Home   News   Article

Limousin cross heifer takes the title at the Christmas Classic


By David Porter

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

A Limousin cross heifer from Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, secured the overall championship at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic held at Thainstone Centre this week.

The overall champion from Harry Brown.
The overall champion from Harry Brown.

The annual event, which is recognised as one of Scotland’s premier show of prime animals, went ahead in a reduced format this year and was sponsored by the Aberdeen Fatstock Association.

A total of 44 unhaltered prime cattle sold through the ring and saw 24 heifers average 282.5p per kg or £1739.70, while 20 steers levelled at 260.9p or £1702.04.

Taking the overall honours when tapped out by judge Bill Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Grange, Keith, was Harry’s 23-month-old home-bred heifer.

Sired by Culsh Invincible and bred out of a home-bred Limousin cross dam, she weighed 615kg and sold to Forbes Raeburn Butchers, Huntly.

Forbes Raeburn Butchers also paid the second top price of £2400 for the native champion animal from David and Neil Work, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny, Ellon.

This was a 622kg, April, 2019-born home-bred Aberdeen-Angus cross bullock by Sebay Jacobite R203, bred out of a home-bred Limousin cross dam.

Stewart Mackie Butchers, Aberlour, paid £2100 for the reserve overall champion, a Limousin cross heifer scaling 645kg from Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart of Huntly and Insch.

She was born in June, 2018 and was bred by Ron Cruickshank, Little Kype Farm, Strathaven.

Next best at 370p or £2072 was the reserve bullock champion, an 18-month-old Limousin cross bullock from Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart.

Selling to BT Kitson Butchers, Hutton Rudby, Yarm, he scaled 562kg and was bred by WD Stephen and Co, Meikle Geddes, Nairn.

The bullock champion weighing 645kg from the same duo sold for £2405 or 370p per kg to BT Kitson Butchers.

This was Gordon The Gofer, an April, 2019-born Limousin cross bred by Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, Acharacle, which the duo purchased at the calf sale at Thainstone in October.

Lewis Keir, Cairncoullie, Glenkindie, Alford, received £2000 for his reserve champion in the Young Farmers section.

Purchased by Bruce Of The Broch, Fraserburgh, was a 19-month-old Limousin cross heifer scaling 566kg.

Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, won the butchers’ champion title with a Limousin cross heifer named Sparky, which was bred by the Duncans at Achdregnie, Glenlivet.

Purchased in January, 2019 at Thainstone, this April, 2019-born heifer weighed 600kg and was also bought by Bruce Of The Broch.

The same home also stood reserve native champion with a home-bred, 19-month-old Aberdeen-Angus cross heifer by Skaill Dalton.

Weighing 662kg, she sold for £1800 to John M Munro Butchers, Dingwall.

Young farmer winner Cally Harper from Turriff.
Young farmer winner Cally Harper from Turriff.

Winning the Young Farmers’ section this year was Cally Harper from Turriff, who went on to sell her champion for £1750 to Malcolm Allan, Larbert.

This was a 706kg, February, 2019-born Limousin cross bullock named Terminator, which was bred by John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait.

In the prime lamb section, the overall championship was won by Ronnie Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt, with a pair of home-bred Beltex cross lambs scaling 43.5kg which sold for £250 per life to the judge Charlie Anderson, Nether Stenries, Dumfries, who was buying on behalf of HM Sheridan Butchers, Banchory and Ballater.

The reserve champion lambs, a pair of 54kg Texel crosses from Jacqueline Davidson, Southfield, New Deer, sold to the same buyers for £180 per life.

Selling for the top price of £260 per head was the Young Farmers’ champion lambs from Lewis Gallier, The Sheiling, Daviot, Inverurie.

This was a pair of Beltex crosses weighing 45kg which sold online to Andrew Polson, Glenfinnan, Findon.

Taking the reserve honours in the Young Farmers’ section was Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, Longside, Peterhead, with a pair of 42kg Beltex crosses purchased for £110 per life by Janan Meat, Ham Lane, Kingswinford, West Midlands.

Prize list-

Prime cattle

Light unhaltered heifers – 1 and butchers’ champion, Sheep Park Farms, 600kg, £1950; 2 Ross Bros, Wardhead, Strichen, 555kg, 300p and 3 H and K Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, 595kg, 275p.

Heavy unhaltered heifers – 1 and overall champion, H and K Brown, 615kg, £4100; 2 and reserve overall champion, Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, 645kg, £2100 and 3 Sheep Park Farms, 642kg, 240p.

Light unhaltered bullocks – 1 and champion bullock, Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, 654kg, 370p; 2 and reserve bullock champion, Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart, 562kg, 370p and 3 R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt, 588kg, 265p.

Heavy unhaltered bullocks – 1 S Smith, Sunnyhill Farms, Claymires, 656kg, 265p; 2 R Mackenzie and Sons, Glebe of Deisher, Boat of Garten, 686kg, 240p and 3 Harry G Finnie, Wellside of Balthangie, Cuminestown, Turriff, 686kg, 235p.

Young Farmers light heifers – 1 and reserve champion, Lewis Keir, Cairncoullie, Glenkindie, Alford, 566kg, £2000; 2 Thomas Hall, Auchmaliddie Mains, 618kg, 290p and 3 Cally Harper, Westholme, 7 Deveron Rd, Turriff, 626kg, 245p.

Young Farmers heavy heifers – 1 Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen, 640kg, 250p; 2 Lewis Keir, Cairncoullie, 688kg, 260p and 3, Thomas Hall, 632kg, 250p.

Young Farmers bullocks – 1 and champion, Cally Harper, 706kg, £1750; 2 Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, 746kg, 225p and 3, Jenna Ross, 628kg, 245p.

Native unhaltered heifers – 1 and reserve native, Sheep Park Farms, 662kg, £1800; 2, Sheep Park Farms, 638kg, 270p and 3 J and B Muir, Honeyneuk, Maud, Peterhead, 566kg, 255p.

Native unhaltered bullocks – 1 and champion native, D Work and Sons, 622kg, £2400; 2, J and B Muir, 652kg, 235p and 3 D Work and Sons, 672kg, 235p.

Prime sheep

Light lambs – 1 and overall champion, R Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt, 43.5kg, £250; 2, J and J Strachan, New Mains, Glenkindie, Alford, £112 and 3 R Wilkie, 49kg, £104.

Heavy lambs – 1 and reserve champion, Jacqueline Davidson, Southfield, New Deer, 54kg, £180; 2, J and J Strachan, 58kg, £125 and 3 Jacqueline Davidson, 54.5kg, £112.

Native lambs – 1, R Wilkie, 55kg, £118; 2, R Wilkie, 46kg, £98 and 3 R Wilkie, 53kg, £104.

Young Farmers – 1 and champion, Lewis Gallier, The Shieling, Daviot, Inverurie, 45kg, £260; 2 and reserve, Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, 42kg, £110.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More