Limousin cross heifer Jo Jo from Ballindalloch wins Rising Stars

The annual Rising Stars Calf Show at Thainstone Centre, near Inverurie, featured top quality cattle from far and wide.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts (ANM) held the event on the first evening of its Aberdeen Christmas Classic.

Judge Ron MacKay, of Clyth Mains, Occumster, Lybster, chose the winner.

Taking the Rising Stars prize for overall champion were Tony and Sophie Weir, of Lettoch, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch.

The Weirs proudly came away from the show with the Gordon Reid Perpetual Trophy.

Rising Stars champ was Thainstone Spectacular purchase earlier this year

They won thanks to Jo Jo, a March-born Limousin cross heifer bred by Balfour Baillie, of Tankerness, Orkney. She was bought at the Thainstone Spectacular earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Young Farmers championship was won by a February-born Charolais cross heifer, Pure Silk,  from Bruce Forbes, of Little Kildrummie, Nairn.

She was bred by Messrs Kellas, of Raws, Auchindoun, in Moray.

Hailing the quality on display, ANM prime cull cattle manager Tim McDonald said:
“It was fantastic to see such an outstanding show of calves at Thainstone this evening.”

Mart cattle manager hails Tony and Sophie’s ‘well-deserved’ show success

And in a nod to some of the younger farmers taking part, he added: “It’s encouraging to see the next generation actively participating in the competition.

“Congratulations to Tony and Sophie Weir, of Lettoch, Glenlivet, for their well-deserved win.”

Mr McDonald also thanked construction firm Rapid Project Development (RPD), of Rothienorman, near Inverurie, for its “generous support” as the show’s main sponsor.

There was a bumper turnout for Monday night’s Rising Stars event.

And there was equally strong interest in the sheep and cattle sections of the Aberdeen Christmas Classic.

Highlights included William and David Moir, of Home Farm, Cairness, near Fraserburgh, topping the sale of prime sheep for a second consecutive year.

They did it with their open champion pair of lambs, a couple of 49.5kg (109lb) Beltexes, which sold to butcher JB Penman, of Crail, Fife, for £320 each.

The reserve open champion pair were from R Wilkie, of Tillyboy, Echt.

These 48kg (106lb) Beltex cross home-bred lambs sold for £200 per head to John Scott Meats, of Paisley.

The Moir brothers also enjoyed success with a pair of Beltex cross lambs that were named butcher’s champions.

They weighed in at 43.5kg (96lb) and sold for £300 per head to the judge, Stuart Stark.

Stuart chose lambs from W&J Brown, of Hilton of Culsh, New Deer, as butcher’s reserve.

These 49kg (108lb) Beltex cross home-breds sold for £200 each to John Scott Meats.

Beltex duo help deliver Aberdeen Christmas Classic hat-tick for Moirs

Meanwhile, the Young Farmers section saw yet another championship going to the Moir brothers.

This time, their success was for a pair of Beltex cross lambs scaling 48kg (106lb)  and selling for £220 per head to the judge.

The reserve Young Farmers pair came from Megan Glass-Smith, of Mill of Fowlis, near Alford.

These home-bred Beltex crosses weighed 39kg (86lb) and fetched £200 per head, selling to Grant Dinnie, of Bridgeton, Muir of Fowlis.

Read more: Wilson Peters triumphs at Aberdeen Christmas Classic again

Read more: Stuart Family’s Suffolks supreme at Aberdeen Christmas Classic

The Aberdeen Christmas Classic was held by Thainstone-based ANM in partnership with Aberdeen Fatstock Association and supported by RPD.

In total, 40 pairs of prime lambs averaged 395p per kg, or £180.32 per head. This was well up on the year, with the average per head increasing by £27.10 on the 2023 sale.

Rising Stars prizes

• Open home-bred or purchased heifer: 1 Tony & Sophie Weir, c/o Lettoch, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch 2 Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, Acharacle, Argyll 3 Smallburn Farms, Plewlands Farm, Duffus
• Open home-bred or purchased bullock: 1 Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn 2 Stewart Youngson, Westerton, Echt
• Young Farmer’s home-bred heifer: Richard Davidson, Corsairtly, Keith 2 Jack Stuart, Lettoch, and Belnoe, Glenlivet
• Young Farmer’s purchased heifer: 1 Bruce Forbes, Little Kildrummie, Nairn 2 Fergus Forbes, Little Kildrummie, Nairn 3 Richard Davidson, Corsairtly, Keith
• Open champion: Tony and Sophie Weir, c/o Lettoch, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch
• Young Farmer’s champion: Bruce Forbes, Little Kildrummie, Nairn
• Overall champion: Tony and Sophie Weir, c/o Lettoch, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch

Prime sheep prizes, with weights and prices per head

• Class 11A, two continental lambs: 1 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (41kg, £170) 2 W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness (45kg, £190) 3 R Shand, Woodside Croft, Aberchirder (46.5kg, £150) 4 P Smith, Hill of Braigie, Echt (36kg, £130)
• Class 11B, two continental lambs: 1 W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness (49.5kg, £320) 2 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (48.5kg, £200) 3 W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (49.5kg, £190) 4 Drumnies Blues, Drumnahive, Kildrummy (47.5kg, £190)
• Class 13, two Down cross lambs: 1 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (51.5kg, £210) 2 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (52kg, £170) 3 W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (46.5kg, £170) 4 Jacob Bywater, Corbanchory, Kildrummy (46.5kg, £140)
• Class 14, two Cheviot lambs: 1 W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (50.5kg, £160) 2 Jacob Bywater, Corbanchory, Kildrummy (35kg, £105)
• Class 15, two Blackface lambs: 1 S Robertson, 52 Conval Street, Dufftown (48.5kg, £155) 2 S Robertson, 52 Conval Street, Dufftown (41kg, £140)
• Class 16, two Charollais lambs: W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (51.5kg, £190)
• Class 17A, two lambs of same breed or cross, most suitable for butcher’s purposes: 1 W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness (43.5kg, £300) 2 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (43.5kg, £185) 3 Harvey and Jack Stuart, Lettoch, Auchnarrow (43.5kg, £180) 4 Joseph Bywater, Corbanchory, Kildrummy (40kg, £125)
• Class 17B, two lambs of same breed or cross, most suitable for butcher’s purposes: 1 W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (49kg, £200) 2 T Connell, Little Muddy Farm, Lumphart, Inverurie (46kg, £200) 3 Drumnies Blues, Drumnahive, Kildrummy (44.5kg, £200) 4 R Shand, Woodside Croft, Aberchirder (47.5kg, £175)
• Class 20, two untrimmed lambs, progeny of native ram: 1 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (52.5kg, £220) 2 W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (48.5kg, £155)
• Class 21, two untrimmed lambs, progeny of continental ram: 1 W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness (43kg £190) 2 AM Connon & Sons, Skilmafilly, Auchnagatt (50.5kg, £200) 3 W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer (50kg, £175) 4 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt (44.5kg, £170)
• Champion pen of lambs: W&D Moir Home Farm Cairness. Reserve: R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt
• Champion pen of butcher’s lambs: W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness. Reserve: W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer
• Best pen of lambs bred by exhibitor: W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness
• Best pen from first-time exhibitor: AM Connon & Sons, Skilmafilly, Auchnagatt
• Best presented pen of lambs, open prime sheep: Drumnies Blues, Drumnahive, Kildrummy
• Best pen of lambs sired by Suffolk ram: R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt
• Best pen of lambs sired by Texel ram: AM Connon & Sons, Skilmafilly, Auchnagatt
• Best pen of lambs sired by a Rouge ram: SW Robertson, 52 Conval Street, Dufftown
• Best pen of lambs sired by Blackface ram: SW Robertson, 52 Conval Street, Buckie
• Pen of lambs sired by Beltex ram: 1 W&D Moir, Home Farm, Cairness 2 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt
• Best presented pen of Young Farmers two light lambs: 1 Megan Glass-Smith, Mill of Fowlis, Muir of Fowlis (39kg, £200) 2 Jack Stuart, Lettoch, Auchnarrow (43.5kg, £220) 3 Logan Eunson, Mains of Cairnbanno, New Deer (43.5kg, £170)
• Best presented pen of Young Farmers two heavy lambs: 1 William and David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness (48kg, £220) 2 Neil Smith, Drumnahive, Kildrummy (46.5kg, £180) 3 Sally Glennie, Burnside, Keig (46kg, £160)
• Champion pen of Young Farmers lambs: William and David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness. Reserve: Megan Glass-Smith, Mill of Fowlis, Muir of Fowlis
• Best pen of Young Farmers lambs, first-time exhibitor: Megan Glass-Smith, Mill of Fowlis, Muir of Fowlis
• Best presented pen of Young Farmers lambs: Neil Smith, Drumnahive, Kildrummy
• Best pen of Young Farmers lambs bred by exhibitor: William and David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness