Gordie Begg, Vauldale, Nybster, takes open prime cattle championship at the Christmas show and sale, Quoybrae
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Aberdeen and Northern Marts held the annual Caithness Christmas show and sale at Quoybrae on Monday and Tuesday (December 5-6) – selling a total of 103 cattle and 4601 sheep.
The event saw local auctioneer Ian Macleay receive a presentation marking his retirement after 30 years’ service with ANM Group. Ian has always provided exceptional service to members and customers being a key link between Caithness Livestock Centre and Thainstone Centre. The whole team wished him the happiest retirement.
Champion in the open prime cattle section was a 635kg Limousin cross bullock from Gordie Begg, Vauldale, Nybster, which sold for £3000 (472.4p) to Mackays Hotel, Wick. This championship was sponsored by NFU Mutual and judged by Gary Raeburn, Forbes Raeburn & Son Butchers, Huntly,
Reserve champion went to a 515kg Limousin cross heifer from Messrs Swanson, Quarryside, Castletown, selling for £1600 (310.7p) to J M Munro Ltd, Dingwall.
Young Farmers champion was a 665kg Limousin cross bullock from Neil Campbell, Thirdpart, Watten, which sold for £2000 (300.8p) to John M Munro Ltd. Will Oag, Achiebeg, Shebster, took the reserve champion with a 673kg Limousin cross heifer, selling for £1700 (252.6p).
Two 45kg Beltex from Messrs Sutherland, Stainland and Sibmister Farms took the championship in the open pen of prime lambs section judged by Graeme Smith, Towiemore, Keith. They were sold for £580 a head to Mackays Hotel, Wick. Reserve champions were two 48kg Beltex from D M MacDonald, Taldale, Forss, selling for £460 a head to Puldagon Farm Shop & Restaurant.
The Young Farmers champion pen of prime lambs, sponsored by Duncan & Todd, were two 61kg Texels from Sophie Gunn, The Shein, Hill of Forss, selling for £540 a head to Puldagon Farm Shop & Restaurant. Reserve champions were two 44kg continentals from Bethany Swanson, Framside, which sold for £200 a head to I G Thomson, Keith.
Champion pen of 10 untrimmed prime lambs, sponsored by Willie Gulloch, Hempriggs Mains, Wick, and judged by Tony Kiernan, Vale Farm, Preston, were 51kg Texels from R Campbell, Thirdpart, Watten – selling for £122 a head. Reserve champions were 41kg Cheviots from Messrs T Sinclair, Reaster, Lyth, and sold for £118 a head to E M Smith & Son, Towiemore, Keith.
Store bullocks (57) sold to 264.6p per kg for 291kg Charolais crosses from Brackside, Reay, and £1290 gross for a 499kg Charolais cross from Dunbeath Estate, Dunbeath.
Store heifers (56) sold to 257.3p for 377kg Charolais crosses from Dunbeath Farms and £1490 gross for a 547kg Limousin cross from Braeside, New Road.
Prime Lambs (1406) averaged 230.6p per kg and sold to 287.8p per kg for 41kg Texel crosses and £124.50 for 54kg continentals from Balnahard, Harpsdale.
Store Lambs (1926) averaged £70.44 and sold to £120 for Cheviot ewe lambs from Lynton Cottage, Ulbster.
Feeding Ewes & Rams (1,269) averaged £70.60 and sold to £250 for Texels from R Mackay, Clyth Mains, Lybster.
Leading prices per head and kg
Prime bullocks: Charolais X – Brae Edge £1845, 246p; Limousin X – Brae Edge £1833, 248p; Aberdeen Angus X – Lynegar £1740.96 248p; Sta X – Clatequoy £1733.10; Hereford X – Clatequoy £1702.
Prime heifers: Limousin – Scrabster House £1644.48, 288p; Limousin X – Framside £1458, 270p; Limousin – Quarryside £1409.80, 266p.
Store bullocks: Up to 250kg – Bowertower Mains (Limousin X) £510, 219.8p; 251-300kg – Brackside, Reay (Charolais) £770, 264.6p; 301-350kg – Brackside (Charolais) £880, 259.6p; 351-400kg – Dunbeath Farms (Charolais) £1040, 262.1p; 401-450kg – Dunbeath Farms (Charolais) £1090, 261.4p; 451-500kg –Dunbeath Farms (Charolais) £1290, 258.5p; 551-600kg – Roadside, Auckengill £1,235, 220.5p.
Store heifers: Up to 250kg- Bowertower Mains (Limousin X) £535, 217.5p; 251-300kg – Rhemullen, Houstry Road (Limousin X) £630, 224.2p; 301-350kg – Rhemullen (Limousin X) £740, 230.5p; 351-400kg – Dunbeath Farms (Charolais X) £970, Brackside (Charolais X) 237.6p; 401-450kg – Dunbeath Farms (Charolais X) £1,045, 248.2p; 451-500kg – Dunbeath Farms (Charolais X) £1,195, 240.4p; 501-550kg – Bluewhin (LimX) 208.4p; 601-660kg – Ha, Bowermadden (Limousin X) £1380.
Prime lambs: Cont – Backlass Croft, Watten £122.50, Sibmister 265.5p; Suffolk – Taldale, Forss £122.50, West Greenland 240.7p; Texel –Thirdpart, Watten £122, Sibmister 261.8p; Cheviot – Tofts of Tain £119.50, Bardnaclavan, Bridge of Westfield 238.4p; Continental X – Sibmister £119.50, Reaster Lyth 246.4p; Texel X – Sibmister £118, Clachan, Mid-Clyth 246.6p; Beltex – Skinnet, Halkirk £115.50, 268.6p; Suffolk X – Scarmclate, Halkirk £115.50, Reaster 242.7p; Cheviot X – Bardnaclavan, Tofts of Tain £114.50, West Greenland, Castletown 237.8p; Black – Stitley £113.50, Sibmister, Castletown 263.8p; Cheviot X – 8 Murrayfield, Castletown £113.50, West Watten 236p; Down X – 3 Skaill, Forss £112.50, Blackpark, Watten 237.8p; Beltex X – Thorhaven, 27 River View, 5 West Murkle £109.50, 5 West Murkle 250p; Zwartables – Stitley £102.50.
Leading prices per head
Store lambs: Continental – Park View, Auckengill £94.50; Continental X – Achvarasdal, Reay £91.50; Beltex –5 West Murkle, Thurso £89.50; Texel – Hoy & Braal £89.50; Suffolk – Milton Farm, Halkirk £88.50; Texel X – 3 Upper Dounreay £88.50; Suffolk X – Old Stirkoke, Milton Farm, West Canisbay £87.50; Cheviot X – 3 Upper Dounreay £85.50; Down X – Swiney, Lybster £85.50; Cheviot X – Lynton Cottage £83.50; Black – Keoltag, Reay £81.50; Cheviot – Nybster, Auckengill £74.50.
Feeding ewes and rams: Tex – Clyth Mains £229.50; Texel X – Bardnaclavan £229.50; Cont – Bardnaclavan £141.50; NCC – Overton, Lybster £134.50; Continental X – Clyth Mains £131.50; Suffolk – Balnahard £129.50; Suffolk X – Athenry, Janetstown £127.50; Cross – Sunray Cottage £124.50; Cross – Balnahard £119.50; Cheviot – Sunray Cottage £117.50; Lie – Granton Mains £115.50; Cheviot X – 3 Forss £104.50; Down X – Keoltag, Reay £101.50; Mule –Westend, Newport £91.50; BF – Ha, Bowermadden £71.50.
Feeding rams: NCC – Bardnaclavan £144.50; Texel – Sibmister £141.50; Suffolk – Athenry £129.50; Continental – Sibmister £119.50; Cheviot – Achavrole £119.50; BFL – Sibmister £111.50.
Christmas show results
Prime cattle competition (haltered/unhaltered) – Light bullock: 1 Gordie Begg, Vauldale, Nybster, (overall champion); 2 Neil Campbell, Thirdpart, (Young Farmers champion); 3 Will Oag, Achiebeg, Shebster (YF reserve champion). Heavy bullock: 1 John Swanson, Clatequoy, Thurso, 795kg £1733.10; 2 Bethany Swanson, Framside, Thurso, 740kg £1702; 3 D A Budge, Brae Edge, Castletown 750kg £1,845. Light heifer: 1 Messrs Swanson, Quarryside, Castletown (reserve open champion); 2 Messrs Swanson, Quarryside, 530kg £1,409.80.
Heavy heifer: 1 W Oag 571kg £1644.48; 2 James Swanson, Framside, 540kg £1458. Native bullock: W Barnetson & Sons, Lynegar, Watten,702kg £1740.96.
Best Aberdeen Angus: Wm Barnetson & Sons. Best opposite sex: Messrs Swanson. Best home bred animal: G Begg.
Young Farmers prime cattle – Champion and best home bred: N Campbell. Reserve champion and best opposite sex: W Oag.
Open prime sheep – Pen of two light Suffolk lambs:1 Stainland & Sibmister Farms 46kg £118; 2 E Grant and K Dunnet, Newton, Swiney 47.5kg £118. Pen of two heavy Suffolk lambs: R Campbell, Thirdpart, 57.5kg £135. Pen of two light any other native breed lambs: 1 Fiona Swanson, Hillhead, Dunnet 46.5kg £112; 2 Stainland & Sibmister Farms 44kg £102; 3 Stainland & Sibmister Farms, 45kg £95. Pen of two heavy any other native breed lambs: 1 D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan, Westfield 47kg £110; 2 Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, Longoe, 51kg £110.
Pen of two light Texel lambs: 1 A McCarthy, Longoe Farm, Mey, 45kg £130; 2 E Grant and K Dunnet 45kg £120; 3 E Grant and K Dunnet 45kg £115. Pen of two heavy Texel lambs: 1 Stainland & Sibmister Farms 51kg £132; 2 D N Campbell & Sons 54kg £190; 3 D N Campbell & Sons 51kg £120.
Pen of two light any other continental breed lambs: 1 Stainland & Sibmister Farms (overall champion); 2 Stainland & Sibmister Farms, 45kg £138; 3 Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust 43kg £125. Pen of two heavy any other continental breed lambs: 1 D MacDonald, Taldale, Forss (reserve champion); 2 Jake MacBeath, Folly Farm, Murkle 55kg £130; 3 Messrs Swanson, Quarryside 50kg £130.
Young Farmers: Prime sheep – Pen of two light continental breed lambs: 1 Bethany Swanson, Framside, (reserve champion); 2 A McCarthy, East Mey, Thurso, 40kg £105; 3 Benjamin Rogers, Cogle Farm, Watten 43kg £95. Pen of two medium continental breed lambs: 1Neve Sutherland, Bardnaheigh, Harpsdale 45kg £130; 2 James Swanson, Framside, 51kg £122; 3 A McCarthy 50kg £132. Pen of two heavy continental breed lambs:
1 Sophie Gunn, Hill of Forss, Thurso (champion); 2 N Campbell 54kg £128; 3 Danny MacBeath, Folly Farm 60.5kg £160. Pen of two light native breed lambs: A McCarthy 43kg £100.
Pen of 10 untrimmed native lambs: Messrs T Sinclair, Reaster, Lyth 48kg £106.50. Pen of 10 untrimmed continental lambs: 1 Messrs R Campbell, Thirdpart, (champion) 51kg £122; 2 Stainland & Sibmister Farms, (reserve champion) 41kg £118; 3 D MacDonald 44kg £104.50
