AgriScot’s decision to move the event back a week proved popular, with the event at Ingliston, attracting in excess of 10,000 people and new stand holders.
This one-day business event has always been renowned for its superior quality show of dairy cattle and while it still is, it is growing in all ways with in excess of 230 trade stands and a long queue of agricultural merchants and companies waiting to take space – inside and out of the four halls that make up AgriScot.
Such has been the growth of AgriScot which now attracts increased numbers of people to do business but also for industry related seminars, which this year saw Cabinet Secretary, Mairi Gougeon in attendance.
“We have had a fantastic event,” said AgriScot chairman, Robert Neill. “More people registered prior to the event which helps to avoid the queues on the day and if it hadn’t been for the wifi going down when most people were arriving, I think we’d have seen a record attendance.
“There were certainly around 10,000 people, but there would have been more, and there was a lot of business being done in all four halls,” said Mr Neill.
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The dairy judge, Mark Nutsford of the Riverdane herd from Cheshire, was also most impressed by the event and the quality of the cattle forward, which despite fewer Holstein entries saw coloured breeds up on the year.
“It was always one of my ambitions to judge this show. It’s one of the great dairy shows with an unbelievable atmosphere and quality of cattle. I have judged all over the world and the quality here is as good as it gets.”
Commenting on his choice of breed champions he said: “To see the quality, balance and mammary systems of these milky cows, is a dream. They’re the type of cows that blow your mind.”
His choice of Supercow and reserve – the lead Holstein and Jersey respectively – overwhelmed him. Such was the superior quality of the Supercow, that he also reckoned it would have put some Holstein breeders off exhibiting.
“The number of Holsteins might not be there but the quality is fantastic. The Supercow is a one in a generation cow and she’s certainly one of the best cows I have ever put up as champion,” said Mr Nutsford who has judged in New Zealand, South Africa, America, Italy, Spain and Norway.
Taking that big award and also scoring a hat-trick of Supercow championships with three different cows over the past three AgriScot’s was the Wilson family – James and Louise and family of Charlotte, Emma and Josh’s – third calver, Evening Sidekick Jennifer Ex93-4yr.
This big cow was securing her third championship title this year, having scooped the top award at Borderway Expo in March and UK Dairy Day in September. A daughter of Walnutlawn Sidekick, she is bred from a home-bred Ex96-classified cow and one of 450 milking cows in the herd from Thursby, Carlisle. Calved mid-May, she was paraded giving 48litres per day.
Rivermead Minx Candy a junior Jersey cow from first-time exhibitors, Mark Davis and his sister Emily, all the way from Tiverton, Devon, came to a close reserve to the Supercow.
“Today the Holstein and the Jersey cow are the stars of the show. They’ve both got great frames, balance and mind boggling mammary systems,” said Mr Nutsford.
Minx Candy, a VG89-2yr by Stonyurun Aus Tbone Minx, was the National champion winner and supreme from the South-west Dairy Show. Eight weeks fresh and giving 36litres per day, she is out of a home-bred Ex95-classified dam.
Competition in the Holstein lines was extremely tight with the reserve being the second prize winner to the champion – Wilt Bailay, an Ex93-classified cow from Alister and Colin Laird, Blyth Farm, West Linton.
Reserve champion at last year’s Royal Highland Show, their French import stood reserve to the Jennifer cow at UK Dairy Day and at last year’s event in Telford. She is bred from an Ex91 cow from the Wilt herd that won the National Show in Luxemburg in 2021. Bailay was paraded having calved in March and giving 40litres. Last year she gave in excess of 12,200litres.
The reserve champion Jersey came from the same class as the champion too. This was Neil Heuchan’s home-bred second calver, Clanel Video Daisybelle, from Chapel House Farm, Whittington, Carnforth. Classified VG87-2yr, she is by Lo Video CJCC, bred from a Potterswall cow bought at the Perfection Collection sale and was paraded giving 33litres per day having calved in September.
It was a similar scenario in the Ayrshire lines, with the first and second prize senior cows landing the champion and reserve breed titles. Supreme was Bill and Roger Lindsay’s third calver, Harperfield Queen of the South, from Sandilands, Lanark. Calved in August and giving 44litres per day, she is a daughter of Arranview AllBran, while her dam was bought from Paul Jones, Dumfries. Queen of the South was champion at Moffat and placed at UK Dairy Day.
Following her to take the blue and white sash was David and John Watson’s High Mark Obligation Melanie 2 Ex94-3-6yr, from Stranraer. This sixth calver on her first outing of the year is a former champion at the South-west Dairy Show and is sired by Knowe Obligation. Calved in September, she is giving 45litres per day.
Brown Swiss bred from Jonny Lochhead, Mouswald, Dumfries, again led the any other breed section, with the supreme being the top rated Kedar Calvin Sanchia Maria Ex97-5-8yr. A former champion winner here, she is by Vetschs Nesta Calvin and bred from the Ex94 Kedar Spottie.
The equally well-bred Kedar Super Nova Harmony Ex95-4-8yr, by Kedar Super Nova, was reserve for Russell Miller, Dumfries.
The Red and White Logan Rubels Seisme VG88-2yr, went one better than her reserve heifer title here last year to win the champion cow for Brian and Michael Yates, East Logan, Castle Douglas. Second at UK Dairy Day, this second calver that gave 11,352litres in her first is by Hoogerhorst DG OH Rubels-Red and bred from the VG88 Logan Shania Red.
Just pipped at the post was Robin Barr and son Robin’s Calderglen Margot 3 VG88-3yr, by Aladdin-Red.
Leading Awards
Ayrshire – Junior cow – 1, GG Baynes’ Marleycote Maybelle 13 GP84, by Arranvie Allbran; 2, J and M Barr’s Calderglen Maisie 3 VG87-3yr by Raffias Commander; 3, J Adamson and Son’s Swaites Margaret Ann 34 GP82, by Pam Ayrs Hawaiian.
Senior cow – 1 and Ayrshire champion, DM Lindsay’s Harperfield Queen of The South 60 Ex90-5yr, by Arranview Allbran; 2 and reserve, JS Watson’s High Mark Obligation Melanie 2 Ex94-3-6yr, by Knowe Obligation; 3, J Adamson and Son’s Swaites Promise 9 VG87-3yr, by Swaites Double O7
Any other breed – 1 and champion, T Lochhead and Sons’ Kedar Calvin Sanchia Maria Ex97-5-8yr, by Vetschs Nesta Calvin; 2, R Miller’s Kedar Super Nova Harmony Ex95-4-8yr, by Kedar Super Nova; 3, B Lawson’s Lismulligan Empress 69 BFV85, by Deangate Prince 2.
Jersey – 1, Jersey champion and reserve Supercow, The Davis family’s Rivermead Minx Candy VG89-2yr, by Stonyrun Aus Tbone Minx; 2 and reserve Jersey, N Heuchan’s Clanel Video Daisybelle VG87-2yr, by Lo Video CJCC; 3, The Hunter family’s Clyudevalley Tequila Marigold 2 VG87-3yr.
Senior cow – 1, Miss CE Jones’ Rapidbay-UK Rumment TJ Lotus VG86-2yr, by Rapidbay-UK Rummen.
Red and white – 1 and champion, BG Yates and Son’s Logan Rubels Seisme, VG88-2yr by Hoogerhorst DG Oh Rubels-Red; 2, J and M Barr’s Calderglen Margot 3 VG88-3yr by RDG Aladdin-Red; 3, M Bryson and Son’s Whiteflat Jordy Lizzie Red Ex92-4yr, by Cycle McGucci Jordy Red.
Holstein – Junior cow – 1, Blyth Farm and Freme Blondin’s Mag Pandor VG89-3yr, by Walnutlawn Sidekick; 2, Crossfell Holsteins’ Crossfell Discjockey Erle VG89-2yr, by Claynook Diskjockey; 3, RM Scott and S Esquierdo’s Vetech Pepper Kim VG87-2yr, by Delaberge Pepper.
Intermediate cow – 1, champion Holstein and Supercow, Evening Hill Farm’s Evening Sidekick Jennifer Ex93-4yr, by Walnutlawn Sidekick; 2 and reserve Holstein, Blyth Farm’s Wilt Bailay Ex93-4yr, by De Oosterhof Willems Eagel; 3, B Weatherup and Partners’ Lesmay Kingpin Myah VG86-2yr, by Kerndtway Kingpin.
Senior cow – 1, BG Yates and Son’s Logan Fitz Becky Ex92-4yr, by Toc-Farm Fitz.
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