A Limousin cross heifer named Oucha Baby landed the overall champion rosettes and top price at yesterday’s show and sale of prime cattle at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic.
The 17-month-old entry weighing 570kg, which was put forward by Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, of Huntly and Insch, was bred by Graham Henderson at Murrayfield, Caithness.
The duo bought the heifer at the Spring Show in February for 5,100gn and went on to show her on the summer show circuit, landing a third place rosette at the Highland and first place at Echt.
After landing the overall champion rosettes in the pre-sale show yesterday, she went on to sell to one of the judges – Louise Forsyth, of W.T.S Forsyth and Sons Butchers in Peebles – for £4,000.
Standing reserve overall at the show, which was also judged by Jim Smith, of Wester Campfield, Glassel, Banchory, was a 13-month-old Limousin cross steer named Trump from Messrs Paton and Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond.
Bred by John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, she sold yesterday weighing 578kg for £2,400 to Blair Duffton.
In the butchers’ cattle section the top prize went to Wilson Peters of Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff.
Mr Peters’s September-2015 born Limousin cross steer, by Maraiscote Hero, sold for £2,400 to David Comrie and Son Butchers, Comrie, Perthshire. She was named I’m a Hero and sold weighing 634kg.
Reserve in the butchers’ section and selling for £2,300 was a 550kg April-2015 born Limousin cross heifer named Topsy from Harry Brown at Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, Peterhead. She sold to Bruce of the Broch Butchers, Broad Street, Fraserburgh.
Lastly, in the young farmers section the champion title went to a 630kg April-2015 born Limousin cross heifer named Bashful from Reece Simmers, of Backmuir, Keith. She sold for £2,600 to the judge of the young farmers section, Huntly butcher Gary Raeburn, of Forbes, Raeburn and Sons Butchers.
Reserve in the section, and also selling to Mr Raeburn for £2,100, was 640kg April-2015 born Limousin cross heifer Happy from Andrew Simmers, Backmuir, Keith.
In all, 34 prime heifers sold to average £3.002 a kg and a top of £7.018 a kg. The average price per head was £1,827.23.
In the steers section, 21 sold to average £2.587 a kg and a top of £4.174 a kg. The average price per head was £1,662.21.
Meanwhile, prime lambs sold to a top of £250 apiece at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic yesterday.
Auctioneers Aberdeen and Northern Marts put the hammer down twice at this price for Beltex cross lambs.
First at this price was the pre-sale show champion pair from Helen Smith at Scobshaugh, Cortachy, Kirriemuir, Angus.
The home-bred duo, which weighed 40kg each, sold to the judge – John Woodburn, of 28 Hass Grove, Lockerbie.
The other lot at £250 apiece were the champion young farmers’ lambs from Gary Morrison, of Bush of Muldearie, Mulben, Keith. Weighing 45kg each, they sold to Huntly butcher Gary Raeburn.
The reserve champion pen of lambs, consigned by Callum Angus of West Mey, Thurso, sold for £190 apiece to Pak Mecca Meats in Birmingham. The home-bred Beltex cross lambs sold weighing 43kg each.
The reserve champion young farmers title was awarded to a pair of Rouge crosses from Sarah Balfour and Mark Robertson of Easter Fodderletter Farm, Tomintoul.
The duo sold weighing 40kg for £190 each to Gary Raeburn.
In all, 80 prime lambs sold to average £2.396 a kg and a maximum of £6.25 a kg. The average price per head was £104.65.