Blackface sheep breeders and enthusiasts from all corners of Scotland, Ireland and the North of England flocked to support the association’s National Show at United Auctions, Stirling on Sunday 26th July, to see two cracking ewes crowned supreme overall.

The event, which is staged every four years, attracted just shy of 300 entries for the North and South-type sections. Due to bluetongue regulations, classes for the North of England event are this year being staged on Saturday, September 5, at Alston Show.

North-type judge, Neil Kydd, Glenhead, had no hesitation in awarding the supreme in the Perth-type ring to a home-bred one-crop ewe from John Shearer and sons Neil and Gavin of Hillhead of Morinsh, Glenlivet. “It was a great show of sheep all the way through and from start to finish,” said Mr Kydd. “The champion is a great ewe and came from one of the strongest classes. She’s got a tremendous coat, hair, character and she’s good on her legs with a big nose end. Just the type of sheep I like to see.”

Taking all the plaudits for the Shearer family to include Gavin’s wife, Louise, daughter Ellie and son Alex, was a previously unshown ewe by a £3200 Woolfords – one of only 350 ewes run at Hillhead of Morinsh. The dam is a daughter of a £7000 Achdregnie.

Mr Kydd was equally impressed by his choice of reserve too, the male champion, a shearling on his show debut from Stephen Duncan and his father also Stephen, Achdregnie, Glenlivet. In doing so, the family became the first recipients of the new Craigneich Trophy – presented in memory of the late Tom Paterson for the best sheep of the opposite sex to the champion. The award made from Colonel Dewhurst’s car mascot, a Blackface ram, was gifted to Tom and presented as a trophy for the competition by his wife Mairi and son Robert.

The winning shearling and reserve north-type, is a home-bred ram by an Achdregnie tup that was used as a lamb and sold for £800 at Stirling last year. He goes back to a £1000 Woolfords. The dam is by another £1000 Woolfords ram. The exact same genetics were behind the first prize gimmer from Achdregnie.

Reserve male was a tup lamb from David Baillie and his father also David, Calla, Carnwath. Backed by the best of bloodlines, he is by a home-bred son of a £4500 Achdregnie that was retained for breeding with the twin brother having sold for £4000 to Woolfords.

Taking the equivalent amongst the females was a ewe lamb from Ben MacKinnon, Mains of Mause. She is sired by a 2600gns Thomas Harkin-bred tup bought at Ballymena, last year.

South-type judge, Andrew Kay snr, Gass, Straiton, certainly had his work cut out for him, but he soon whittled through the classes, finding his overall winner in the strongest class – the ewes.

“It was a great show of sheep all through and the ewe class was absolutely outstanding,” said Mr Kay adding that his choice of supreme – from the Ramsay family, Milnmark, Dalry, was ‘an easy winner’.

“What a ewe," he said. "She’s got fantastic presence, style, breed character, shape and she’s got a leg in each corner.”

Adding yet another notch to her belt and that of the Milnmark flock was Queen Bee – the three-times breed champion from the Royal Highland Show, that also scooped the inter-breed sheep honours this year. This two-crop is a daughter of a £30,000 Elmscleugh lamb and out of a ewe by an £11,000 Milnmark.

The reserve female champion from Thomas Muirhead, Orchilmore, Comrie, followed to take the reserve overall. This was an ET-bred gimmer sired by a £65,000 Auldhouseburn lamb. The dam is Abbie, the reserve champion at Abington Show last year and by a £6000 Auldhouseburn.

Leading the males was a tup lamb from Alastair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot. Male champion at Biggar Show and second at the Royal Highland, he a son of last year’s £40,000 Allanfauld shearling ram and out of a ewe by a £130,000 Allanfauld.

Vice president of the association, Alan McClymont and sons Sam and Oli, Kirkstead, Yarrow, took the reserve male honours with a two-shear Glenrath-bred ram bought last year at Lanark for £35,000. His pedigree features a £4200 Elmscleugh shearling and a ewe by the £75,000 Dalchirla.

Breed president, Derek Redpath, praised the turnout of exhibitors, the quality of sheep and the huge number of spectators, which led to such a successful day.

“It has been a fabulous day – a proud day for the breed and the association.”

LEADING awards

Blackface north-type (Judge: N Kydd, Glenhead).

Aged ram – 1, M Hamilton and Son, with a two-shear ram bought for £2600 at the Perth Ram Society sale at Stirling last year from Hillhead of Morinsh. He is by a £3200 Woolfords; 2 and 3, S Duncan, Achdregnie, Glenlivet; 4, W Stewart, Bomakelloch; 5, D Baillie, Calla.

Shearling ram – 1 and male champion and reserve overall, S Duncan, Achdregnie, with a home-bred son of an £800 Achregnie out of a ewe by a £1000 Woolfords; 2, Bomakelloch; 3, Calla; 4, J Shearer, Hillhead of Morinsh; 5, A Smith and Son, Scarhill.

Ram lamb – 1 and reserve male, Calla by a home-bred son of a £4500 Achdregnie retained for breeding; 2, Bomakelloch; 3, Scarhill; 4, Woolfords; 5, B Mackinnon, Mains of Mause.

Ewe – 1 and female champion and supreme overall, Hillhead of Morinsh with a one-crop ewe by a £3200 Woolfords; 2, Achdregnie; 3, Bomakelloch; 4, Woolfords; 5, M Simpson, Sidlaw.

Gimmer – 1 and 4, Achdregnie; 2, Hillhead; 3, Calla; 5, Hillhead.

Ewe lamb – 1 and reserve female, Mains of Mause, by a 2600gns Thomas Harkin and out of a home-bred ewe; 2, Achdregnie; 3, Calla; 4, Bomakelloch; 5, Hillhead.

Blackface south-type (Judge: A Kay, Gass).

Aged tup – 1 and reserve male, A McClymont, Kirkstead, with a two-shear ram bought from Glenrath for £35,000 at Lanark, last year. He is sired by a £4200 Elmscleugh and out of a ewe by a £75,000 Dalchirla; 2, R and M Paterson, Dunruchan; 3, DC and JJ Marshall, Gosland; 4, J Graham, Mains of Burnbank; 5, JB Pate and Sons, Moorfoot.

Shearling ram – 1, R Cockburn, with a £1000 Crossflat tup bought last year at Stirling and sired by a £125,000 Nunnerie and out of a Crossflatt ewe; 2, W Ramsay and Son, Milnmark; 3, M Hamilton, South Cobbinshaw; 4, Midlock Farms; 5 & 6, Burncastle Farming Co.

Ram lamb – 1 and male champion, CC MacArthur and Co, Nunnerie, with a son of a £40,000 Allanfauld out of a ewe by a £130,000 Allanfauld; 2, JR MacGregor, Dyke; 3, T Muirhead, Orchilmore; S McClymont, Tinnis; 5, JP Campbell, Glenrath: 6, Dyke

Ewe – 1, female champion and supreme, Milnmark with Queen Bee, a home-bred two-crop ewe that was inter-breed sheep champion at the Royal Highland Show; 2, Midlock; 3 and 4, Dyke; 5, J and J Anderson, Upper Wellwood; 6, Glenrath

Gimmer – 1, reserve female and reserve overall, Orchilmore by £65,000 Auldhouseburn and out of the show winning Abbie; 2, Hill of Errol; 3, Midlock; 4, Dunruchan; 5, Allanfauld; 6, Dyke

Ewe lamb – 1, Tinnis by a £10,000 Upper Wellwood and out of a ewe by a £14,000 Glenrath; 2, R and N Barclay, Harestone; 3, M Simpson, Sidlaw; 4, A MacGregor, Allanfauld; 5, T Renwick and Sons, Blackhouse; 6 Orchilmore