North Country Cheviot sheep certainly made their presence at the Black Isle Show, winning not only the coveted inter-breed sheep trophy but also the best in Ross-shire honours – with two different sheep.
The breed, which was staging it’s National Show for both the park and hill types with a total 270 Cheviot entries, also boosted the sheep entry to a record breaking 1100 head.
It was the park-type that ruled supreme, though, with Roderick (Rocket) Runciman’s home-bred one-crop ewe from Allanshaws, Galashiels, lifting the overall championship.
“I must first congratulate the North Country Cheviot breeders as it was extremely difficult task splitting the two types to begin with,” said Ian Thomson, the inter-breed sheep judge, from Caberston, Walkerburn.
“I must also congratulate Roderick, as his park-type Cheviot was the brightest sheep of all the champions forward and she had beautiful hair and a body to follow,” added Mr Thomson, who later selected the Charollais champion as his choice of reserve overall.
Star of the show was Allanshaws Nessie, a daughter of Philiphaugh Tevez, out of a home-bred ewe. No stranger to the limelight, this classy female on her first outing of the year, stood reserve female at the Highland and first in her class at Kelso, last year.