A Limousin cross heifer from Ballindalloch farmer Colin Stuart took home the supreme title at yesterday’s Royal Northern Spring Show.
Organisers of the show, the Royal Northern Agricultural Society, said around 5,000 people attended the event at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie. The show of exhibition cattle was judged by Paul Barwood, Grange Farm, Fleggburgh, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Mr Stuart’s supreme champion was a 314kg August 2014-born Limousin cross heifer named Miss Molly after his daughter. This one sold for £3,800 to Gordon Hendry, of Heads of Auchinderran, Aultmore, Keith.
However, it was not the champion that took home the top price.
John Robertson, of Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, made £4,000 selling his 426kg February 2014-born Limousin cross heifer.
The buyer was the winner of last year’s Christmas Classic – Donald Morrison, of Cairn Nulla, Burnside, Kinlochbervie.
Mr Robertson also achieved the next best price of £3,200 when he sold his April 2014-born Limousin cross, which stood previously as the champion bullock.
This one heads north to Andrew Laird, at Mossbank, Burray, Orkney.
The next leading price of £3,000 was achieved by a Limousin cross heifer from Darren Davidson, Netherton Farm, Keith.
This February 2014-born lot, weighing in at 472kg, heads south to Anita Padfield, from Great Yarmouth.
The reserve overall champion came from Michael and Mark Robertson at Easter Fodderletter, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch.
This 408kg March 2014-born Limousin cross heifer will be retained by the Robertsons, who plan to show her in the summer then use her for breeding in their herd of 110 commercial cows. The family also run the 20-cow pedigree Fodderletter Limousin herd.
In all, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 25 out of the 41 cattle entered in the show.
This is down on last year’s sale when 33 out of 42 sold.
The average for the 11 heifers sold was £4.94 a kg and £2,045.45 a head. The 14 bullocks sold to an average of £3.40 a kg and a £1,469.29 a head.