second consecutive Highland Show championship for local farm

[Kintyre Forum News]

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Royal Highland Games 2011 results

IT WAS the turn of dairy cattle to take the limelight in the cattle rings yesterday, with the Holstein breed sweeping all before it, taking both individual and team interbreed awards.
The overall champion was last year's reserve, Robert and Elaine Butterfield's Saxelby Golden Rose, a fourth calver from their herd at Lingham Farm, Lancaster, interbreed champion at the Dairy Event and the Great Yorkshire last year.

The Ayrshire, Calderglen Silverbell gave Robin and Jimmy Barr from Campbeltown their second consecutive Highland Show championship. This home-bred third calver was champion at Campbeltown show last year.

There was a new class in the dairy section at this year's show for British Red and White cattle. This allowed red and white cattle with more than 50 per cent Holstein blood to be shown in their own section. It was won by Hugh and Grant Woodburn, Killoch, Galston, with Arthur Lawrie, Cuthill Towers, Milnathort taking reserve with his third calver, Cuthill Towers Daisy Mae, which has been reserve at both Agriscot and the National All Breeds show.

Winning the Jersey championship was especially poignant for Willy Templeton of Mauchline, Ayrshire, as his second calver, Skyhigh Ressurection Veronica nearly died three weeks ago due to an abscess in her ribs. Sporting a large scar – and with Templeton recovering from a £1, 400 vet bill – she still managed to impress the judge.

The second day of judging in the sheep rings saw some of the country's best stock turned out in near perfect showing conditions.

And with the emphasis on continental and island breeds, the contrast in form and function could hardly have been greater between the rings. But regardless of which breed type was favoured, all agreed the turnout had been first class.

Newlyweds, Kirsty and Ross Williams of Turriff would certainly agree – when they lifted the championship ticket in two different breed lines, the Zwartbles and Beltex sections.

But away from the showrings another aspect of sheep production was to the fore at the show. Under the title of "rediscovering the wonders of wool" a major incentive was launched to encourage farmers to take full advantage of higher wool prices – and to push both the fashion and environmental credentials of this fibre to the buying public.
And yesterday's fashion day, saw professional models mixing with the sheep to show a range of garments from Textile Scotland's New Wool campaign.

A recent turn-round in wool prices – brought about partly by the steep decline in world-wide sheep numbers – had given the campaign a real boost.

Today sees a bid to better the world's "baa-ck to back" time when the race will be on clip a sheep, spin the wool, knit a jumper and then wear it in the quickest possible time.