Final preparations are in full swing for the annual Aberdeen Christmas Classic.
It will take place at Thainstone Centre, near Inverurie, later this month.
The two-day event, on November 25 and 26, is jointly organised by Aberdeen & Northern Marts (ANM) and the Aberdeen Fatstock Association.
They are supported by main sponsor Rapid Project Development (RPD), a local construction company.
£14,000 of cash prizes up for grabs
A packed programme of activities includes shows and sales of prime and pedigree
livestock.
These include the Rising Stars, Young Farmers ‘and open stock judging competitions, with £14,000 of cash prizes up for grabs.
The event will also once again feature a sale of pedigree heifers.
Monday saw the curtain come down on entries, with 85 submitted for the prime cattle classes.
The Rising Stars category will be competed for by 13 hopefuls.
ANM’s team were still firming up the numbers yesterday
But in the pedigree sheep sections, there will be 86 Suffolks, 120 Texels, 17 Dutch Spotted, three Bluefaced Leicesters, three Badgerfaces, 12 Beltexes and 21 Blue Texels.
New trophy donations
This year sees RPD donating two new trophies to the Young Farmers’ section.
One of these is for the Young Farmers’ champion haltered animal.
The other is for the Young Farmers’ best pair of lambs bred by an exhibitor.
Aberdeen Christmas Classic hailed as ‘fantastic opportunity’ to showcase livestock
ANM prime cull cattle manager Tim McDonald said: “The annual Aberdeen Christmas Classic is a fantastic opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their top-quality prime cattle and sheep to a busy ringside of buyers from across Scotland.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to Thainstone at the end of the month.”
Judging the open prime sheep section will be Stuart Stark, of Milton of Campsie, near Glasgow.
Meanwhile, Hugh Black, of Lanark will choose the winner in the open haltered beef cattle section.
And the Young Farmers’ competitions will be judged by Louise Forsyth, of WTS Forsyth & Sons in Peebles.
Last but not least, Bill Cameron, of Burnside of Edingight, near Keith, will judge the open unhaltered beef cattle section.
Last year’s top prices
At last year’s event, the overall Christmas Classic open championship went to a February 2022-born heifer scaling 1,367lb.
It was from Wilson Peters, of Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, in Perthshire.
And it was sold for the Christmas Classic cattle top price of £4,800.
In the pedigree female sheep section, the champion Suffolk from the Innes family, of Dunscroft, Huntly, fetched the top price of £5,000.
Conversation