Record numbers attend 2024 Royal Highland Show

The Royal Highland Show is one of the national go-to events of the year for pedigree and showing enthusiasts and this year’s show didn’t disappoint with over 6,000 livestock exhibits vying for coveting Royal Highland rosettes during the four-day event.

The show welcomed a record 220,000 exhibitors at this year’s show spending over €45m in the local Edinburgh economy.

The pedigree rings were thronged around the ringside with spectators during the four days with many Irish farmers making the short trip over to take in what the UK has in terms of new breeding lines and show toppers.

In the Charolais ring it was Aberdeenshire man, Neil Barclay who had the tough job of selecting his winners out of the 70 strong Charolais exhibits.

Overall champion went to Grinshill Tallulah ET, a June 2022 born heifer sired by Barnsford Ferny out of Maerdy Bardy. Reserve overall champion went to Lochend Rolo from Craig and Katreen Malone. The October 2020 born cow is by Gretnahouse Ming.

Irish genetics were to the fore in the prizes with the reserve male champion going back to Rosanna Jupiter and the reserve junior female champion going back to Rosanna Rudolph. The Irish bred Goldstar, a red rosette in her class for the Atkinson family.

It was a big show for the Limousin breed with the breed taking home the interbreed beef team and reserve overall interbreed championships.

Stephen Priestly of the Brontemoor herd tapped out the Nimmo family’s Maraiscote Tangerine as his overall champion. The 25-month-old heifer is a daughter of the Irish breed Morhan Peter, bred by Clare man Brian Moroney and out of homebred Maraiscote Orange.

Junior champion

Morhan Peter also bred the junior champion, a 12-month-old heifer. The reserve spot went to the March-2022 born heifer Brokhurst Tranquility from the Mash family. She was sired by Procters Mitsubishi and out of a Wilodge Vantastic dam.

The Aberdeen Angus championship went to Neil Wattie for his April 2022 born heifer sired by Cardona Jeweliot Eric. Reserve champion in the Aberdeen Angus section went to Oakmoor Boss, an April-2022 bull sired by Wedderlie Osprey and out of Oakmoor Beauty. Aberdeen Angus section went to Oakmoor Boss, an April-2022 bull sired by Wedderlie Osprey and out of Oakmoor Beauty.

The Simmental champion, a 2020-born cow Annick Ginger’s Lucia shown with her bull calf Blackmuir Pompei went on to take the overall championship. She was purchased at the Annick dispersal sale in September 2022 for just over €1,800.

The reserve Simmental championship went to the April 2022 born heifer, Corskie Namenco.

In the Hereford section it was another cow that took the overall championship.

Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret was tapped out as champion.The September 2020-born cow by Solpoll 1 Perfection has had a lot of success in the show ring from a young age. The reserve champion went to the young bull Dendor 1 Vodka sired by the Irish-bred Gouldingpoll 1 Moonshine.