Challenge Shield returns after 50 years with a win for Fraserburgh competitors
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With increased entries, favourable weather and thousands of visitors the 2024 Royal Northern Spring Show has been hailed as another resounding success.
The one-day event was hosted by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society at Thainstone Centre near Inverurie last week and is widely regarded at marking the start of the agricultural events calendar.
It featured a bumper turnout of indoor and ourdoor trade stands, increased horse and sheep entries and visits by some 300 schoolchildren from 12 schools across the norh-east, thanks to the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative.
The Royal Northern Agricultural Society Challenge Shield was presented for the first time in more than 50 years and winning it in the any other native breed section were William and David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness, Fraserburgh with three home-bredd Suffolk cross hoggs. They went on to become champion of the breeding sheep section.
Meanwhile, leading the way in the prime sheep section was a pair of 40.5kg home-bred Beltex cross hoggs from Angus Greenlaw, Sheep Park Farms, Huntly.
The following day saw attention turn to Woodhead Bros in Turriff for the carcase cattle and sheep competition where Ross Bros of Wardhead, Strichen won top honours in the cattle (hook) and G & D Anderson, Brucewells, Netherley
took top spot in classes judged on the hoof.
The champion hoggs came from I & E Stott, West Latch, Newburgh.
Back at the Spring Show three long serving staff members from local firms were presented with long service awards.
In the competitions, in the busy horse and pony classes where entries were up year on year, overall champion was Aina B Barnwell from Aberchirder with five-year-old Heaton Seren from the Azgard Welsh Cob Stud.
In the cereals classes, the overall champion was H & H Simpson with a crop of Colosseum wheat.
The overall champion silage was from Robert Anderson, Corskellie whilst the overall champion hay was exhibited by A Beattie, Gowanfold.
Topping the potato and turnip classes were Royal Northern Spring Show stalwarts J & E Forrester, Aldie Farm, Cruden Bay with the Sunshine variety of potatoes and Doon Major turnips.
The SWI competition to create a picnic was won by Irene Henderson, Linda Kennedy, Heather Harold, Jane Farquhar from Fordyce SWI.
In the SAYFC stockjudging competition David Moir, Molly Poiser, McKenzie Kingaby of Strichen A won the team event. Natalie Milne of Turriff B won the individual ladies’ award with David Moir again taking top spot in the individual gents’ competition.
Prize for the best outdoor stand at the 2024 Royal Northern Spring Show went to Sellars and the contest for the best indoor stand was won by Gray Feed Services.
Commenting on the success of the event, RNAS president Alan Cumming said: “A dry day, increased entries in the horse and sheep sections and the presence of so many top quality exhibitors meant that it truly was a bumper Spring Show in many ways.
“The car parks were full and trade stands reported brisk business throughout the day, which had a really good buzz about it and helps set the tempo for the year ahead.
"We are once again indebted to the many people whose contribution ensured the huge success of the event.”
