Royal Highland Show – Crossing Type

Highland Show – Friday 20th June 2025

Under a blue sky and blistering sunshine, the Bluefaced Leicester classes from both sections drew a smashing crowd and some great sheep were on show and the judges had to be on top of their game to concentrate in each class.

Kicking off the day’s proceedings were the Crossing types, judged by Martin Allan, Greenhow, Cumbria. He had his work cut out with some top-notch sheep forward, especially in the tup lamb and gimmer shearling classes. His champion came out of the gimmer class with a really smart sheep, full of style and shape, from the Allanfauld flock, on just their second outing at the Highland with the Leicesters. This gimmer is by the £6000 S36 Midlock they bought out of Hawes a few years back, and its mother is by the P5 Blarnavaid, which was out of a Carry House ewe by the G34 Midlock which has done well for them over the past few years. She certainly caught the eye strutting around the ring and Martin had no hesitation in tapping her out.

The Reserve Champion came from the Midlock flock, with a strong tup lamb by the Drummuck T2 which they bought out of Ballymena last year in partnership with the Cottage and Overburns flocks. The lamb is full of great bloodlines too, with his mother a full sister to the £40,000 Commander, by the M1 Riddings which has done well for the flock. He will hopefully be heading to Hawes later this autumn. Midlock also collected the first prize ticket for the group of three, which included the tup lamb along with two gimmer lambs which were his full sisters.

The reserve male champion was a powerful tup shearling from the Dawyck flock with Spurrigg T1 which they bought a half share of privately, with Shaun retaining the other half. He is by the £30,000 N1 Hewgill and out of a Carry House bred ewe. Taking the aged ram class was a stonker of a tup from the Auld Tinnis flock. He was a £16,000 purchase from Midlock out of Hawes back in 2022. This boy was by the K1 Dyke and out of a ewe by a Shafthill.

The mother of last years interbreed Champion was this year’s reserve female, from Jamie Pirie, she cost £5500 from the Dawyk flock when he bought her in an online sale. This strong sheep was by the £30,000 M1 Hewgill. The 1^st prize gimmer lamb was from Finlay Robertson, Beeches, with a lamb by S1 Mistyburn out of a ewe by the L22 Blarnavaid.

Well done to all for putting up with the heat and putting on a great show.