Aberdeen and Northern Marts (ANM) is now accepting entries for its premier winter show and sale.
This year’s Aberdeen Christmas Classic, which is run in conjunction with the Aberdeen Fatstock Association, will take place on Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1.
The event, now in its 23rd year, has a new line-up at the helm with new mainline sponsor HSBC Bank and a new presidential team at the Fatstock Association.
The association’s new president is Gordon Simpson, while Stephen Smith has been appointed the role of vice-president.
The Christmas show and sale of prime cattle and sheep will also feature the Rising Stars Exhibition Calf Show, which launched last year, and sales of pedigree female sheep and pedigree bulls.
The two-day event is free to attend and has £16,000 of prize money and a range of trophies up for grabs.
Last year’s event saw Donald Morrison of Cairn Nulla, Burnside, Kinlochbervie win overall champion and reserve in both the heifer and bullock classes.
The champion was sold for £5,800 to judge and butcher John Davidson, Inverurie and the reserve champion went to judge James Allan of Malcolm Allan & Sons, Larbert for £2,000.
The Rising Stars show was won by a Charolais cross heifer from Ashleigh Marshall, which was bred by W.D. Stephen of Meikle Geddes, Nairn and went on to sell at the Thainstone Spectacular in September.
ANM auction operations manager, Alan Hutcheon, said: “Our renowned Christmas Classic showcases the best quality livestock that Scotland has to offer. Buyers and butchers alike head to the north-east each year to purchase top prime livestock from the best exhibitors for the Christmas market.”
The mart is now on the hunt for entries for the event – pedigree stock entries must be submitted by 5pm on Monday November 2, while entries of prime stock and calves for the Rising Stars show must be submitted by noon on Monday November 16.
Judging the haltered beef cattle and butchers cattle sections will be Joe Greenhill of Mathieson Jess, Paisley and Louise Forsyth of WTS Forsyth & Sons, Peebles, while the young farmers beef cattle will be judged by Jamie Scott of John Scott Meats in Paisley.
The judge for prime sheep is Harry Wood of Dutton, Preston.