Tremendous show of prime and pedigree livestock destined for Aberdeen Christmas Classic at the Thainstone Centre
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
This year’s Aberdeen Christmas Classic held at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, has attracted an entry of 45 prime cattle and 25 pairs of prime lambs.
The annual event, organised by Aberdeen and Northern Marts in conjunction with the Aberdeen Fatstock Association, will take place on Wednesday, November 25 as a non-spectator event with strict Covid-19 restrictions in place.
“The Aberdeen Fatstock Association committee is very pleased to be able to hold a reduced and condensed Aberdeen Christmas Classic in light of Covid-19,” said Ross Williams, chairman of Aberdeen Fatstock Association.
“This prestigious event is regarded as Scotland’s premier show of prime animals and is a great opportunity for butchers and processors to buy the very best of Scottish beef and lamb.”
Mr Williams said that this year’s event will be sponsored by the Aberdeen Fatstock Association and attracts a cash prize fund of more than £2000, as well as an array of silverware.
The show of 45 unhaltered prime cattle and prime lambs will be held on Wednesday, November 25 at 7pm in Ring 2, followed by the sale on Thursday, November 26 alongside the firm’s weekly prime sales.
Judging will be streamed live and can be easily accessed on the Aberdeen and Northern Marts website.
Bill Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Grange, Keith, will be tasked with judging the cattle entries, while Charles Anderson, Nether Stenries, Carrutherstown, Dumfries, will head up the sheep classes.
Prime and cull cattle manager Tim McDonald, said: “Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding Covid-19, Aberdeen and Northern Marts is pleased to still be offering another terrific entry of prime animals for sale at this year’s small-scale event.”
In addition to the two-day event, the firm’s annual sale of pedigree sheep will take place prior to the Christmas Classic on Monday, November 23.
More than 200 in-lamb females from leading flocks will be up for sale including 82 Texels, 70 Suffolks, 24 Beltex, 12 Blue Texels, six Bluefaced Leicesters and 12 other pedigree breeds.
An added feature of this year’s sale will be two recipient ewes carrying Beltex lambs from the Mair family’s Aviemore flock at Muirfield, Everton of Auchry, Turriff.
The sale will commence with the Texels at 4pm in Ring 3, followed immediately by the Suffolks, Beltex, Blue Texel and other breeds of females in Ring 2.
Online bidding will also be available through the Thainstone Online Platform, which provides real-time bidding across all of the firm’s livestock, machinery and equipment sales.
Pre-sale viewing for the pedigree sheep will be in place from 3pm to 4pm and buyers must pre-register ahead of the sale.
