Peebles Show and Scottish Region Progeny Show – Crossing

Scottish Progeny Show – Peebles.

Under a blisteringly hot sun at Peebles show, hosts of the Scottish Progeny Show, the judges and competitors braved the conditions, more akin to the Sahara than Scotland. The heat was on, in more ways than one, and the competition was good, with some great sheep from both sides of the Borders battling for the top awards.

Judging was completed first in the crossing section, which saw some very strong classes, especially in the gimmer lamb class, which saw 18 sheep forward, eventually won by the Dawyck flock. Winning the overall championship was the Midlock gimmer which had stood champion at the Highland earlier in the season, a full sister to the £40,000 Commander sold at Hawes last year, and by all accounts doing very well. By the Riddings M1 and out of the L27 Midlock ewe, which is a bit of a golden goose at the flock, breeding some real toppers for them. This classy gimmer, oozing quality also caught the eye of the interbreed judge, James Warnock, too, as he placed her his Reserve Interbreed Champion on the day.

The reserve champion came out of the same class as the champion, from Finlay Robertson at the Beeches flock, with a lovely smart, stretchy gimmer shearling which was always going to catch the eye just with her presence. This smasher is by L22 Blarnavaid and out of a ewe by B41 Hewgill. The Beeches flock enjoyed further success when the won the mule Championship with a gimmer lamb by the homebred P6 Beeches, a son of the massive L2 Sealhouses which they bought of Hawes and showed successfully at the Highland last year.

The progeny classes saw a great turn out, with some strong classes, which had judge, Andy Hunter, thinking deep. Topping this section was a pair of lambs (one tup lamb and one gimmer lamb)  from Martyn Archer by the £28,000 P1 Carry House Ronaldo, that he sold last year in Hawes, selling to Temain and Mistyburn flocks in Northern Ireland and retaining a share in it as well. These lambs were full of colour, with good skins and a shimmering depth of white too. Not just producing the goods in the BFL department, the same sire went on to take the mule progeny championship as well, with a trio of smart gimmer lambs all by him. It looks as if this progeny will be worth keeping an eye on at this autumns sales.

Despite the searing heat, a good time was had by all, with a great spirit throughout the show. It was great to see so many sheep and competitors there as well as onlookers from throughout Scotland and the North of England. Next year, if the weather continues like this, the committee are thinking of introducing a class for camels.