SRUC instructor Colin Wilson came up with the idea of staging an agricultural show as part of the students’ practical sessions covering livestock, tractor driving, soil and arable, environmental and farm maintenance.
During November, show prep was integrated into the rotation, with sheep and cattle borrowed from the farm so students could learn how to use clippers to ‘dress’ the animals and train them to appear in the ring.
Andrew Struthers, who has travelled the world dressing dairy cattle, was also on hand to provide advice.
The show, which was held on 1 December, was sponsored by local companies including Davidsons of Irongray, Tarff Valley, Murray Farmcare, Cornthwaite Farm Machinery, Kerbl UK, Rutland Electric Fencing and McCaskies, and judged by former students Abbie Baillie and Morgan Reynolds.
The overall championship, as well as the bulling heifer and dairy category, was won by NC agriculture students Eliza Bowran and Katlyn McCormick. HNC agriculture students Angus McClymont, Murray McHarg and Thomas Young came second in the bulling heifer category and Robyn Jardine and Rachel Barr were third.
Overall reserve champions were HNC agriculture students Abbie Cowan and Hamish Carr, who were named champions of the sheep category and also won the Scotch Mule Ewe category, followed by HNC agriculture students Adam McCombe and Duncan MacBride, and NC agriculture students Eliza Bowran and Katlyn McCormick.
The dairy calves category was won by Becca Brown, Chloe Reid and Lucy Sanger, who were also named reserve dairy champions with their calf.
Angus McClymont, Murray McHarg and Thomas Young came second and Laurie Graham, Anna Kenny, Georgia Cavanagh and Eilidh Crawford came third.
Lucy Sanger and Rachel Barr, who were named reserve champions in the Sheep category, also won the Dorset Ewes category with Angus McClymont, Murray McHarg and Thomas Young coming second and Luke Smith, Jake Finlay, Andrew Campbell and Drew Fisher, third.
