First-time exhibitor takes champion award at North of Scotland Poultry and Waterfowl Club show
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Entries for the 36th North of Scotland Poultry and Waterfowl Club show were up on the year with 417 large fowl, bantams, waterfowl and eggs on display at Castletown's Drill Hall.
The judges, all of whom commented on the high standard of entries, were Donald Bruce, Bettyhill, Don Manson, Halkirk, and Stromness man Duncan Firth.
First-time exhibitor Callum Gibson from Carrbridge took home the awards for show champion and best hard feather bantam with his blue Old English Game female. The reserve best in show, best large and best opposite sex to the champion went to Brora fancier Robbie Parkin, with an Old English Game cock.
The Hutchison family from Finstown had three birds that won their sections. Stephen won both best large fowl heavy breed and bantam heavy breed with white Wyandotte females, while his wife Ingrid won best large fowl light breed with a Silkie pullet.
Stephen also took home the trophy for the most points in the show for the fourth consecutive year.
In the waterfowl section, entries from Kelly Millar, Elgin, came out on top with her white call duck winning best exhibit and her Pekin duck placed reserve. Golspie exhibitor Fergus Morrison won the same award as last year and this time it was his Scots Grey male that won best light breed bantam.
Orkney breeders had a successful day with another three exhibits selected for the top row. In the true bantam section, Hoy exhibitor Donald MacIsaac took the honours with a white Pekin bantam cockerel.
The novice section was won by Domini Taylor from Burray with an entry from the waterfowl class, while the best trio award was collected by Melvyn Wick from Stromness with a trio of white Wyandotte bantams.
In a hotly contested junior section a Modern Game bantam female from Erin and Neave Sutherland came out on top. The Halkirk sisters also won the trophy for most points by a junior.
Spittal exhibitor Michael Grogan won both the champion and reserve accolades in the egg section with his Marans brown eggs.
Show sponsors were Caithness Livestock Breeders Ltd, which donated six bags of poultry feed, and Donald Manson, who presented cash prizes for the main section winners.
Main prize-winners:
Best large heavy breed: Wyandotte female, Stephen Hutchison, Finstown.
Reserve: Wyandotte male, Stephen Hutchison, Finstown.
Best large light breed: Silkie female, Ingrid Hutchison, Finstown.
Reserve: Welsummer female, Allan Sutherland, Halkirk.
Best large hard feather: Old English game male, Robbie Parkin, Brora.
Reserve: Old English Game female, Robbie Parkin, Brora.
Best large waterfowl: Pekin female, Kelly Millar, Elgin.
Reserve: Saxony female, Danny McCarthy, Mey.
Best miniature waterfowl: Call female, Kelly Millar, Elgin.
Reserve: Call male, Khush Celli, Bettyhill.
Best SF bantam light breed: Scots Grey male, Fergus Morrison, Golspie.
Reserve: Poland female, Brian Millar, Elgin.
Best SF bantam heavy breed: Wyandotte bantam female, Stephen Hutchison, Finstown.
Reserve: German Langshan male, Kevin Macdonald, Castletown.
Best true bantam: Pekin male, Donald MacIsaac, Hoy.
Reserve: Pekin female, Donald MacIsaac, Hoy.
Best hard feather bantam: Old English Game female, Callum Gibson, Carrbridge.
Reserve: Old English game female, Callum Gibson, Carrbridge.
Best novice: Saxony duck, Domini Taylor, Burray.
Reserve: Modern Game bantam male, Erin and Neave Sutherland, Halkirk.
Best junior: Modern Game bantam female, Erin and Neave Sutherland, Halkirk.
Reserve: Australorp bantam male, Morven and Liam Mackenzie, Halkirk.
Best trio: White Wyandotte bantams, Melvyn Wick, Stromness.
Reserve: Pekin Bantams, James Brown, Applecross.
Best egg exhibit: Three large brown eggs, Michael Grogan, Spittal.
Reserve: Single large brown egg, Michael Grogan, Spittal.
Most points in show: Stephen Hutchison, Orkney.
Most points in large poultry section: Fergus Morrison, Golspie.
Most points in waterfowl section: James Brown, Applecross.
Most points by a junior: Erin and Neave Sutherland, Halkirk.
