A gimmer from the Douganhill flock took top honours in the sheep lines at the Royal Highland Show, clinching the breed championship under judge Roger Strawbridge before going on to be tapped out as interbreed champion under Archie MacGregor on the third day of the show.
Topping the section for Douganhill Farms under the stewardship of Brian MacTaggart and family, was GCK18011101, a daughter of the 70,000gns Teiglum Younggun out of a dam by Cairnam Tavish.
Commenting on his interbreed champion, Mr MacGregor said she was a very well balanced gimmer which would make a fantastic ewe.
The gimmer was on her first outing this summer having stood first as a ewe lamb last year at Dumfries Show and marked an exceptional return to the Highland for the Douganhill flock after an absence of 12 years.
Taking reserve spot in both the female and overall championship was the winner of the aged ewe class, the one-crop ewe BFE1707032, a Plasucha ewe from the Alford family, Devon. This one is by Eden Valley Wizz Kid and out of a ram by Garngour Upperclass. She was purchased at Lanark last year for 18,000gns.
The Alford’s continued their winning ways in the male championship, taking the top ticket with three-shear ram Midlock Youre The One, a Midlock Wilson son out of a dam by Douganhill Monarch and bought in partnership with Jonathan Watson’s Brijon flock and John Elliot Jnr’s Roxburgh flock at Kelso as a shearling in September 2017.
Reserve male champion was the winner of the shearling ram class from the Knox family, Strawfrank Balvenie, a Cambwell Aristocrat son out of a dam by Strathbogie Usher. This shearling was bought for 5000gns at Kelso last September.
In the open ram lamb class the winner was John Connell’s lamb CLJ1901982, a Milnbank Bacardi son out of a Milnbank Wesley-sired dam.
Then in the performance recorded ram lambs the winner was Gordon Gray’s GGH1909204. This lamb is by the £29,000 2018 Kelso topper Garngour Awesome and out of a dam by Clinterty You Cracker which herself stood third in the aged ewe class later in the day.
Winning the ewe lamb class was the Knox family with their lamb KWJ1901784, a daughter of the 8000gns 2018-purchase Hexel Born To Be Wild and out of a dam by Garngour Vintage.
Meanwhile, the breed also enjoyed success in the commercial classes, with a Texel cross ewe with Texel sired lambs at foot taking the reserve championship for the Sutherland family. This ewe and lamb entry had previously featured on the Society’s stand at NSA Highland Sheep which was hosted by the Sutherlands in the week before the show. The family also picked up a red ticket with a Texel cross ewe lamb in the same section.
Class Results
Aged Rams
1st – Mr and Mrs M Alford’s Midlock Youre The One
Shearling Rams
1st – W J Knox’s Strawfrank Balvenie
2nd – John Connell’s Milnbank Bacardi
3rd – Ian Murray’s MFZ1801910
4th – Clark Farms’ Knock Bantastic
5th – Ian Murray’s MFZ1801916
Ram Lambs
1st – John Connell’s CLJ1901982
2nd – Gordon Gray’s GGH1909056
3rd – James Innes’ IJS1903460
4th – W J Knox’s KWJ1901809
5th – Charlotte and James Nicolson’s NIC19012261
Performance Recorded Ram Lambs
1st – Gordon Gray’s GGH1909204
2nd – Gordon Gray’s GGH1909151
3rd – David McKerrow’s DMN1902241
4th – Alan Campbell’s CNK1901339
5th – W J Knox’s KWJ1901810
Aged Ewes
1st – Mr and Mrs M Alford’s BFE1707032
2nd – Procters Farm’s HBR1600780
3rd – Gordon Gray’s GGH1707106
4th – W J Knox’s KWJ1701313
5th – Gordon Gray’s GGH1606104
Shearling Ewes
1st – Douganhill Farm’s GCK1811101
2nd – Robbie Wilson’s LYM1803016
3rd – Procters Farm’s PFD1802456
4th – John Forsyth’s FPG1801621
5th – Robert Bennett’s BFE1808092
Ewe Lambs
1st – W J Knox’s KWJ1901784
2nd – Procters Farm’s PFD1903114
3rd – Gordon Gray’s GGH1909006
4th – Procters Farm’s PFD1903105
5th – W J Knox’s KWJ1901788
Male Champion – Mr and Mrs M Alford’s Midlock Youre The One
Reserve Male Champion – W J Knox’s Strawfrank Balvenie
Female champion – Douganhill Farm’s GCK1811101
Reserve female champion – Mr and Mrs M Alford’s BFE1707032
Overall champion – Douganhill Farm’s GCK1811101
Reserve overall champion – Mr and Mrs M Alford’s BFE1707032
