New sponsor and overseas judge for Black Beauty Bonanza

This year’s Black Beauty Bonanza show of Aberdeen-Angus cattle will again have an overseas judge – and a new major sponsor.

The show at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, on Saturday, November 14, is well established as one of the most successful shows of Aberdeen-Angus in the country, regularly attracting and entry of 150 calves and yearlings from herds throughout the North and North-east.

It is organised by the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club and is open to members of both the North-east and Highland clubs. Entries are expected this year from as far north as Orkney and Shetland.

“The Black Beauty is one of the Aberdeen-Angus breed’s most prestigious events and gives both pedigree and commercial beef producers the opportunity of viewing the latest breed genetics from herds in the northern half of Scotland,” said North-east club chairman, Neil Wattie, Jun, Mains of Tonley, Alford. “We are again expecting a huge entry which is sure to draw an audience of interested breeders from all over the UK and Ireland.”

Mr Wattie’s company, Sellars Agriculture of Oldmeldrum, main agents for Claas tractors, combines, balers and other harvest equipment, and Lemken cultivation equipment, has stepped in as major sponsor which will ensure a prize fund of more than £4000. “We are delighted to support this important event for the Aberdeen-Angus breed and for the North-east farming industry,” said Mr Wattie.

Judge for this year’s show will be well-known Scots-born Canadian breeder, Doug Robertson, owner of the renowned Coldstream herd near Calgary, Alberta.

Mr Robertson has been in North America since 1967 when he took a consignment of Aberdeen-Angus bulls, including two Perth champions, to the USA.

He has worked with leading herds in both the US and Canada for more than 40 years and, until his recent retirement, managed a herd of donor and recipient cows for a leading embryo company, as well as running his own 25-cow herd founded in 1978.

Coldstream genetics have been imported to the UK and have been behind at least one Perth champion while bulls have sold at Perth for 28,000gns and 25,000gns. “I am delighted to have been asked to judge the Black Beauty, which I’ve heard a lot about, and look forward to making a return visit to what I regard as my calf country,” said Mr Robertson, who judged the first national Aberdeen-Angus show at Westmorland in 2005.

Mr Robertson is the fourth overseas judge to officiate at the show, following in the footsteps of Norman Catto, Argentina (2005), Freddie Schumacher, Germany (2006), Albert de Cogan, Ireland (2007) and Soren Vester, Denmark (2008).

Entries close on the 23^rd October. To enter please contact Eddie gillanders 01330 811616; Email eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com