English 'raiders' take top awards at Scots winter fair

Two weeks ago, Scottish cattle exhibitors went south and took most of the top prizes at the Smithfield Show held at Peterborough. Yesterday, at the Royal Highland Winter Fair at Ingliston, a raiding party of top English cattle exhibitors got their own back to take the silverware home.

The overall cattle championship, chosen by judge Alistair Cormack of Leven, went to a heifer shown by Devon - based Michael and Marion Alford who combine their interest in showing cattle with their family owned abattoir. Fourteen month old Aliandro was bred by J Lee & Sons and has a Limousin cross British Blue sire and a British Blue cross dam.

Cormack praised her style and depth of carcase and said she was the best of a very good overall entry especially in the heifer classes.

Reserve championship in the cattle section went to Phil and Sharon Sellers, of Thorpe Tilney in Lincolnshire, who bought the 14 - month - old British Blue sired heifer Sweet Cheeks from breeder, J Richardson, Duffton, for 8,000.

The champion native breed went to M & M Alford with their Galloway heifer and Ewan MacPherson, Mill Farm, Barcaldine, took the non - indigenous award for a Charolais Heifer.

The overall sheep championship went to a pair of Beltex sired lambs shown by Andrew Morton, Lochend Farm, Denny, who triumphed over a pair of pure Blackface lambs from Messrs R & B Dickie, Spango, Sanquhar. To round off a great day for the Morton's, daughter and son, Kirsty and Andrew, took the Young Farmers Sheep championship.

The Royal Highland Winter Fair is a partnership between the Royal Highland Society and the Scottish National Fat Stock Club. Chairman of the partnership board, Bruce Lang, said that while the initial three - year agreement has been completed he hoped the partnership would continue. Lang estimated yesterday's attendance at the free event as being close to 4,000, a figure he said was very encouraging.

Champions: Cattle: Best bred by exhibitor - M & M Alford; Lightweight heifer- M & M Alford; Reserve - B Paton, Spott, Glen Prosen; Lightweight steer - H Dunlop, Holehouse, Ochiltree; Intermediate steer - S Sellers, Tilney, Lincs; Heavyweight Steer - E MacPherson, Mill Farm, Barcaldine; Heavyweight heifer - Mrs S Sellers, Tilney, Lins; Aberdeen Angus - M & H Currie, Skewbridge, Mouswald; Galloway - M & M Alford, Foxhill, Devon; Highland Cattle - HM The Queen; Young Farmers Class - Hyslop & Richardson, Balluskie, Girvan; Reserve J Nisbet, Mains Farm, Sorn; Best Beef Ribs - William Purdon, Staven, Carluke. Sheep: Blackface - R & B Dickie, Spango, Sanquhar; Swaledale - C Akrigg, Manor Farm, Skipton; Dalebred - J Bradley, Penny Grange, Settle; North Country Cheviot - Bridgewater & Wood, Langholm; South Country Cheviot - B & M Cockburn, Stirkfield, Biggar; Mules and Crosses - R Archer & Son, Carryhouse, Hexham; Butchers' Weight lambs - A Morton, Lochend, Denny.