From where I stood

The 127th Oban Highland Cattle Sale, 13-14 October 2024

There will not have been a sale ring anywhere in the country which could boast as having such a large international attendance. Highland enthusiasts from Australia, the United States, Germany, Ireland and Denmark were looking on with interest although the likelihood of being able to export live animals soon seemed quite remote.

Regardless of this, breeders from the United States and Germany bought some of top prized females intending to take embryos for export.

This level of overseas interest highlights the growing demand for Highland genetics worldwide and augers well for the forthcoming Fifth International Highland Breeders Gathering to be held in the town of Oban in conjunction with the 128th annual autumn sale. The event will run from the 6 to 13 October 2025 and will give delegates an unrivalled opportunity to evaluate the Highland breed in its homeland. In other words, Highlanders in the Highlands.

This event will be an unrivalled opportunity for all home-based Highland breeders to showcase their folds during the annual show and sale and if the overall quality, which was a feature of this year’s event, is maintained we can be sure of yet another highly successful event.

My lasting memory of this year’s event was the outstanding quality of the heifer calves on offer, 30 in total. In my mind the overall quality was the best I can recall at any sale. Many thought it to be far too many and would fail to match last year’s record average of £1,983.75. By the time the last of the calves went through the ring the average stood at £2,164 with the buyers still looking for more.

Once again it was the consignment of calves from the Cladich fold which took top honours. Winning both the Myrecairnie Perpetual Trophy for the best heifer calf and the Cladich Cup for the best pair of suckled calves. All of this was achieved with the manager, Stuart Campbell being somewhat incapacitated due to damaging his ankle the previous week. Nevertheless, his apprentices, Emily Armstrong and Morven Brown did the Cladich fold proud, presenting and parading the calves to perfection.

The top heifer calf averages are as follows:

Cladich £5,000 for five calves
Gray Bray £1,750 for four calves
Cailaich £ 1,500 for five calves
Glengorm £1,412.50 for eight calves
Cnoc Na Sith £ 1,400 for five calves

Quite remarkable when one considers that most of the calves came of hill grazing without any supplementary feeding.

Emily and Morven were not the only young enthusiasts involved in both the show and sale ring and in the young handler’s competition. The cattle they prepared and exhibited featured highly in most classes and were a great credit to the Highland breed. We are indeed fortunate to have such a wealth of talent within our ranks; they are the future.

The overall accolade, The Invernarin Cup went to the Balrownie fold with their much admired in-calf heifer, Catriona Akeko of Balrownie selling for 13,000gns. Although relatively new to the Highland breed, the boys from Balrownie did an outstanding job of preparing and exhibiting their cattle and all credit must go to them. Well done! It always gives me great pleasure to see a new name on our trophies - keep up the good work.

Some years ago, I wrote about the importance of maintaining the highest of standards when presenting cattle at any event especially at our premier events in Oban. If the standard of what was exhibited at our recent sale is maintained there can be little doubt that the level of interest in our great breed will continue to grow and all those breeders who put so much time and effort into this event must be congratulated.

Angus R Mackay