SIMMENTAL YOUNG MEMBERS ENJOY A ‘TOP 2025 WEEKEND’ IN SCOTLAND!

Following hard on the heels of a very successful event the previous year in Northern Ireland, it was the turn of Scotland to play host to the 2025 Simmental Young Members weekend, and held over three days in Perthshire from 1^st – 3^rd August.  See here the snapshot report from BSCS Council Member, and Scottish Simmental Club Secretary, Richard Pettit. 

The Scottish Simmental Club, along with the British Simmental Cattle Society, was delighted to organise and host the 2025 Simmental Young Members Weekend.  It was again an action packed weekend of varied activities and built around the Scottish Simmental National Show held within Perth Show on Saturday August 2^nd.  Some weekend events and highlights included:

• Young Members UK Stockjudging Finals at the Dargill Polled Simmental Herd.
• Over 50 young members and open class competitors taking part from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
• Scotland’s Emma McAlister, Bruchag Herd, lifted the Overall Award.
• Robert MacGregor from The Team herd acted as Master judge.
• Herd visit to the McGowans Incheoch, and mini Highland Games.
• Scottish National Simmental Show at Perth.

Day One, Incheoch Herd Visit
Kicking off the weekend of activities the Simmental Young Members arrived from all four corners of the UK to the Incheoch herd of Neil & Debbie McGowan and family, Alyth, Blairgowrie. Incheoch is an upland grassland farm where Glenisla starts to open into Strathmore, and which all in runs 220 beef cows including the pedigree Incheoch Simmental herd. Following lunch members enjoyed a tour of the herd which is built around the goal of ‘functional, fertile cattle, structurally sound for longevity, and with good temperament.’ Young Members saw the Simmental bulls for the, at the time, approaching Incheoch ‘Working Genes’ Sale and which went on to sell up to £13,250 x 2!  The YM’s then split into four groups for the following activities and to round off a very enjoyable and informative first day of events.

• Harbro , noted for their high quality feeds for commercial and pedigree cattle, gave a talk on nutrition.
• Robert McNee, Over Finlarg Farm, gave an interesting talk on Luings, and Simm Luings.
• The Young Members then enjoyed a mini Highland Games – Including hammer throwing and tossing the caber!

Following the visit to Incheoch members arrived at the Scottish National Simmental show on the Friday evening for a pre- show BBQ, organised by Jim Strathern and myself, and using Simmental beef burgers and sausages from the Smith family’s Drumsleed meats.

Day Two, Scottish National Simmental Show.
On the Saturday morning  the Young Members geared up for Day Two and attending the Scottish National Simmental Show, held within Perth Show.  Judge for the day was Garrett Behan from the noted Clonagh Simmental herd in Ireland.  A smaller than usual,  but high quality show of Simmental cattle were a credit to the exhibitors, with Reece and Andrew Simmers outstanding Annick Gingers Lucia coming out on top as the Overall Champion.  Several Young Members got ‘hands on’ helping breeders both dress cattle and show them.  Following the National Show several young members participated in a Young Handlers competition, also judged by Garrett and where they picked up more than a few tips from his experience.  Well done to Jamie Dodd from Northern Ireland who was placed 1^st, and to John Loggie from Scotland in 2^nd, and to all the Young Members who took part.

Day Three, SYM UK Stockjudging Finals at Dargill Polled Simmentals
Into the final day and the Scottish Simmental Club hosted the British Simmental Cattle Society’s SYM UK Stockjudging Finals on Sunday 3rd August.  The event was held at the Dargill Polled Simmental Herd by kind permission of Jim McLaren, East Crieffvechter Farm, Crieff, and herd manager Tom Henderson.

The four classes were:

1. Cows
2. Autumn calving heifer.
3. Spring calving Heifers.
4. Young bulls.

Over a combined 50 young members and competitors took part in the Young Members  competition along with the open class for club members and parents. Robert MacGregor of the Team herd was the Master judge, with Dorothy Moffat, Innerwick and Heather Duff, Pitmudie, helping with scoring the reasons section of the stock judging and time keeping.  Varrie Loggie, Merkland, and Jenna Ballantyne, Roadend, did the honours in scoring the stock judging cards.

RESULTS

Senior Team
1^st Place – Anna McDiarmid & Duncan McDiarmid – Score 357
2^nd Place – Justin Fenemore & Bethany Lawman – Score 341

Duncan & Anna McDiarmid

Junior Team
1^st Place – Aimee Stronach & Emma Stronach – Score 414
2^nd Place – Jamie Dodd & Lewis Dodd – Score 392
3^rd Place – Duncan Whyte & Callum Leedham – Score 372

Emma & Aimee Stronach

Senior Individual
1^st Place – Emma McAlister – Score 212
2^nd Place – Ryan Gilmour – Score 206
3^rd Place – Alisa Grant – Score 193

Emma McAllister

Junior Individual
1^st Place – Joint winner all 3 with the same Score of 207
Aimee Stronach
Emma Stronach
Angus McGowan

2nd Place – Joint winner same Score of 197
Jamie Dodd
Callum Leedham

Emma & Aimee Stronach & Angus McGowan

Best Under 16
Jamie Dodd – Score 197

Jamie Dodd

Overall Individual
Emma McAlister – Score 212

Reserve Individual
Joint Winners – same Score 207
Aimee Stronach
Emma Stronach
Angus McGowan

Heather Duff & Yvonne Leedham

Open Competition
1^st = Yvonne Leedham, Heather Duff – Score 176
2^nd = Richard Rodgers, George Nelson – Score 174

Following the stock judging  everyone enjoyed a fantastic BBQ lunch, courtesy of Jim McLaren, and a tour of the Dargill Polled herd with Tom in the afternoon. The Dargill herd is now all polled cattle with homozygous bulls from Denmark and UK used, and with the polled herd promoting itself with the strapline ‘Shaping the future of sustainable, forward-thinking farming!’

The weekend finished with the presentation of the prizes to all of the winners, and with thanks to the sponsors including: ABP Perth; M.A.M Contracting; and D&M Woods Farm Buildings.

Aimee Stronach, Islavale herd,  was then asked to demonstrate  to the other young members her reasons for placing the bulls, as she had placed top in the reasons class, having given such a clear rand accurate description of the bulls. Thank you Aimee!

Jonathan Gunn, the Club Chairman, gave a vote of thanks to the hosts before presenting Jim and Tom with gifts from the Club.

On behalf of The Scottish Simmental Club I would like to thank: our host farms for the preparation, visits, lunches, and fun along the way;  our Judge for the Scottish National Show,  Garrett Behan; Robert MacGregor for judging the Stock judging competition, and Varrie, Jenna, and Dorothy for helping on the day.

We were delighted to host the 2025 Simmental Young Members Weekend, and vey much hope everyone who attended gained from the three days: learning from the host breeders and seeing top cattle; viewing excellent pedigree Simmentals at the Scottish National Simmental Show; competing and learning through the Stock Judging; and socialising, having fun, and meeting other young members from around the UK with similar interests.

Thank you all for attending, it made the time spent organising the weekend so worthwhile seeing everyone enjoying the various Simmental activities.