With the agricultural show season in full swing, the National Museum of Rural Life’s Ayrshire herd is certainly making a name for itself, with the Museum ranked amongst the top breeders in Scotland.
The first show of the season was the Neilston Show where our Ayrshire herd won the Supreme Ayrshire Championship for the fourth year in a row, which is a new record! We also lifted the Reserve Championship, the Quey Derby, Best Animal Bred by Exhibitor and the overall dairy section’s Points Challenge Cup.
The following weekend saw the Prestigious Ayr County Show held at Ayr Racecourse. This is a not a show for the faint-hearted. Competition is fierce with some of the biggest and best breeders in Scotland represented as a prelude to their appearance at the Royal Highland Show in late June. We have been regular exhibitors at Ayr for many years, increasing awareness of the National Museum of Rural Life’s champion Ayrshire herd in south-west Scotland.
This year was particularly successful for us. Nora Louise 2nd won the Heifer in Milk Class and went on to win the Ayrshire Heifer Championship. She then went on to win Reserve Supreme Ayrshire Champion, the Interbreed Group of 4 Reserve Championship, Quey Derby and Best Animal Bred by Exhibitor!
To be placed at Ayr Show is a great achievement but to reach the heights of Reserve and Champion was beyond our wildest dreams. The genuine delight from the other stockmen made our day and my ribs still hurt from all the congratulatory hugs. But this is not a solo pursuit and I couldn’t have done it without the great team on show day.
I’ve been breeding Ayrshires at Wester Kittochside for some 13 years and have produced some fine champions during that time. The many late nights and early mornings I have spent with the herd have all been worthwhile.
Visitors to the National Museum of Rural Life are able to see our prize-winning herd of Ayrshires on our working farm, as well as many other animals like Tamworth pigs and Clydesdale horses.
Visit the National Museum of Rural Life, East Kilbride to see our award-winning Ayrshire herd for yourself and watch them being milked 1950s style every day at 3pm.