DAIRY cattle came under the judges' scrutiny yesterday. Irish dairymen, Adam and James Lawson, who have relocated to North Cassingray, Largoward, Fife, took the honours in the Dairy Shorthorn section with their home-bred second calver, Lisnamulligan Princess Anne.
They milk 30 Dairy Shorthorns alongside 100 British Friesians and have never won at the Highland before. The cow is currently yielding 36kg per day and projected to 8000kg.
Reserve were Kendal organic farmers, Henry and Kathleen Robinson and their
son James, with the eight-year-old dry cow Strickley Annabella which yielded 7000kg in her last lactation.
The Ayr champion Jersey from Robert Hunter, West Tarbrax, Shotts, also took the top award yesterday. The home-bred, five-year-old, Clydevalley Julian Flora is projected to 8600kg.
Reserve was the Wilson family from Carsekerdo, Cupar, with the prolific seven-year-old cow, Wellhead Rocket Boo.
She is currently yielding 40 kg per day.
Jim and Gilmour Lawrie, Sandyford Farms, Prestwick, have not won the Ayrshire championship since 2002 and were delighted when their home-bred second calver, Brieryside Edna got the nod from judge Colin Christophers of Cornwall.
The Stevenson family from Kirminnoch, Stranraer, were reserve for the second year in a row with Stevenson's Buttercup, a third calver projected to 11,300kg.
In a reversal of the Ayr show results, the champion at Ayr came reserve yesterday.
David Yates, Meikle Firth Empire Babs from his farm at Castle Douglas gave 10,500kg in he second lactation and was third in her class at the Highland last year.
Meanwhile, the champions from all the native breeds made quite a spectacle in the cattle rings when they lined up to receive special rosettes from Her Majesty The Queen.
