Lanark lights up for LiveScot

John Sleigh reports from LiveScot in Lanark mart last Saturday 25 November.

John Sleigh

29 November 2017

Hugh Gurthie, retired farmer from Kilmarnock “I am judging the poultry. It’s a great show of poultry here today."

Livescot lanark mart

Kenny Johnston, Eden valley Texel’s with Jake,(9), Jenna (7), Ruari (6) and Chloe (3). We are delighted with out first for the light Texel. It’s a local show so we are keen to support the event. We have 1,200 ewes at home. Mainly Texel crossed with the blackfaces or cheviots. We also run 160 pedigree Texel ewes. Grandfather brought over some of the first Texels into Scotland.

Cattle were in top condition for the show ring.

Andrew Whylie and Georgina Baird, Ayr. “We bought the calf with her mother at a Stirling sale. She ahs a bit of style about her and good to show. We just tied her up a couple of times and she was broken in quickly. She has grown into a tremendous carcass with a dry mix from Norvite plus beetpulp and barley mash at night. We will be at the Ayrshire rally next amd hope to keep her for a cow. I (Andrew) has a degree in architecture but work full time on a farm. I enjoy the work more than in an

George Brown, Highland Meats “It’s a good show. Lots of well fleshed cattle on display, Its been a difficult year for all and we will see the affects next year. A bad year can bee seen for a couple of years after in the livestock. Cattle will be lighter than usual after coming in weathered from the fields. This will follow through to the market. We can see on farms that people are having to spend a lot of feed and straw with some deciding to shift cattle quicker. But there was a 10 day ga

Tom Stewart, Crook maker from Falkirk. I got a first and second in the buffalo horn section. My scroll and thistle stick was beat for the first time by another stick, which I also made. I like the buffalo horn as its solid big horn, is a bit like a ahrd plastic. I got into crook making after I got injured in a harnessed horse race so decided to join a stick club. I now teach other to make stick. I have had offers for my sticks of over £300 each. I don’t make them for profit but I do sell s

Hamish McCall CEO “It’s been a very good day. It was a bit quieter first things with the snow but finished up as busy as ever. It’s really important to give farmers to chance to meet up.”

Farmers were relieved at the chance to get away from their farms after months of heavy rain, to go to the LiveScot event at Lanark mart on Saturday 25 November