Strong show of primestock at Caithness Christmas show and sale
A strong show of primestock was forward at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ annual Caithness Christmas show and sale held at Quoybrae on Monday and Tuesday.
The show of prime cattle, sponsored by NFU Mutual Dingwall and Thurso, was judged by Blair Duffton, Huntly, who awarded the overall championship to a Limousin cross heifer from Lauren Oag, Achiebeg, Thurso.
Scaling 616kg, this heifer sold for the top price of £3400 or 551p per kg to regular buyers, Mackays Hotel, Wick, purchasing for the annual Champions Dinner.
The reserve honours went to an Aberdeen-Angus cross bullock weighing 725kg from William Barnetson and sons, James and Will, from Lynegar, Watten.
It was knocked down to John M Munro Ltd, Dingwall, for £1800 or 248.2p per kg.
Bethany Swanson, Framside, Thurso, stood Young Farmers champion with a 763kg Hereford cross bullock, which also sold to John M Munro Ltd, for £1850 or 242.4p per kg.
Reserve to Bethany was a Limousin cross bullock scaling 624kg from James Gunn, Whitefield, Reiss, which made £1600 or 26.4p to John M Munro Ltd.
The prime lamb section, sponsored by Nona Mackay, West Greenland, and judged by Michael Wilson of Woodhead Bros, Turriff, was won by Kenny Sutherland and sons, Stephen and Kenneth, of Stainland and Sibmister Farms, Thurso.
Scaling 46kg, the winning Texel duo sold for £450 per life to Mackays Hotel, Thurso.
In reserve was a pair of 55kg Texels from Jonnie Campbell, Bardnaclavan, Bridge of Westfield, Thurso, which sold for £210 per life to John M Munro Ltd.
Overall champion in the Young Farmers’ lambs, sponsored by Duncan and Todd, was two 45.5kg Beltex from Alistair McCarthy, East Mey, Thurso, which sold for £300 per life to Puldagon Farm Shop and Restaurant, Stirkoke, Wick.
Alistair also stood reserve in the Young Farmers’ section with two 45kg Beltex which made £170 per life to Woodhead Bros, Turriff.
A new section of the show included the pens of 10 untrimmed lambs sponsored by Willie Gulloch, Hempriggs Mains, Wick, which was won by Stainland and Sibmister Farms, when tapped out by judge John Errington, Penrith.
Selling to Backmuir Livestock, Keith, for £141 per head, was a pen of 44kg Texels.
The same home stood reserve in the untrimmed lambs with 10 North Country Cheviots weighing 43kg which were purchased by Woodhead Bros, for £122 per head.