Thainstone Spectacular show and sale sparkles with top price of £9,000

A February-born Limousin heifer from Orkney topped the sale of exhibition cattle at the Thainstone Spectacular, near Inverurie.

It fetched £9,000 for Jim Baillie and his son, Hamish, of Sebay Farm, Tankerness.

The animal, which took the 2024 haltered heifer championship, was sold to Susan and Allan Campbell, of Alt na Craik, Corrow Farm, Lochgoilhead.

Next best price was £6,000

The champion heifer in the 2023 section sold for the second top price of the day, £6,000.

She was a 10-month-old Limousin cross weighing 440kg from G & J Greenlaw, of Balgairn Farms, Ballater, and was sold to an undisclosed telephone bidder.

Graham Sutherland, of The Antlers, Occumster, Lybster, sold his 286kg Limousin cross heifer Belinda, for the third top price of the day.

It was bought by Slack and Haugh, of Plumtree House, Newby, Penrith for £5,600.

Stewart Bett, of Boquhan Farmhouse, Kippen, Stirling, judged the show of exhibition cattle.

Spectacular champion hails from Orkney too

He awarded the overall champion’s title to the winning 2023 bullock, a Limousin
cross from Balfour Ballie, of Sebay View, Tankerness, Orkney.

A Limousin cross, sired by Huntershall Rosco, the Orcadian showstopper was bought by John Work, of Mains of Dumbreck, Udny, Ellon for £3,400.

The £4,000 barrier was smashed twice for two Limousin cross heifers, both sired by Redriver Powerful, from Balfour Baillie. The first was a May 2023-born calf weighing 450kg and the second was a five-month-old, 243kg heifer selling to Sophie Weir, of 8 Tower Place, Morayshire.

A March-born Limousin cross bullock won the 2024 section for the Fraser Family, of Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn, It was tapped out at £3,900, selling to Julie Sedgewick, of Ricknall Grange Farm, Aycliffe, Durham.

The Robertson Family, of Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, achieved £3,500 for their January 2024-born, Limousin cross Charolais heifer.

It was named reserve champion haltered heifer 2024.

The animal, weighing 302kg, was sold to A Ireland, of Feoch, Darvel, Ayrshire.

Meanwhile, J Scott Watson, pf Old Repeater Station, Carnoustie, purchased a May 2023-born Limousin cross heifer scaling 590kg from J S Youngson, of Westerton, Echt, for £3,200.

And the Robertsons sold their 495kg Limousin cross heifer for £2,700 to Wilson Peters, of Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff.

Just behind at £2,500 was a six-month-old, 306kg Limousin cross heifer, Jojo, from G
Sutherland, of The Antlers, Occumster, Lybster.

It was purchased by Emslies Livestock, of Kinknockie, Mintlaw, near Peterhead.

‘Fierce’ competition for future show winners at 2024 Thainstone Spectacular

The Spectacular, sponsored by law firm Blackadders, saw heifers average 7.657 per kg, or £3,155.79.

Bullocks fetched 4.880 kg per kilo, on average, or £2,301.82 per head.

In total, 30 calves forward sold to an average of £2,842.67  – up by £509.34 on the year.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts auctioneer Scott Chapman said: “Credit must be given to
the producers of the cattle that were forward, who were duly rewarded for their efforts as buyers from nationwide were fiercely competing to obtain future show winners.”

Prize list

• Class 1 – Unhaltered heifers, 2023: 1 Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld (£1,720) 2 J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£1,700) 3 Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly (£1,700).
• Class 2 – Unhaltered heifers 2023: 1 Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly (£2,200) 2 Blair Duffton, 2 Bogie Street, Huntly (£1,840).
• Class 3 – Unhaltered bullocks 2023: Ashley Bothwell, Hillbrae Farm, Newmachar (£1,480).
• Class 4 – Haltered heifers 2023: 1 J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£2,700) 2 J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, Tankerness (£2,000) 3 J S Youngson, Westerton, Cullerlie (£3,200).
• Class 5 – Haltered bullocks 2023: 1 Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£3,400) 2 J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£3,500) 3 C & K Stuart, Lettoch, Glenlivet (£1,880) 4 Barry Paterson, Cairndaie Croft, Sauchen (£1,780).
• Class 6 – Haltered heifers 2023: 1 G & J Greenlaw, Balgairn Farms, Ballater (£6,000) 2 Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£4,000) 3 J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£1,900) 4 C & K Stuart, Lettoch, Glenlivet (£2,000).
• Class 7 – Haltered bullocks 2023: 1 Barry Paterson, Cairndaie Croft, Sauchen (£1,920) 2 J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£1,780) 3 Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn (£1,880) 4 Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld (£1,800).
• Class 8 – Haltered heifers 2024: 1 Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£2,400) 2 C & K Stuart, Lettoch, Glenlivet 3 Graham Sutherland, The Antler, Occumster, Lybster (£2,500) 4 Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£2,300).
• Class 9 – Haltered bullocks 2024: Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn (£3,900).
• Class 10 – Haltered heifers 2024: 1 J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, Tankerness (£9,000) 2 J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£3,500) 3 Graham Sutherland, The Antler, Occumster, Lybster (£5,600) 4 Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£4,000).

• Unhaltered champion 2023: Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly (£2,200).
• Haltered bullock 2023 champion: Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£3,400). Reserve: J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£3,500).
• Haltered heifer 2023 champion: G & J Greenlaw, Balgairn Farms, Ballater (£6,000). Reserve: Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£4,000).
• Overall 2023-born haltered champion: Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£3,400).
• Haltered heifer 2024 champion: J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, from Tankerness (£9,000). Reserve: J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry (£3,500).
• Haltered bullock 2024 champion: Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn (£3,900).
• Overall 2024-born haltered champion: J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, of Tankerness (£9,000)
• Overall Spectacular champion: Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness (£3,400).