Headshaw Texel takes top honours at Westruther

Overall Champion, James Anderson, Headshaw photograph is with his 2 sons, Hamish and Adam Anderson. He is a texel shearling by Teviot Topper

Mr Anderson of Headshaw won a strong overall final with a Texel shearling by Teviot Topper. Judge was Andrew Warnock of Dreva, Broughton.

Show secretary Fiona Marwick said: “It was a great day, windy but dry.

“It was our 65th annual show and we are delighted it’s still going strong and is so well supported.

“Our next event will be our stockjudging at John Swans market in Newtown St Boswells in February.”

The reserve went to a Blackface ewe shown by shepherd James Brady of Burncastle Farming, Lauder.

The reserve multibreed was a half bred gimmer shown by Hamish Anderson while the reserve Blackface champion was a ewe lamb from Andrew Bell, Tollishill, Lauder.

The Greyface champion was a ewe from the flock of J.W. Fullerton, Corsbie, Earlston, with the reserve going to a ewe lamb of Professor Penny’s of Craigswindshiel, Duns.

The Blueface Leicester champion’s ticket went to Bill Hedley, Corsbie, Earlston for a shearling and the reserve was taken by a ewe lamb from Professor Penny’s flock at Bothwell, Duns.

Father and son team, Jimmy and Graeme Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot, won the prime lamb championship with Robert Rennie, Sydenham, Kelso, taking reserve.

The pet show was won by Kirsty Stevenson with Freda the Jack Russell.

Meanwhile competitors from throughout Europe descended on Westruther sheepdog trials at Cammerlaws last Saturday too.

Trialers from Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Norway as well as further afield - in Scotland for the World Sheepdog Trials at Tain (which started yesterday) - meant 58 dogs ran over the challenging course.

Local trialer David Gilchrist from Oxton won with his dog Dan on 95 points. He also took the new Watson Trophy in memory of Greenlaw trialer Tom Watson for the best pen.

Organiser Andrew Dickman said: “It was a good day, people enjoyed it.

“Our visitors thought it was really good experience for them and their dogs because they don’t have our type of sheep: theirs are really heavy to move, like pets.

“They were just really happy to give their dogs a chance of these type of sheep before the World finals in Tain this week.”

The sheep were Scotch Mules, supplied by host Tom Walker of Cammerlaws and the course had a slight rise and a 380-yard outrun.

Andrew said: “The challenge was getting your dog out that distance. It was a big course but the pen was the most challenging bit of it, whether they didn’t like the woodwork or what, the sheep just didn’t like going there.”

Heriot’s Bobby Henderson was second on 92 with Skid, while Robin Lawrie from Innerleithen was third with Tid on 90 points. Blyth Bank’s Davey Wallace with Jen was fourth on 88 points (outbye) while Earlston’s John Foster and Tay were fifth on 88 points and K. Samson from Denmark with her dog Dodo were sixth with 87 points. The best novice was Balerno’s Craig Kirkland and Jack who scored 64.

Judge was last year’s trials winner, Ross Henderson from Galashiels.

Meanwhile at Moffat Show, the Black Bull Cup for the best shepherds’ group of Hill Cheviots went to John Allan, shepherd at Mountbenger, Yarrow while Alan McClymont of Kirkstead, Yarrow won the Bluefaced Leicester championship, along with the best male and best female’s trophies too.

Selkirk farmers Jock and Scott Davis of North Synton, Ashkirk, won the North Country Cheviots male championship and regular prizewinners, Patrick and Dorinda Fontana of Honeysuckle Cottage, Kailzie, Peebles topped the poultry, winning best in show with a German Langshan Bantam cockerel.