Having also won the large herd category, Balbuthie-based JA Cameron and son’s Baldinnie herd has been announced as the overall winner of the Scottish Hereford Breeders’ Association’s herd competition.
Pete and Nicky Brown, Isle of Arran, judged the competition and said it was evident the Camerons’ enthusiasm for the Hereford breed is as strong as ever.
Pete said: “The cows were big and, at the same time, of a consistent type throughout. There were all in good condition, healthy and mobile and we were particularly impressed with the spring-born calves, both bulls and heifers. The autumn calving cows were well fleshed but not too fat. We saw a strong group of bulling heifers to calve around two and a half years of age.”
Heading up the small herd section was association secretary Margaret Galbraith’s Craigdhu herd, based in Sandilands. Only established in 2017, it was the smallest herd to be judged.
Nicky commented: “We saw a tremendous Romany-bred foundation cow in show condition and breeding consistently with a good 2019 bull calf, 2018 bulling heifer and 2017 recently first-calved daughter with a very nice bull calf.”
Second in the large herd competition was Jimmy Hodge of Fellowhills Herefords based near Berwick-upon-Tweed, and is another newly established herd. Third place was taken by JRB Wilson and son’s Romany herd, Kelso.
Peter Eccles, Tranent and his Rockness herd were placed second in the small herd section, followed by JM Cant and partners, Arbirlot and their Panmure herd.
Knockmountagh Chief 2 from William Andrews, Arranview Herefords, Auchincruive won the stock bull competition. Being nine and a half years old, Pete described it as a ‘big bull and strong boned’ bull ‘with a good top’ . He said it was ‘well-fleshed with an excellent temperament’.
(Judge: P and N Brown, Isle of Arran)
Stock bull, 1st, William Andrews, Knockmountagh Chief 2; 2nd, Andrew and Serena Sykes, Kileekie Frank; 3rd, Peter Eccles, Moralee 1 Porteous.
Bull calf, 1st, JO Hodge, Fellowhills 1 Taliceson; 2nd, Margaret Galbraith, Craigdhu 1 MacDuff; 3rd, George and Sophie Harvey, Harveybros 1 Thomas the Tank.
Heifer calf, 1st, J A Cameron and son, Baldinnie 1 Kay 37th; 2nd, JRB Wilson and sons, Romany 1 Lucy N68 T26; 3rd, JM Cant and partners, Panmure 1 Plum.
Small herd, 1st, Margaret Galbraith, Craigdhu; 2nd, Peter Eccles, Rockness; 3rd, JM Cant and partners, Panmure.
Large herd, 1st, JA Cameron and son, Baldinnie, 2nd, JO Hodge, Fellowhills; 3rd, JRB Wilson and sons, Romany.
Overall herd, JA Cameron and son, Baldinnie.