Day five -semi-final sees success for Sebay heifer and Overhouse gimmer

August 5, 2020 at 5:30 pm

Balfour Baillie’s 2019 County Show champion, a young Limousin cross heifer has been selected by out judge to move on to the final or our competition. (pic: Tom O’Brien / The Orcadian)

Today’s semi-final round of our online livestock compeition, where we pit past County Show champions against each other, has seen success for east mainland stockman Balfour Baillie’s Limousin cross heifer and the Charollais gimmer from Muce, Birsay.

Today, which would have been ‘Hope Show Day, sees the first of the semi-finals rounds, meaning the two animals our judges have selected go on to the final.

Today has seen out cattle judge, William Gill, from Rosskeen farm, Invergordon, opt for the 2019 County Show champion, which was exhibited by Balfour Baillie, from Sebay View, Tankerness, and was a 15-month-old Limousin cross heifer.

The unnamed heifer’s sire was Craigatoke Jamieson and she was out of a British Blue cross Limousin, homebred cow. She went on to be shown and sold at the Thainstone spectacular, on August 23, following the show.

Today saw the heifer selected over a two-year-old Charolais heifer-in-calf, named Baillieston Eugenie, shown by W.R. Baillie & Co, of Biggings, Toab. Eugenie was the winner of the 2012 County Show.

Selecting Mr Baillie’s heifer to go on to the final, our judge said: “Two lovely, classy females making it a very tough decision but I have to go with the young Limousin heifer. She looks to have excellent conformation, length, a good top line and back end.”

SHEEP

The Charollais gimmer, from A. & V Copland, Harray, which won the 2016 County Show now proceeds on to the final of our competition, to be held on Saturday. (pic: Tom O’Brien / The Orcadian)

In today’s sheep match-up was had a Texel from the 2019 County Show versus a Charollais gimmer from the 2016 show and it was the Charollais that caught the judge’s eye.

The Charollais gimmer was shown by A. & V. Copland, Overhouse, Harray at the 2016 County Show and “did the double” for its owners in that year, being named champion at the Dounby Show a couple of days before its County Show victory.

Bought in Wales in October 2015 as a ewe lamb, the sheep was sired by Aberkinsey Officer and out of the dam Aberkinsey 464 by Glyn Coch Mr T.

The Charollais has beaten the 2019 County Show champion sheep – a Texel gimmer, shown in 2019 by Robbie Scott, from Dawn Cottage, Holm.

Our judge, Kenneth Sutherland from Sibmister Farm, Thurso said: “My choice is the Charollais gimmer. A tremendous sheep!”

This week should have been Orkney’s agricultural shows week, kicking off with the Sanday Show on Friday, July 31. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic the six shows had to be and other associated events had to be cancelled. To mark the week, we are pitting past sheep and cattle champions of The County Show against each other, under the eyes of judges, in a knock out competition. All the animals are judged based on pictures and information from the day they won. Next week we’ll be doing the same with the horse champions. Those who owned and exhibited them on the day are treated as the owners now for the purposes of the competition, although some of the animals went on to be sold following their win. For more information on the competition and animals click here.

Sheep