Galashiels farmer Roderick “Rocket” Runciman of Allanshaws took the sheep interbreed championship for the first time at the Highland Show last week.
He also won, for the first time in the show’s history, the North Country Cheviot (NCC) championship for the fourth time in row.
He told us: “Seeing the stick put on the sheep’s back to win the whole (sheep) show is the pinnacle of anybody’s showing career: I was speechless. It’s some honour.
“But it’s not just for me, it’s for the Borders, too, where we have some of the best stockmen in the country.”
The champion Texel, a shearling from Ian Murray, East Horton, Wooler, took the reserve interbreed.
Ian said: “It exceeded all my expectations, I would have been happy if I got a ticket. I’m ecstatic.”
Other top results included the NCC reserve ticket going to Will Thomson, Hownam Grange, Morebattle, Kelso, with a homebred two-crop ewe; the Border Leicester champion from James Brown, Eildon Cottage, Mindrum Mill, near Cornhill, and the NCC hill sheep’s reserve champion from Michael Elliot, Woodside, Yetholm, reserve male champion from Charles and Mary Symmons, Attonburn, Yetholm, and reserve female champion from Will Thomson.
Among the Cheviots, Norman and David Douglas, Catslackburn, Yarrow, Selkirk, took the championship with the female champion; the reserve, and male champion came from Jim and George Irving, Mountbenger, Yarrow, Selkirk; the reserve male went to Bridgewater and Wood, Potholm Farm, Langholm, while reserve female went to Gavin Douglas, Upper Hindhope, Jedburgh.
Sam McClymont, Tinnis, Yarrow won the Bluefaced Leicester male champion ticket and Gordon and David Gray of Sunnycroft, Lindean, Selkirk took the Texel reserve female championship.
The Shetland champion, a two-shear homebred ram, came from the Kaimknowe Flock of Patrick and Denise Playfair, Stichill Eastfield, Kelso. The reserve female champion Jacob was Robert Locker’s of Greenlaw Mill Farm, Greenlaw, while Dr John Mosley, Kirkdean Farm, Blyth Bridge, West Linton won the best female Hebridean.
Among the cattle, Fraser Cormack, Whittaker and Co Farms, Stickle Heaton Farm, Cornhill, took the Aberdeen Angus reserve championship, with Houghton Laura LO26 who was part of the winning native interbreed team. Whittaker also took the best junior bull, reserve junior animal and reserve bull tickets. Kelso’s Ron and Robert Wilson, Cowbog, Morebattle, won the Hereford junior female championship; George and Avril Hamilton, Ramrig, Duns took the British Blonde bull’s reserve championship. The British Blue’s junior bull champion’s ticket went to Mr and Mrs Tom Cockburn, Kingside Farm, Leadburn, West Linton, while the Salers championship went to the female champion from Bryan Walling, Farmstock Genetics, Over Whitlaw, Lindean, Selkirk; Rob Livesey, Firth, Lilliesleaf won best pairs, best bull, best junior female and the junior championship, and Roy and Adam Crockett, Conker Cottage, Deanfoot, Hawick took the reserve junior animal’s rosette with the junior bull.