The Scottish National Winter Fair benefited from its move to a Saturday with a larger crowd than the traditional Wednesday gathering at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh.
The hall layout was also improved, with a craft fair filling some of the previously empty space.
However, the fair would benefit from some timetabling changes to make it more compact.
There was no shortage of competitors, many of them from south of the border, proving that there is still a healthy appetite for showing prime stock.
Wilson Peters, of Ibert, Monzie, Crieff, made it a remarkable double following his overall championship at the Scottish National Premier Meat Exhibition at Bridge of Allan the previous weekend.
His live champion on Saturday was the 19-month-old 592kg Limousin heifer Needing TLC, by Naby Director and out of a British Blue cross cow. She was bred by Willie Stevenson, Coilavoulin, Pitlochry.
Cattle judge Jimmy Mulholland, of Great Orton, Cumbria, speaking just before he chose his champion, said he had two outstanding cattle in front of him, with Mr Peters’s heifer up against the steer champion from Michael and Melanie Alford, of Collompton, Devon. Mr Alford’s 22-month-old 688kg Limousin cross steer, Harlem Shake, is by Cawfields Dazzler and out of a pure Limousin cow.
He bought it at Leyburn Mart last March for £1,400 and it has since collected the steer championship at 14 shows. Mr Mulholland backed his decision and bought the supreme for £4,700, or £7.93 a kg.
The Aberdeen-Angus calf champion was the previous week’s Thainstone Black Beauty Bonanza heifer champion, Retties Ruth, from Richard and Carol Rettie, of Aberdona Mains, Alloa. In reserve was the yearling bull Cardona Eric, from Robbie Galloway, Cardona, Doune,
The Limousin calf show was led by a young bull from John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso. Roxburgh Homeland is by the 40,000gn Plumtree Fantastic and out of a dam sired by the Burke Trophy winner, Samy. Reserve Limousin was Foxhillfarm Izzy, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter, shown by the Alfords.
The lamb supreme went to J.T. Whiteford, Tercrosset, Cumbria, with a pair of Texel lambs, which weighed 46.5kg each and sold for £230 apiece to Wee Hae Meat, Girvan.
The reserve went to the leaders of the young breeders class, brother and sister Kirsty and Andrew Morton, of Lochend, Denny, with a pair of 45kg Beltex lambs.
They made £200 each to Jimmy Stark, of Bluebell, Milton of Campsie.