Royal Highland Show 2012: Continental breeds walk away with top awards

Continental cattle once again took the top awards in the inter-breed beef championships on the final day of the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston.

The long trip north for Limousin enthusiast, Doug Mash, of Torrington, Chesham proved well worth while as his rising four-year-old bull, Hafodlas Domino took the overall individual award and also the prestigious Queen’s Cup which rotates around the livestock sections. Interbreed judge, Jimmy McMillan, from Brechin, who has brought out no fewer than 24 Highland Show champions in his time, then chose the Simmental champion from the Youngs of Skerrington Mains, Kilmarnock as his reserve.

There was a fair bit of emotion with this award as the seven-year-old cow, Skerrington Rhona was shown by William Young, son of former RHASS chairman John Young, who died last July.

For the fifth time in the past decade, the Limousins took the inter-breed team award, the individual champion being joined by a cow from Smiths of Bloxham and both senior and junior heifers from the Illingworths of Howgillside, Lockerbie. They were followed by the British Blue team in reserve. The Smiths of Bloxham also took the junior championship with their 20-month-old Limousin heifer.

Native breeds did have success in the beef cattle pairs competition, where Willie McLaren senior, Netherton, Blackford, drew forward the Aberdeen Angus pair; a four-year-old bull Wedderlie Posse from Rae Grieve, Carhurlie, Leven, and a four-year-old cow, Drumdow Pure Pridella from the Brown family, Drumdow, Girvan.

Reserve in this section went to the Beef Shorthorn pair; a yearling bull from Jon wood, Brewsterwells, St Andrews and a seven year old cow from James Porter, Co Antrim.

John Forsyth must have a regular space on his mantelpiece for the Highland Show sheep inter-breed championship cup as he once again picked up the award at the weekend. His victory with a one-crop Texel ewe was the third time he has picked up the award with his Texels; he also won when he specialised in showing Border Leicester sheep.

Sheep inter-breed judge, Robin Thomson, Castle Douglas, then drew up the Suffolk champion, a two-crop ewe from Robbie Wilson, North Dorthlaithers, Turriff in reserve spot.

The sheep pairs championship went to the Bleu du Maines.