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Aberdeen and Northern Marts, Thainstone
Wednesday 6th December 2006.

BLACK BEAUTY BONANZA

The renaissance of the Aberdeen-Angus breed in its home area was clearly demonstrated yesterday at the Scotia Homes Black Beauty Bonanza show of yearlings and calves at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.

With a record entry of 146 head and visitors at the ringside from Australia, Brazil, Estonia, Germany and Ireland, as well as from all over the UK, North-east breeders put their best foot forward to demonstrate that the Aberdeen-Angus breed is back in the international market.

"This is the best show of quality cattle we have seen at the Bonanza since the event started in 1998," said Alex Sanger, Prettycur, Montrose, chairman of the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club, which organises the annual event with Scotia Homes as major sponsor and support from other sponsors including Bank of Scotland and the Press and Journal.

"The show provided a real opportunity to present the Aberdeen-Angus breed to our customers and breeders excelled themselves with the quality of cattle on parade."

Mr Sanger's remarks were backed up by the judge, Friedrich Schumacher from Germany, who said he had found it very difficult to separate the top cattle in many of the classes.

"I was particularly impressed that breeders have retained the traditional character of the Aberdeen-Angus breed, particularly in the heads of the animals," he said. "The type of cattle Scottish breeders are producing are very suitable for the European market and I am sure we will be importing more breeding stock from Scotland in the future to improve our herds."

Since the export ban was lifted earlier this year, more than 200 Aberdeen-Angus cattle from the UK - including many from the North-east - have been exported to Estonia, Germany, Switzerland, France and Romania.

"The potential for the Aberdeen-Angus breed in Europe is enormous," said breed president, Nigel Hammill, Macclesfield, Cheshire, who attended yesterday's show and has represented the breed at three major European shows over the past month.

"Demand for quality beef is growing throughout Europe, and especially in former Eastern Bloc countries, and Aberdeen-Angus is the breed that they want."

It was a particularly successful day for Charles McCombie, owner of the old-established Auchincrieve herd at Rothiemay, Huntly, who with the assistance of his sons, Charles and Ben, and daughter, Emily, claimed three of the first prize tickets and went on to capture the bull calf championship for the third time. Their winner yesterday was the eight month old, Auchincrieve Eventer, by the former Perth champion, Blelack Lord Hornblower.

Another by the same sire, the seven month old Blelack Blackensign, took the reserve yearling bull championship for N F Massie and Sons, Blelack, Dinnet, Aboyne.

Also parading three first prize winners was former club chairman, Hamish Sclater, Denhead Farms Dunlugas, Turriff, who with the assistance of his wife, Margaret, and daughter, Nicola, a student at SAC, went on to win the yearling heifer championship in his own right and the yearling bull championship with a bull which he brought out on behalf of Aberdeen businessman, Kenny Pratt, Oldtown, Peterculter.

His own winner was the 20 month old, Deveron Elize, by Whitfield Jester Eric, and Mr Pratt's leader was the 18 month old, Deeview Top Gun, by Auchteralyth Patrick.

Breeders from Angus, who dominated the show last year, were well to the fore again with the heifer calf championship going to Forfar butcher, Tom Rennie, Mosston Muir, Guthrie, with his eight month old, Mosston Muir Edwina, by the home-bred Mosston Muir El Krugerrand.

Mr Rennie also won the coveted McCombie Trophy, presented for the first time last year by Mrs Elizabeth McCombie, in memory of her late husband, Charles, who was a former chairman of the club and a member of the family which developed the Aberdeen-Angus breed at Tillyfour, Alford, in the early 19th century.

Previous championship winners, Lord and Lady Glendyne, Craigeassie, Forfar, also came close in two sections but were just pipped at the post on both occasions, taking the reserve bull calf championship with the eight month old, Hurdcott Elgar, and the reserve yearling heifer championship with the 22 month old, Hurdcott Elspeth, both by Wedderlie Ebtide.

Ending the show season on a high note, following summer show successes with her pedigree Texel sheep flock, was Mrs Wendy Willox, Hawthorn Brae, St Katherines, who stood reserve for the heifer calf championship with nine month old, Strathinver Beatrice, by Idvies Paris.

It was announced yesterday at the show that the National Aberdeen-Angus Show, held at the Westmorland Show for the past two years, will be coming to the North-east next year as part of the annual Turriff Show.

The club's annual Herd of the Year competition for herds gaining most points at the summer shows has been won by M Bruce and Partners, Logie, Ellon, who are also the winners of the trophy for the home-bred animal gaining most points. Both trophies were presented at the club dinner last night by Iain Clark, agricultural business manager with Clydesdale Bank, who sponsor the awards.

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