Our year started well with the February bull sales in Oban when our black yearling bull, Beinn Dubhcraigh of Cladich was the champion yearling bull. He sold the next day for 2000 guineas to a leading German breeder.
In June we took four animals to the Royal Highland Show and came home with two rosettes, which was very pleasing as they were all in large, strong classes.
The Great Yorkshire Show was a Great Success for us!! We took three to Harrogate, a yearling heifer, a yearling bull and a two year old heifer. The black yearling, Sorcha Dubh, was junior champion and our white yearling bull, Mont Blanc of Cladich, was reserve champion. The two year old heifer, Frangag Donn, was second in her class. This was a fantastic result for us and for Tom, our Yorkshire-born stockman, on his home patch.
We also exhibited successfully at our local Argyll shows and added to our collection of silverware. All in all, a very good and enjoyable summer show season.
We have just returned from the October Oban Show, where we showed and sold six heifer calves and a red bull calf. In one strong class we were placed first, second, third and fourth and sixth. Tom, Stuart and their young team of handlers did a fantastic job in preparing the calves and it was such a credit to them for the calves to be placed one after the other in the line up by the judge, John Crilley.
The bull calf was second in his class of eight and has been sold to Yorkshire. Our best heifer calf, Alma Grianach, won her class and was reserve calf champion and sold for 850 guineas the next day.
Sadly we are losing our stockman,Tom, to Edinburgh and to Claire, whom he is marrying in the new year. He has been with us for three years and we will miss him. We wish them both well in the future and they know they will always be able to come 'home' to a warm welcome in Cladich.
Fortunately, Stuart Campbell is joining us from Ormsary, after a short spell in Worcestshire. We know Stuart well and he has helped Tom at shows in the past so we feel comfortable with the change. We also know that we will not be able to keep Tom away from the Yorkhire Show next year, to help defend his 2011 titles!!