 Crocus Rose was described as a “star of the future” by judge Alasdair Houston from Gretna who was impressed by the heifer’s femininity and character.
The cattle pairs champions were Charolais heifers from Andrew Hornall, Falleninch, with Limousins from Dougie McBeath and Sarah Jane Jessop, Springsett, in reserve place.
Texels reigned supreme in the sheep lines, winning the interbreed honours in both the individual and the pairs competitions, judged by Angus Kennedy, Broughton, Biggar.
Mr Kennedy found his supreme overall in a home-bred gimmer from David McKerrow and sons David and James’ Nochnary flock from Freuchie, Fife. Champion at West Fife in June, she is by Rhaeadr Ace and bred from a Baltier ewe bought as a ewe lamb at Carlisle for 4,400gns.
Leading the pairs was a Texel duo from Robert Cockburn’s Knap flock from Errol. This was made up of the reserve breed champion, a ewe by Ettrick Vital Spark, and a tup lamb by the 28,000gns Knock Banker.
Reserve overall in the individuals was the champion south-type Blackface, a two-crop ewe from Tay and Torridan’s North Amulree flock at Amulree, Dunkeld, brought out by flock manager Billy Brady. Champion at Kirriemuir, she is by a £48,000 Auchloy.
The equivalent in the pairs was presented to a Beltex duo from Graeme and Fiona Burke’s Pentland flock from Brechin, comprising a home-bred gimmer by Broxty Wishful Thinking and a home-bred shearling ram by Woodies Barbarian, that is destined for the breed sales at Carlisle.
The Clydesdale champion, three-year-old filly, Collessie Flash Girl from Charlotte Young, Ayr, won the heavy horse interbreed.
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
