The annual Young Farmers overwintering competition hosted by Aberdeen & Northern Marts in conjunction with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC), and sponsored by Ledingham Chalmers took place at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie on Thursday 23^rd March followed by the sale on Friday 24^th March.

The Calladrum Cup, which is won by collecting points for highest feeder margin, highest average daily liveweight gain, best presented and paraded animal and best quality animal, was presented to Finlay Hunter, West Carinhill, Culsalmond, Huntly from Garioch Young Farmers Club.

The competition now in its 31^st year encourages young farmers to take part in the buying and selling of cattle through the live auction system and, in particular to practice the art of stockmanship in the tasks of selection, feeding, presenting and parading animals for Show and Sale. Young farmers took up the opportunity to purchase cattle at the autumn sales, feed them through the winter with a key part of the competition covering the commercial aspects of production in the feeders’ margin and daily weight gain categories.

Tommy Taylor from Heathery Hall Farm, Biggar judged the proceedings with 40 Young Farmers, including 13 novice exhibitors from across the North East of Scotland participating in the event, with 70 head of cattle forward.

Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly won the Overall Champion position with his Charolais Cross Heifer weighing 522Kg, which also received Overall Heifer Champion and the Charolais Society Special prize. The Champion beast went on to sell for £2,500 to T B Taylor, Northholm, Pettinain, Lanark.

Champion Bullock was awarded to Jayne Mitchell, Ploverward, Grange, Keith for her British Blue Cross Bullock weighing 568kgs, which sold for £2,250 to T B Taylor, Northholm, Pettinain, Lanark.

Home Bred Champion was awarded to a Limousin Cross Heifer weighing 468kgs from Charlotte Cooper, Govals Farm, Kincaldrum, Fofar which went on to sell for £2,200 to Aidan Carroll, Edendiack, Huntly.

Jennifer Hall, 6 Bruce Brae, Longside won first place in the Best Presented and Paraded.

The sale held on Friday 24^th March at Thainstone Centre saw strong trade with the top selling lot achieving £3,400 for a 448kg Charolais Cross Heifer from Mark Robertson, Easter Fodderletter, Tomintoul, being bought via telephone bid by C Cormack, Oxnam Neuk Farm, Jedburgh.

A 570kg British Blue Cross Heifer from Faith Miskelly, Corrybrae, Kildrummy, Alford sold for £3,100 to J &J young, East Sinnahard, Glenkiddie, Alford

Jack Stuart, Belnoe Chapletown, Glenlivet sold his 596kgs Limousin Cross Heifer for £3,000, selling to Aidan Carroll, Edendiack, Huntly.

A 414kg Limousin Cross Heifer from Owen Young, Nether Drumallochie, Glenkindie, Alford achieved £2,600, being purchased by Aidan Carrol, Edendiack, Huntly.

Hannah Lorimer, Cadgerford, Kingswells, Aberdeen sold her 446kg Limousin Cross Heifer for £2,550 to J & B Muir, Honeyneuk Farm, Maud, Peterhead.

Finn Christie, Newton of Balquhain, Pitcaple, Inverurie achieved £2,400 for his Limousin Cross Heifer weighing 460kg, which sold to Aidan Carroll, Edendiack, Huntly.

A Salers Cross Bullock weighing 728kg from Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen sold to G A Reid, Mains of Newton for £2,120.

The sale saw 38 heifer sells to the average of £3.81 per kg, £1,809.74 average per head and 31 bullocks selling to the average of £3.35per kg, £1.715.16 average per head, with the overall average of £1,767.25 per head.

Scott Chapman, Auctioneer at Aberdeen & Northern Marts said “We were thrilled to host the Young Farmers Overwintering competition again this year and it was great to have seen a strong entry from enthusiast budding farmers.

”A fantastic show of cattle were brought forward from young farmers from across the North East with trade reflecting on this. We were delighted to have 13 first time exhibitors forward and it is great to see these young stock men and women participating in competition. A huge thanks goes to Ledingham Chalmers who kindly sponsored the event.

Prize lists:

Young Farmers – Show – Thursday 23^rd March

Judged by Tommy Taylor from Heathery Hall Farm, Biggar

Class 1 – Unhaltered Heifers

1st Lot 4 from Thomas Hall, 6 Bruce Brae, Longside Peterhead

2nd Lot 3 from Craig Reid 5 Blair cottages, Alytre Forres

3rd Lot 5 from Ellie Newlands, Cluny Rafford, Forres

4th Lot 2 from Grant Rhind, Newton of Struthers, Forres

Class 2 – Unhaltered Lightweight Bullocks

1st Lot 9 from Robbie Anderson, Brenan, Laurencekirk

2nd Lot 7 from Ashleigh Auchnie, 5 Blair cottages, Alytre Forres

3rd Lot 10 from Ashleigh Auchnie, 5 Blair Cottages, Altyre, Forres

4th Lot 11 from Andrew Jack Stevenson, Brangan Farm, Boyndie

Class 3 – Unhaltered Heifers

1st Lot 14 from Katelyn Keir Loanhead Alford

2nd Lot 13 from Cameron Muir, Honeyneuk Farm Maud Peterhead

3rd Lot 16 from Robert Anderson, Brucewells, Stonehaven

4th Lot 15 from Katelyn Keir Loanhead Alford

Class 4 – Unhaltered Mediumweight Bullocks

1st Lot 23 from Cameron Muir, Honeyneuk Farm Maud Peterhead

2nd Lot 25 from Harry Ross, Coldhome Dallas Forres

3rd Lot 22 from Molly Stuart Belnoe Chapeltown Glenlivet

4th Lot 24 from Ellen Glennie, Burnside, Alford

Class 5 – Unhaltered Heifers

1st Lot 27 from Jennifer Hall, 6 Bruce Brae, Longside, Peterhead

2nd Lot 29 from Lucy Gordon Candacraig Home Farm Strathdon

3rd Lot 28 from James Strachan, New Mains Glenkindie

4th Lot 26 from Alanah Gordon, Candacraig Home Farm Strathdon

Class 6 – Unhaltered Bullocks

1st Lot 34 from Ellen Glennie, Burnside Alford

2nd Lot 31 from Selina Gordon, Clochnahill Stonehaven

3rd Lot 32 from Amara Nairn, Clashnoir Auchnarrow Ballindalloch

4th Lot 33 from Selina Gordon, Clochnahill Stonehaven

Class 7 – Homebred Heifers

1st Lot 39 from Charlotte Cooper Govals Farm Kincaldrum Forfar

2nd Lot 38 from Finlay Hunter West Cairnhill Culsalmond Huntly

3rd Lot 37 from Bradley Roberston Roebank Grange

Class 8 – Homebred Bullocks

1st Lot 40 from Harvey Stuart, Belnoe Chapeltown, Ballindalloch

2nd Lot 41 from Jack Stuart Belnoe Chapeltown, Glenlivet

Class 9 – Purchased Heifers

1st Lot 48 from Mark Roberston, Easter Fodderletter Tomintoul

2nd Lot 45 from Thomas Hall 6 Bruce Brae Longside Peterhead

3rd Lot 42 from Jennifer Hall, 6 Bruce Brae Longside Peterhead

4th Lot 46 from Hannah Lormimer, Cadgerford Kingswells

Class 10 – Purchased Bullocks

1st Lot 53 from Cameron Muir Honeyneuk Farm Maud Peterhead

2nd Lot 52 from Molly Stuart Belnoe Chapletown Glenlivet

3rd Lot 50 from Charlotte Cooper, Govals Farm Kincaldrum Forfar

4th Lot 49 from Craig Reid, 5 Blair Cottages, Alytre Forres

Class 11 – Purchased Heifer

1st Lot 59 from Finlay Hunter West Cairnhill Culsalmond Huntly

2nd Lot 55 from Finn Christie Newton of Balquhain Pitcaple Inverurie

3rd Lot 56 from Robert Anderson, Brucewells, Netherley Stonehaven

4th Lot 54 from Wilson Stott Larach East Fiddie Skene

Class 12 – Purchased Bullocks

1st Lot 62 from Jayne Mitchell Ploverwards Grange Keith

2nd Lot 60 from Mark Roberston, Easter Fodderletter Tomintoul

3rd Lot 64 from Harry Ross, Coldhome Dallas Forres

4th Lot 63 from Amara Nairn Clashnoir Auchnarroe Ballindalloch

Class 13 – Purchased Heifers

1st Lot 65 from Cameron Muir Honeyneuk Farm Maud Peterhead

2nd Lot 67 from Finlay Hunter West Carinhill Culsalmond Huntly

3rd Lot 68 from Faith Miskelly Corrybrae Kildrummy Alford

4th Lot 70 from Jack Stuart from Belnoe Chapeltown Glenlivet

Best Presented and Paraded

1st Lot 42 from Jennifer Hall, 6 Bruce Brae Longside Peterhead

2nd Lot 54 from Wilson Stott Larach East Fiddie Skene

3rd Lot 46 from Hannah Lormimer, Cadgerford Kingswells

4th Lot 68 from Faith Miskelly Corrybrae Kildrummy Alford

Homebred Champion – Charlotte Cooper, Govals Farm, Kincaldrum, Forfar

Champion Heifer – Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

Champion Bullock – Jayne Mitchell, Ploverwards, Grange, Keith

Overall Champion – Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

Young Farmers Overwintering Overall Competition Prizes

Calladrum Cup

1st Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

2^nd Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

3^rd Faith Miskelly, Corrybrae, Kildrummy

Best Overwintered Steer

1^st Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

2^nd Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

3^rd Jayne Mitchell, Ploverwards, Grange, Keith

Best Overwintered Heifer

1^st Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

2^nd Faith Miskelly, Corrybrae, Kildrummy

3^rd Hannah Lorimer, Cadgerford, Kingswells, Aberdeen

Highest Average Daily Weight Gain, Steers

1^st Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

2^nd Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

3^rd Amara Nairn, Clashnoir, Auchnarroe, Ballindalloch

Highest Average Daily Weight Gain, Heifers

1^st Katelyn Keir, Loanhead, Glenkindie, Alford

2^nd Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

3^rd Lucy Gordon, Candacraig Home Farm, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire

Highest Margin, Steers

1^st Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

2^nd Jayne Mitchell, Ploverwards, Grange, Keith

3^rd Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

Highest Margin, Heifers

1^st Faith Miskelly, Corrybrae, Kildrummy, Alford

2^nd Finlay Hutner, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

3^rd Hannah Lorimer, Cadgerford, Kingswells, Aberdeen

Novice Award

1^st Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

2^nd Amara Nairn, Clashnoir, Auchnarrow, Ballindalloch

3^rd Wilson Stott. Larach, East Fiddie, Skene and Jack Stuart, Belnoe, Chapletown, Glenlivet

Junior Young Farmer Award

1^st Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Huntly

2^nd Jenna Ross, Wardhead, Strichen

3^rd Faith Miskelly, Corrybrae, Kildrummy, Alford

Club Award

1^st Keith Young Farmers

2^nd Vale of Alford Young Famers

3^rd Lower Speyside Young Farmers