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News
Marcliffe Hotel supports Aberdeen Christmas Classic
Posted: November 25, 2025
A Limousin Cross heifer from Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie took the supreme championship at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic, held at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie on Tuesday 25th of November, for the 4th consecutive year.
The annual event, held in conjunction with Aberdeen Fatstock Association and kindly sponsored by Rapid Project Development (RPD), attracted a fantastic line-up of quality prime and butchers’ animals from well-known consigners throughout Scotland.
Taking the Overall Christmas Classic Open Championship, when tapped out by judges Louise and Anna Forsyth, W T Forsyth & Sons, Peebles, was a May 2024-born heifer scaling 618kgs. The heifer sired by Sarkley Roscoe Limousin, out of a Limousin cross dam, sold for the top price of £6,000 to the Marcliffe Hotel, North Deeside Road, Pitfoddles, Aberdeen.
The second top price of the day was achieved for the overall Reserve Champion from Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud. The May 2024-born Limousin cross heifer scalling 656kgs sold for £5,000 to I Forsyth, Aulton, Craigellachie, Aberlour.
The Overall Butchers Champion was awarded to William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul for a May 2024-born homebred Limousin cross heifer, scalling 620kgs also sold to the Marcliffe Hotel for £4,800.
Harry Brown took the Reserve Butchers position for his April 2024-born Limousin cross heifer scalling 604kgs. The heifer achieved £3,800 to the judges, Louise and Anna Forsyth.
In the Young Farmers section, the top price of £4,026 (610p per kg) was paid for the Un-haltered Champion, a Limousin cross heifer from Lewis Keir, Cairncoullie, Glenkindie, scalling 662kgs which sold to G & L Carroll, Aucharroch Farm, Kirkton of Kingoldrum, Kirriemuir.
The unhaltered Reserve Champion went to Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, Longside, Peterhead which realised £3,336.25 to Bowland Foods, Unit 16, Roman Way, Longridge Road.
Cally Harper, Westholme, 7 Deveron Road, Turriff was awarded the haltered champion position by judge Aileen Ingram, East Comalegy, Drumblade. Her April 2024-born Limousin cross heifer scalling 656kgs sold to Forbes Raeburn Butcher, 7 Bogie Street, Huntly for £3,800.
Abbie Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud took the Young Farmers Reserve Champion position for her Limousin cross heifer. The heifer, scalling 660kgs also achieved £3,800 which sold to Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness, Orkney.
The next top price of £3,450 (500p per kg) was paid for the 2nd prize Limousin cross heifer from the Robertson Family, Fodderletter Farms. Scalling 694kgs, she sold to BT Kitson Butcher, 25 South Side, Hutton Rudby, North Yorkshire.
Top gross for Bullocks was £3,403 (410p per kg) for a 2nd prize Limousin cross steer scaling 832kg in the Young Farmers section from Stuart Ross, Wardhead, Strichen which sold to Ralph Pearson, Unit 1, Linton Street, Bradford.
The top price out with the prize winners was £3,355 (610p per kg) which was paid for a Limousin cross heifer, scalling 554kgs from Wilson Peters, which sold to G & L Carroll.
The champion Open Unhaltered, judged by Hugh Black, 74 High Street, Lanark was awarded to a Limousin cross heifer from the Brown family, scalling 672kgs she sold to BT Kitson Butchers for £3,350 (500p per kg).
The Reserve Open Unhaltered, was awarded to a Charolais cross heifer scalling 766kgs by C I C Farmers, Daleford, Rathen, Fraserburgh, which sold for £3,213 (420p per kg) to Hugh Black.
The haltered bullock champion was awarded to Luke Holmes and Sarah Balfour, Craigiebank Farm, Forgie, Keith for a Limousin cross scalling 665kgs which sold for £3,025.75 (455p per kg) to Ralph Pearson.
In the Rising Star Calf Show, which took place on Monday evening, judge Jacqueline Strathdee of North Rettanach, Rothiemay awarded the Open Champion from the Robertson Family, Fodderletter Farms the Overall Championship, taking home The Gordon Reid Perpetual Trophy for a January born Limousin Cross Heifer bred by Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness.
The Young Farmers Champion award went to an April born Limousin Cross Heifer from Richard Davidson, Corsairtly, Keith.
Tim McDonald, Prime Cattle Manager at Aberdeen & Northern Marts said: “A large attendance was witnessed here at Thainstone today, where buyers from all over the UK bid eagerly for some of Scotland’s top-quality prime cattle. The sale saw a total of 54 head of cattle comprising 28 heifers selling to an average of 521.6ppkg and 26 bullocks averaging 435ppkg. The overall combined sale average per head is a tremendous £3,222.14.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this year’s event, and we are delighted that main sponsor RPD have confirmed that they will continue their sponsorship at the 2026 show.”
Cattle Prize List 2025
Unhaltered Cattle
Class 9a – Open Unhaltered Heifer
Sponsored By RNAS
1st Lot 49 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
2nd Lot 48 – Blair Duffton, 2 Bogie Street, Huntly
3rd Lot 47 – Blair Duffton, 2 Bogie Street, Huntly
4th Lot 50 – Ross Bros, Wardhead, Strichen
Class 9b – Open Unhaltered Heifer
Sponsored By Biocell Agri Ltd
1st Lot 53 – C I C Farmers, Daleford, Rathen, Fraserburgh
2nd Lot 54 – Stuart Forman, Netherton, Broomhill, New Pitsligo
3rd Lot 51 – E & A Duff, Collieston, Fordoun
4th Lot 52 – Ross Bros, Wardhead, Strichen
Class 10 – Open Unhaltered Bullock
Sponsored By Gph
1st Lot 57 – J L I Thomson, Middleton of Potterton, Potterton
2nd Lot 55 – J L I Thomson, Middleton of Potterton, Potterton
3rd Lot 58 – C I C Farmers, Daleford, Rathen, Fraserburgh
4th Lot 56 – C I C Farmers, Daleford, Rathen, Fraserburgh
Overall Champion
Lot 49 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
Reserve Champion
Lot 53 – C I C Farmers, Daleford, Rathen, Fraserburgh
Butchers Cattle
Sponsored by Quality Meat Scotland
Class 5a – Butchers Haltered Heifer
1st Lot 28 – Blair Duffton, 2 Bogie Street, Huntly
2nd Lot 27 – Wilson A Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie
3rd Lot 26 – Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly
Class 5b – Butchers Haltered Heifer
1st Lot 31 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
2nd Lot 29 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
3rd Lot 30 – D R & A N Henderson, Mains of Wardhouse, Insch
Class 6 – Butchers Haltered Bullock
1st Lot 32 – D R & A N Henderson, Mains of Wardhouse, Insch
2nd Lot 33 – D R & A N Henderson, Mains of Wardhouse, Insch
Champion
Lot 31 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
Reserve Champion
Lot 29 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
Haltered Cattle
Class 1a – Single Haltered Heifer
Sponsored By Scottish Beef Association
1st Lot 3 – Wilson A Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie
2nd Lot 1 – Blair Duffton, 2 Bogie Street, Huntly
3rd Lot 2 – Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn
Class 1b – Single Haltered Heifer
Sponsored By Ravenhill
1st Lot 4 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
2nd Lot 5 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
Class 1.1 – Native Heifer
Sponsored By Mckilligan Financial
1st Lot 6 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
Class 2a – Single Haltered Bullock
Sponsored by Towns & Carnie
1st Lot 9 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
2nd Lot 7 – Blair Duffton, 2 Bogie Street, Huntly
3rd Lot 8 – Work & Drever, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny
Class 2b – Single Haltered Bullock
Sponsored By Station Garage
1st Lot 10 – L Holmes and Sarah Balfour, Craigiebank Farm, Forgie, Keith
2nd Lot 11 – Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn
3rd Lot 12 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
Class 2.1 – Native Bullock
Sponsored By Mckilligan Financial
1st Lot 14 – Messrs W A Fettes, Braes of Enzie, Buckie
2nd Lot 13 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
Overall Heifer
Lot 3 – Wilson A Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie
Overall Reserve Heifer
Lot 4 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
Overall Bullock
Lot 10 – L Holmes and Sarah Balfour, Craigiebank Farm, Forgie, Keith
Overall Reserve Bullock
Lot 14 – Messrs W A Fettes, Braes of Enzie, Buckie
Overall Champion
Lot 3 – Wilson A Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie
Reserve Champion
Lot 4 – Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud
Rising Stars
Class 1 – Open Homebred and Purchased Heifer
Sponsored by D R Alexander
1st Lot 1 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
2nd Lot 4 – Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, Acharacle
3rd Lot 2 – Gordon Hendry, Heads of Auchinderran, Keith
4th Lot 3 – Cairness Ltd, Home Farm, Cairness, Fraserburgh
Class 2 – Open Homebred and Purchased Bullock
Sponsored by Harbro
1st Lot 7 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
2nd Lot 6 – Barry Paterson, Cairndaie Croft, Sauchen, Inverurie
3rd Lot 5 – Garry Patterson, Dundurcas Farmhouse, Rothes
Class 3 – Young Farmers Homebred and Purchased Heifer
Sponsored by HRN
1st Lot 10 – Richard Davidson, Corsairtly, Keith
2nd Lot 8 – Jack Hendry, Craibstone, Deskford
Class 4 – Young Farmers Homebred and Purchased Bullock
Sponsored by HRN
1st Lot 12 – Jake Watt, Stoneyhill, Keith-hall, Inverurie
2nd Lot 11 – Keira Smith, Netherton, Whitehouse, Alford
Open Champion
Lot 1 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul
Young Farmers Champion
Lot 10 – Richard Davidson, Corsairtly, Keith
Overall Champion
Lot 1 – William Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul