Finlay takes home the Calladrum Cup at the Young Farmers Overwintering Competition

The annual Young Farmers overwintering competition hosted by Aberdeen & Northern Marts in conjunction with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC), and sponsored by Ledingham Chalmers took place at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie on Thursday, March 23 followed by the sale on Friday.

Finlay Hunter receiving the Calladrum Cup from sponsor Hazel Moir

The Calladrum Cup, which is won by collecting points for highest feeder margin, highest average daily liveweight gain, best presented and paraded animal and best quality animal, was presented to Finlay Hunter, West Carinhill, Culsalmond, Huntly from Garioch Young Farmers Club.

The competition now in its 31st year encourages young farmers to take part in the buying and selling of cattle through the live auction system and, in particular to practice the art of stockmanship in the tasks of selection, feeding, presenting and parading animals for Show and Sale.

Young farmers took up the opportunity to purchase cattle at the autumn sales, feed them through the winter with a key part of the competition covering the commercial aspects of production in the feeders’ margin and daily weight gain categories.

Tommy Taylor from Heathery Hall Farm, Biggar judged the proceedings with 40 Young Farmers, including 13 novice exhibitors from across the North East of Scotland participating in the event, with 70 head of cattle forward.

Finlay won the Overall Champion position with his Charolais Cross Heifer weighing 522Kg, which also received Overall Heifer Champion and the Charolais Society Special prize, the Champion beast went on to sell for £2,500.

Champion Bullock was awarded to Jayne Mitchell, Ploverward, Grange, Keith for her British Blue Cross Bullock weighing 568kgs, which sold for £2,250.

Home Bred Champion was awarded to a Limousin Cross Heifer weighing 468kgs from Charlotte Cooper, Govals Farm, Kincaldrum, Fofar which went on to sell for £2,200.

Jennifer Hall, 6 Bruce Brae, Longside won first place in the Best Presented and Paraded.

The sale held on Friday 24th March at Thainstone Centre saw strong trade with the top selling lot achieving £3,400 for a 448kg Charolais Cross Heifer from Mark Robertson, Easter Fodderletter, Tomintoul.

A 570kg British Blue Cross Heifer from Faith Miskelly, Corrybrae, Kildrummy, Alford sold for £3,100 to J &J young, East Sinnahard, Glenkiddie, Alford

Jack Stuart, Belnoe Chapletown, Glenlivet sold his 596kgs Limousin Cross Heifer for £3,000, selling to Aidan Carroll, Edendiack, Huntly.

A 414kg Limousin Cross Heifer from Owen Young, Nether Drumallochie, Glenkindie, Alford achieved £2,600, being purchased by Aidan Carrol, Edendiack, Huntly.

Hannah Lorimer, Cadgerford, Kingswells, Aberdeen sold her 446kg Limousin Cross Heifer for £2,550 to J & B Muir, Honeyneuk Farm, Maud, Peterhead.

Finn Christie, Newton of Balquhain, Pitcaple, Inverurie achieved £2,400 for his Limousin Cross Heifer weighing 460kg, which sold to Aidan Carroll, Edendiack, Huntly.

A Salers Cross Bullock weighing 728kg from Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen sold to G A Reid, Mains of Newton for £2,120.

The sale saw 38 heifer sells to the average of £3.81 per kg, £1,809.74 average per head and 31 bullocks selling to the average of £3.35per kg, £1.715.16 average per head, with the overall average of £1,767.25 per head.

Scott Chapman, Auctioneer at Aberdeen & Northern Marts said “We were thrilled to host the Young Farmers Overwintering competition again this year and it was great to have seen a strong entry from enthusiast budding farmers.

”A fantastic show of cattle were brought forward from young farmers from across the North East with trade reflecting on this. We were delighted to have 13 first time exhibitors forward and it is great to see these young stock men and women participating in competition. A huge thanks goes to Ledingham Chalmers who kindly sponsored the event.