Glaury but glorious: Weather plays ball for the Langholm show but wellies are needed

THE Becks Farm in Langholm had a triumphant day at last Saturday’s agricultural show, scooping three of the top titles with their sheep.
Sharon Graham won the best sheep in show with a non-accredited Texel gimmer, while the reserve championship went to a South Country Cheviot gimmer, shown by Jim Robertson.
The same sheep won the South Country Cheviot champion of champions. It was selected from among the animals which won championships at the Highland (Jim Robertson); Kelso & Pennymuir; Dumfries; Moffat and Peebles; Benty; and the Holm shows.
After winning the best sheep in show, Sharon said: “I’m mega-chuffed. This is her first time out. The judge liked her sparkiness. She has good skin, a good build and she’s good on her legs.
“The Cheviot is an amazing gimmer. She is my favourite at home.”
Sharon and Jim have even more to celebrate this autumn.
They are getting married in Ewes church in November.
But, wedding plans aside, they have to concentrate on the October sales.
Blackburn
The Blackface champion was the gimmer shown by Gordon Jackson of Blackburn, Newcastleton, which won the championship at the Holm in August. Gordon also won the reserve championship with a tup lamb.
Scott Brown of Midlothian, the territory manager for Murray Farmcare, won the accredited Suffolk championship with a ewe lamb.
John Anderson of Rowanburnfoot, Canonbie, won the Bluefaced championship with a shearling tup which was bought last year at Lanark sale.
John’s dad, Ken, said: “He has everything the breeder desires: good skin, mouth and colours. This is just his second show and he was second in his class at the Holm.”
John also won the reserve championship with a ewe lamb. He bought her dam while she was in lamb at the same sale.
The overall cattle champion was the commercial champion, a Blue x Limousin, shown by Emily Hunter for Thomas Hunter of Brydekirk.
A Beef Shorthorn heifer calf won the native breed championship for John Anderson of Canonbie. It was shown by Lauren Scott of Langholm.
The Galloway champion was a bull calf, shown by Jason McKinnel for D&R Cornthwaite of Lockerbie.
The horses and ponies had to work hard in the soft conditions. The overall horse championship was awarded to Clyde, ridden by Abbie Haley, 16, of Beattock. The pair had earlier won the ridden hunter championship.
Abbie has owned the eight year old for three years. He is half Clydesdale, one quarter Thoroughbred and one quarter Warmblood.
He was the champion coloured horse at Dumfries and was placed third in Scotland at the Ingliston elite coloured finals.
Terrona Jasper, a foal born in Common Riding week, won his class for Frances Hislop of Langholm.
The foal is out of Jules, Frances’s three-quarter Thoroughbred, and by Ramiro B, a prolific sire of event horses, including Oliver Townend’s 2019 Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class.
Superstar
Hannah Robertson of Langholm’s two-year-old Molly’s Katie won her class and was the overall reserve champion in the in-hand classes. Hannah said: “She is my superstar.”
Six-year-old Chloe Graham of Chapelknowe, riding Chetwynd Larkspur, who is 15, had great fun in the ridden pony classes with help from her sister, Kiera, and won the Mountain & Moorland class.
Sue Thompson of Carlisle won the ex-racehorse class with Parkie Boy, eight, who ran in several hurdle races before retiring. Sue bought him from Solway Racehorses, run by Kevin Jardine, in Canonbie.
Sue said she had done a bit of dressage and showjumping with him and her objective was to take him eventing.

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