IN PICTURES: The final Joe Watson Testimonial Stockjudging
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All roads led to New Deer on Friday evening as the final Joe Watson Annual Testimonial Event took place at Auchmaliddie Mains.
Home of Agriscot’s Beef Farmer of The Year 2022 host farmers Harry and Helen Brown welcomed over 600 guests and participants to the fundraiser which was run by New Deer and Turriff Branches of NFU Scotland and which raised over £22,000.
Host Harry Brown: "We were delighted to be asked to host the stockjudging in the memory of Joe Watson and hopefully raise a lot for charity.
"With my wife Helen and children Abbie and Murray and also Thomas and Jennifer Hall, we run 750 acres and a further 200 acres of season lets, worked as 400 acres of crop, but our main output is 200 breeding cows and the same number of store cattle and we have recently started to sell some heifers with calf at foot.
"During lockdown we started selling beef direct to customers and its turned our very rewarding talking to the end consumer, because the beef has to be good.
"Slaughtered at Millers of Speyside, the meat is dry aged for 30 days at Forbes Raeburn in Huntly and we sell direct and through local markets."
The stock judging involved grading five categories of cattle and one of sheep, with four in each class, the winners being those coming closest to the scoring from the event judges.
Taking the top honours and the final award of the perpetual trophy was Sally Glennie from Burnside, Keig who is a member of Vale of Alford JAC.
Runner up was George Pirie and third place went to Garry Troup.
Under12 winners - 1 Logan Pirie; 2 Lucy Anderson and 3 Emma Brown.
Young Farmers - 1 Sally Glennie; Scott Day and 3 Ellen Glennie.
Adults - 1 George Pirie; 2 Brian Troup and 3 David Hind.
Fellow agricultural journalist Eddie Gillanders spoke to the gathering on Joe Watson's legacy: "It's wonderful to see Joe's mother and brothers here tonight.
"The local branches of the NFU are to be congratulated for arranging an event like this over the last few years to remember Joe who was such a good friend to the farming industry in the north-east and beyond and to everyone here as well as to colleagues like myself in agricultural journalism who held him in high regard.
"When we agri-hacks get together we still here comments like "What would Joe have made of this?" and how would he have tackled this.
"He became a legend in his own lifetime and it was a tradgedy that he was taken away so early in life, both to his family and the press.
"The standards he set are being maintained by Katrina McArthur who is work to his high benchmarks.
"Joe didn't see himself as a mouthpiece for the farming industry and nor should have
"He saw his job was giving impartial and fair coverage and he was incredible good at it.
"His strong north-east working ethic, accurate reporting and knowledge of the industry earned him many plaudits and respect in the industry, from farmers to ministers.
"He would never hold back if he felt something wasn't right - such as tracking a businessman to his French villa to fight for those who had not been paid, and his disdain for 'slipper' farmers.
"His dedication to get to the heart of a story was unrivalled and local coverage was his bread and butter but he travelled the world as a member of the IFJA, and he helped bring the conference to Aberdeen.
"Everyone here has done Joe proud tonight and the huge turnout is a measure of the esteem he was held in.
"This is the last event to honour him, but he will not be forgotten."
