It was a red letter day for Turriff farmer-and-wife, Hamish and Margaret Sclater, Denhead, Dunlugas, who scooped two of the four championships at the Black Beauty Bonanza show of Aberdeen-Angus calves and yearlings at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.

Organised by the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club with Glenrinnes Farms of Dufftown as major sponsor, the Black Beauty is recognised as one of the leading Aberdeen-Angus shows in the country, which was acknowledged by the judge, William McLaren, Jun, of Netherton, Blackford, Auchterarder.

“The show of yearling bulls was exceptional and the best I’ve ever seen at the Black Beauty,” said Mr McLaren. “Some of those bulls are destined to go on and make big money at the spring bull sales.”

Mr McLaren also praised the show of heifer calves and yearling heifers, where he was looking for moderate size, feminity, walking ability and capacity to meet modern demand, but said the turnout of bull calves was more mixed.

“It was an honour to be asked to judge and I congratulate the members of the club on putting on such a fantastic show,” said Mr McLaren, who gave a commentary on each class once he had made his placings which was much appreciated by the ringside audience.

There was strong competition in the two yearling bull classes which produced the Sclater family’s yearling bull champion, Deveron Leggat P469, which has had a highly successful show career over the past year, with nine red tickets and the junior and male championship at the recent National Aberdeen-Angus Winter National Show at Carlisle. The bull, a 19 month-old son of the home-bred sire, Deveron Master Banbury L376, is destined for the spring bull sale at Stirling next February.

The Sclater’s also took the bull calf championship with the March-born Deveron Empire R49, by Gretnahouse Bailiff M560, and capped a successful day by also picking up the reserve heifer calf championship with the eight month old Deveron Lady R502, by the same sire as the yearling bull champion.

“We’ve had a great day and I must thank my willing assistants, including my wife and father, who rallied round to help us prepare and parade our team of 10 cattle,” said Mr Sclater, who has recently returned from the USA on a scholarship awarded by Banffshire NFU to study performance recording in pedigree beef cattle.

It was “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”, for Neil and Graeme Massie, Blelack, Dinnet, Aboyne, who stood reserve for both male championships, taking the calf award with the April-born, Blelack Euro Zone R527 and the yearling award with the 15 month-old, Blelack Mr Braveheart P411. Both are sons of Warrenho Emperor M425.

Two of the farthest travelled exhibitors shared the honours in the female section, the heifer calf championship going to Scotbeef managing director, Robbie Galloway, Cardona, Doune, Perthshire, with the seven month-old, Cardona Jewel Erica R950, by Nightingale Dunbar K551 and the yearling heifer championship to Sandy Rhind and his son, Graeme, Newton of Struthers, Kinloss, with Newton-Struthers Junerical P983, a 14 month-old daughter of Newton-Struthers Erysium L433. 

The Cardona herd also won the coveted McCombie Trophy for the best pair of calves with Messrs M Bruce and Partners, Logie, Ellon, standing reserve.

The long journey from Orkney proved worthwhile for Colin Davidson, Skaill, Sandwick, who stood reserve for the yearling heifer championship with the 19 month-old, Skaill Diana P998, by the home-bred Skaill Doublea Willieboy K392.

The award for the best pair of yearlings went to Glenrinnes Farms with the small herd award going to Graham Willox, Meikle Pitinnan, Oldmeldrum with reserve going to Mrs Wendy Willox, Home Farm, Druminnor, Rhynie.

The chairman’s special prize for the youngster showing the greatest endeavour was won by Nicola Howie, Cairnton, Lumphanan, whose first prize calf was an orphan which she had bottle-fed since birth.

Pics to follow…..

Class results:

Commercial calves:

Heifer

1, Mr and Mrs Ewan MacGregor,

Steer

1 and champion, N F Massie and Son’s; 2 and reserve champion, A and K Rhind and Son

Heifer calves:

Jan 2 – 28, 2015

1, Weald Moor Farms’ Copperidge Ruth R960

2, Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Jasmine Erica R486

3, Graham Willox’s Cardenwell Miss Beatrix R075

Feb 7 – March 13

1, Wm Ritch’s Fingask Evas Honey R563

2, Wendy Willox’s Strathinver Bella R010

3, Weald Moor Farms’ Copperidge Lady Ruth R966

March 14 – 28

1 and reserve heifer calf champion Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Lady R502

2, Wendy Willox’s Strathinver Miss Bonnie R014

3, Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Elderberry R495

April 3 – May 2

1 and heifer calf champion Robert Galloway’s Cardona Jewel Erica R950

2, Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Elize R508

3, N F Massie and Sons’ Blelack Lady Heather R536

Yearling heifers:

1 and yearling heifer champion A K Rhind and Son’s Newton-Struthers Junerical P983

2, and reserve yearling heifer champion Colin Davidson’s Skaill Diana P998

3, Alasdair Locke’s Bregach Evita P493

Bull calves:

Jan 3 – 23 2015

1 A and K Rhind and Son’s Newton-Struthers Epic R049

2, Allan Rennie’s Mosston Muir The Boss R353

3, Kevin Cargill’s Tolribra Lord Ideal R009

Feb 5 –March 7

1 Alasdair Locke’s Bregach Percy R571

2, M Bruce and Partners’ Logie Explosion R537

3, C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Lord Ivanovic R856

March 10 – 17

1 and bull calf champion Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Empire R496

2, C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Lord Inception R889

3, A C Grant and Son’s Varis Peter Piper R016

March 18 – 30

1, Graham Willox’s Cardenwell Big Man R081

2, C and E McCombie’s Auchincrieve Jarhead Eric R897

3, Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Cardenwell Big Man R081

April 2 – 15

1, Ken and Margaret Howie’s Cairnton Elder Bentley R393

2, Wendy Willox’s Strathinver Evolution R019

April 20 – May 18

1 and reserve bull calf champion N F Massie and Son’s Blelack Euro Zone R527

2, Robert Galloway’s Cardona Eventer R967

3, Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Portland R516

Yearling bulls:

Feb 3 – April 15

1 and yearling bull champion Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron Leggat P469

2, Allan Rennie’s Mosston Muir Evander P345

3, Ballindalloch Home Farms’ Ballindalloch Edward P428

May 1 – Aug 31

1 and reserve yearling bull champion N F Massie and Son’s Blelack Mr Braveheart P411

2, Colin Davidson’s Skaill Dino P099

3, John Steel’s Westdrums Proud Ivan P176

Champion pair of calves – Robert Galloway: reserve – M Bruce and Partners

Champion pair of yearlings – Alasdair Locke

Small herd’s award – Graham Willox; res – Wendy Willox

Chairman’s special endeavour award – Nicola-May Howie

Junior showmanship (judged by Harry Emslie).

Juniors (8-12)

1, Andrew Reid, Logie, Ellon

2, Rhona Rhind, Newton of Struthers, Kinloss

3, Grant Rhind, Newton of Struthers, Kinloss

Juniors (13)

1, Nicola Howie, Cairnton, Lumphanan

2, Steven Stewart, Wardes, Kintore

3, Craig Coutts, Mains of Tonley, Alford

Intermediate (14-17)

1 Graeme Rhind, Newton of Struthers, Kinloss

2 Callum Simpson, Mains of Leslie, Insch

3 Sally Glennie, Keig

Senior (18 and over)

1, Claire Johnstone, Ballindalloch Home Farm, Ballindalloch

2, Mark Wattie, Mains of Tonley, Alford

3, Jamie Rettie, 3 Aberdona Mains, Alloa