Day six – a match-up of native breed cattle and Cheviots in second semi-final
Today, day six of the cattle sheep rounds in Ready, Set, Show! our online livestock competition, where we match up past County Show winners, is round two of the semi-finals.
Today would have been Dounby Show day but, as with all the shows, the event had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
We have one spot left to fill in each section in the finals of our competition, which will take place on Saturday.
First to the cattle and today’s match-up is between two native breeds
We have the 2017 County Show inter-breed cattle champion, named Skaill Estella P117 – a homebred, three-year-old Aberdeen Angus cow, shown by Messrs Davidson, from Skaill, in Sandwick.
The cow – which was sired by Blelack Blackrod and out of Skaill Estella G739 – had claimed victory in the Aberdeen Angus section at the 2016 County Show. After the show she went on to be sold to a buyer from England.
In Skaill Estella’s first round our judge, William Gill, said of her: “a very clean animal looking in good condition despite rearing a calf, excellent lines.
Estella faces off against the 2016 County Show winner. An impressive Shorthorn bull named Pentland Emperor. The five-year-old bull was shown by John Lennie of J.M. Lennie & Co, Nearhouse, Tankerness.
He had been bought from Mrs E. C. Robertson, from Instack, Barrock, Caithness. His sire was Chapelton Wildfire and he was out of a cow named Pentland Laura.
In Pentland Emperor’s first round, our judge, Mr Gill, said: “A powerful bull with plenty of length and a good rear end.”
The cattle section of Ready, Set, Show! is sponsored by Serco NorthLink.
SHEEP
Today’s sheep match-up sees two Cheviot champions face off.
The first is the supreme champion from the 2013 County Show – a Cheviot gimmer, shown by James and Elsie Wishart, from Newbigging, Harray.
This gimmer was by Bardnaclavan Elite and was out of a homebred ewe, which had been a former show winner itself, by Wester General.
In the first round our sheep judge, Kenneth Sutherland, from Sibmister, Thurso, chose it over the winner the 2018 County Show winner – a Cheviot ewe also exhibited by Newbigging.
Mr Sutherland said of the 2013 gimmer, in her first round of Ready, Set, Show!: “She’s a real smart sheep. Very alert with nice character and a sparkle in her eye.
The second sheep in today’s match-up was the winner of the 2017 County Show, a Cheviot ewe shown by J. & J. Smith, from Upper Cornquoy, Holm.
In our first round, the ewe beat off competition from a Suffolk gimmer, shown by David Summer, of Easthouse, Toab.
Our sheep judge, Kenneth Sutherland, from Sibmister, Thurso, said of of the : “She’s a nice sweet ewe. Very feminine head with good smooth hair. She’s a great skin and has plenty of length. Nice example of the breed Today’s sheep and cattle winners now move on to the semi-finals of our competition.”
One of these two sheep will be go on to the final of our competition, which will take place on Saturday
Our sheep section is Sponsored by Birsay Farmers Ltd.
- 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 many of the animals went on to be sold following their win. For more information on the competition and animals click here.