Five Judges For 2022 Royal Highland Show From Dumfries and Galloway

Overall Young Handler  

Following the inaugural year of the Dalchirla Trophy for Overall Young Handler in 2019, the honour has fallen to renowned Limousin breeders and regular Show-goers Sarah Jane Jessop and Dougie McBeath to place the champion Young Handler The choice of judges rotates around the different sections each year, with Sarah and Dougie chosen by the Chief Stewards of the Beef Section.  

Beef Section 

Esmor Evans, owner of the famous Maerdy herd from Flintshire in Wales, will have the privileged task of placing the Overall Beef Interbreed and Teams, while James Playfair-Hannay, who commentates on Cattle and the Grand Parade at the Show, will be judging the Beef Shorthorn. 

Another successful Show competitor judging for 2022 is Tracey Nicol, who will be placing the Beef Young Handler. Tracey works alongside husband Davie running their prizewinning Charolais herd at Balthayock for Major Walter and took Overall Beef Champion in 2019 with heifer Balthayock Nessie. 

Renowned breeder Alistair Cormack will be judging the Aberdeen Angus section this year. Alistair won at the Royal Highland in 2017 during the Aberdeen Angus World Forum out of 143 cattle.  He took three bulls and a heifer to the October Bull Sales in 1989 – the heifer was Female Champion, the bulls were Senior, Intermediate and Junior Champions and went on to be Overall Champion and Reserve – a record that still stands today. 

Another well-known face in the Beef Section is Wilson Peters, judging Commercial Cattle. Farm Manager at Monzie Estate in Crieff, Wilson is very well known in the showing and sale scene winning Scottish National Fatstock Champion on five occasions and commanding some of the best prices.  

Dairy Section 

The Dairy Section will see the return of the Queens Cup this year, being awarded by Jimmy Hodge of Eyemouth, Berwickshire for the Overall Dairy champion. Jimmy ran the 550-strong Lemington Holstein herd, which was synonymous with showing until its dispersal in 2007.  

Glyn Lucas, an auctioneer at Harrison and Hetherington in Carlisle, is taking charge of the Any Other Breed class after a strong inaugural year in 2019.  

The prize for Dairy Calf and Showmanship will for 2022 be awarded by Michael Yates of Castle Douglas, part of the well-known Yates family who run Eastford and Logan Holsteins and enjoyed their own successes at the Show, winning the Holstein section in 2006 and 2013. Michael is currently the only person to have won Champion Handler at the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show three times. 

Sheep Section 

The Sheep Section is in great hands this year, as former RHASS Chairman and Chief Steward of Sheep, Clark Stewart will be placing the Overall Interbreed. Clark, of Cupar, Fife, is a prominent Pedigree Border Leicester, Suffolk and Texel breeder. 

The Texel class will be judged by Robert Wilson of Turiff, Aberdeenshire, who has won the Suffolk section 5 times and Texels 2 times at the Highland Show. 

William Dunlop, the renowned blackface breeder running 1600 breeding ewes at Elmscleugh in East Lothian, will be casting his expert eye over the Sheep Pairs and Young Handler. Another former RHASS Chairman, John Dykes of West Linton, Peeblesshire, will be utilising his 60 years of breeding experience judging the Bluefaced Leicester Traditional Type.  

Alan Kennedy of Parkgate, Dumfries will be overseeing the Charollais – Alan has won 10 interbreed championships in a row at the Dumfires Show, and also competed to a high level in sheep shearing at the Royal Highland, winning Junior, Intermediate and Senior competitions. 

Heavy Horse Section 

In the Heavy Horse Section, there are two judges travelling all the way from Australia this year. Colin Brown, who runs McMurchie Clydesdale Stud in New South Wales alongside his wife Karen, who will be judging Clydesdale Males, while Max Marriott, of Aarunga Stud in Victoria will be placing the Clydesdale Females. Max has been involved with the breed for over 50 years, and also judged the Heavy Horse Turnouts at the Show in 2015.  

Marguerite Osborne, 3rd generation breeder of the ‘na Dailach’ stud in Kirriemuir, Angus will be taking the reins for the Sanderson Trophy. She is well known and respected judge, being former president of Highland Pony Society and secretary of Clydesdale Horse Society. Her daughter Virginia judged Ridden Clydesdales at Showcase in 2021 

Anne Mitchell will be casting her experienced eye over the Highland Pony Females. Her Dunedin Stud in Denny, Stirlingshire has produced supreme champions at Olympia, HOYS, Royal International, and the Royal Highland Show. 

Light Horse Section 

In the Light Horse Section, the prestigious St Johns Wells Trophy will be awarded this year by Sylvia Ormiston MVO of Ballater, Aberdeenshire, while she is also judging Working Native Pony in Harness. Sylvia enjoys the very esteemed responsibility of running the Balmoral Highland Pony stud for Her Majesty the Queen. Sylvia, alongside husband Dochy, were made members of the Royal Victorian Order by the Queen in 2020.  

Lucinda Russell OBE will be judging the Retraining of Racehorse class this year. Lucinda runs a successful racing yard in Kinross, famously training One for Arthur who won the 2017 Aintree Grand National. She trains with her partner Peter Scudamore MBE, an 8-time champion jockey. 

Nigel Hollings will judge the HOYS Supreme In Hand Championship. Nigel has ridden and produced many champions in the show ring from ponies to heavyweight hunters, including the Riding Horse of the Year Fair Breeze, (also HOYS Supreme Showing Champion) and Hack of the Year Royal Angel, plus numerous other HOYS Pony Champions.  

The HOYS Part Bred Ridden Section will be judged jointly by partners Chris & David Bartrum-Lawton, with Chris judging conformation and David judging performance. 

Sandy Anderson will be judging the Welsh Ponies (Section B). Chairman and owner of Grandstand Media, which runs the Horse of the Year Show, Sandy is also the owner of the successful Thistledown Stud, which bred 21 ponies that qualified for the 2021 HOYS. 

Goat Section 

Dairy Goats, Kids, Milking & Boer Goats will be judged this year by Margaret Hardman, from Sheffield, Yorkshire. Margaret is an experienced and decorated competitor, and also the Vice Chair of the British Goat Society committee. 

RHASS Chief Executive Alan Laidlaw commented: 

“We are very much looking forward to welcoming back some familiar faces to the judging line up this year, with many of our judges returning after being asked to initially judge at the cancelled 2020 Royal Highland Show. 

“Our esteemed roster of judges includes some of the best, brightest and most respected professionals that the livestock world has to offer, and I can’t wait to see them and our competitors in action in the show rings this June.” 

Livestock entries will open in early April when the schedule of competitions will also be released. 

Supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, the Royal Highland Show will take place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, on 23-26 June 2022. 

For further information and to purchase tickets please visit www.royalhighlandshow.org.  

JUDGES FOR THE ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2022 

OVERALL 

Overall Young Handlers 

Ms Sarah Jane Jessop & Mr Dougie McBeath, Bannockburn, Stirlingshire. 

BEEF CATTLE 

Beef Native Breeds Inter Breed Team Championship 

Mrs Audrey Anderson, Arbroath, Angus 

Beef Breeder Competition & Junior Beef Inter Breed Championship 

Mr Michael Durno, Ballindalloch, Banffshire 

Beef Inter Breed Team Competition and Overall Beef Inter-Breed Championship 

Mr Esmor Evans, Mold, Flintshire, Wales 

Beef Inter-Breed Pairs Competition 

Mr Colin Wight, Biggar, South Lanarkshire. 

Young Handlers 

Mrs Tracey Nicol, Perth, Perthshire 

Beef Shorthorn 

Mr James Playfair Hanney, Kelso, Roxburgh 

Aberdeen Angus 

Mr Alistair Cormack, Chirnside, Berwickshire. 

Galloway 

Mr Alan McClymont, Kirkstead, Yarrow 

Belted Galloway 

Mr Ian Park, Fort William, Inverness-shire 

Highland 

Mr Donald MacNaughton, Kelty, Fife 

Hereford 

Mr William McLaren, Auchterarder, Perthshire 

Lincoln Red 

Scott, Donaldson, Carlisle, Cumbria 

British Charolais 

Chris Curry, Morpeth, Northumberland 

British Simmental 

Mr Joe Wilson, Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
 

British Limousin 

Mr Mike Massie, Ellon, Aberdeenshire 

British Blonde 

Mr David Knight, Chippenham, Wiltshire 

British Blue 

Mr Mark Hartley, Nelson, Lancashire 

Salers 

Mr Glen Walsh, Cumnock, Ayrshire 

Commercial Cattle 

Mr Wilson Peters, Crieff, Perthshire. 

DAIRY CATTLE   

Overall Dairy Interbreed 

Mr Jimmy Hodge, Eyemouth, Berwickshire 

Ayrshire & British Red and White 

Mr Gilmour Lawrie, Prestwick, Ayrshire. 

Holstein 

Mr John Garnet, Milnthorpe, Cumbria 

Dairy Shorthorn 

Mr John Teasdale, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway 

Jersey & Dairy Any Other Breed 

Mr Glyn Lucas, Carlisle, Cumbria 

Dairy Calf and Showmanship 

Mr Michael Yates, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire 

SHEEP 

Overall Sheep Inter Breed Championship 

Mr J A Clark Stewart, Cupar, Fife 

Overall Sheep Pairs Inter-Breed Championship & Young Handlers Classes 

Mr W Dunlop, Dunbar, East Lothian 

Suffolk 

Mr Gordon Mackie, Forfar, Angus 

North Country Cheviot 

Mr John McClymont, Leven, Fife 

Blackface 

Mr Andrew Woodburn Snr, Cumnock, Ayrshire 

Lleyn 

Mr John Morton, Kirkland, Penrith 

Ryeland 

Mr Aled Morgan, Crymych, Dyfed, Wales 

Commercial Sheep 

Mr Robert Struthers, Carluke, Lanarkshire 

Border Leicester 

Mr Richard Evans, Chirk, Wrexham, Wales 

British Berrichon 

Mr C Morse, St Clears, Carmarthenshire, Wales 

Jacob 

Mr Scott Robertson, Dufftown, Banffshire 

North Country Cheviot Hill 

Mr M Cook, Halkirk, Caithness 

Cheviot 

Mr David Goodfellow, Hawick, Roxburghshire 

Texel 

Mr Robert Wilson, Turriff, Aberdeenshire 

Hampshire Down 

Mr J Barnard, Newton, Dorset 

Swaledale 

Mr Joe Nattrass, Alston, Cumbria 

Bluefaced Leicester – Traditional Type 

Mr John Dykes, West Linton, Peeblesshire 

Bluefaced Leicester – Coloured Type 

Mr Alex Brown, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire 

Charollais 

Mr Alan Kennedy, Parkgate, Dumfries 

Hebridean 

Mr Helen Brewis, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire 

North of England Mules 

Mr Geoffrey Porter, Richmond, North Yorkshire 

British Rouge 

Mrs Jayne Tanahil, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, N Ireland 

Beltex 

Mr David Thornley, Swadlincote, Derbyshire 

Zwartbles 

Caroline Anderson, Ingoe, Northumberland 

Scotch Mule 

Mr Billy Kerr, Maybole, Ayrshire 

Bleu Du Maine 

Mr Samuel Small, Randalstown, Co. Antrim, N Ireland 

Shetland 

Mr Brian Ridland, Evie, Orkney 

Blue Texel 

Mr Clive Richardson, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, N Ireland 

GOATS 

Dairy Goats, Kids, Milking & Boer Goats 

Mrs Margaret Hardman, Sheffield, Yorkshire 

HEAVY HORSE   

Clydesdales In Hand 

Males 

Mr Colin Brown, New South Wales, Australia 

Females 

Mr Max Marriott, Victoria, Australia 

HOYS Ridden Clydesdales (Ride) 

Ms Laura Henry, Leuchars, Fife. 

HOYS Ridden Clydesdale (Conformation), Clydesdale Young Handlers & Stockmen 

Mrs Audrey Aitken, Newmarket, Wigton, 

Highland Ponies In Hand 

Males 

Mrs Jean Connell, by Auchtermuchty, Fife. 

Females 

Miss Anne S Mitchell, Denny, Stirlingshire. 

Shetland Ponies In Hand 

Ms Wendy Toomer Harlow, Basildon, Essex 

Miniature Shetland Ponies In Hand 

Mrs C Hodder, Yeovil, Somerset 

The Sanderson Trophy 

Mrs Marguerite Osborne, Kirriemuir, Angus 

HARNESS, GROOMING, TURNOUTS. 

Harness Grooming & Decoration 

Mr Dave Proctor, Letham, Angus. 

Working Native Pony in Harness 

Mrs Sylvia Ormiston, Ballater, Aberdeenshire 

Heavy Horse Turnouts 

Mr Owen Garner, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 

PRIVATE DRIVING  

Shetland Pony, Highland Pony and Private Driving (HOYS Qualifier) 

Mr Nigel Fuller, Rawreth, Essex. 

LIGHT HORSE  

Hunter in Hand & HOYS Hunters Under Saddle – Weights and Small (Conformation) 

Mr David Dixon, Guisborough, Cleveland, 

HOYS Hunters Under Saddle – Weights and Small (Ride) 

Mr Michael Cooper, Manchester, Lancashire. 

HOYS Hunters Under Saddle – Working Hunters (Conformation) and HOYS Ladies Side Saddle (Conformation) 

Mr Tim Wiggett, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire 

HOYS Hunters Under Saddle – Working Hunters (Ride) and HOYS Ladies Side Saddle (Ride) 

Mrs Lesley Jones, Comber, Northern Ireland. 

Hunters Under Saddle – Novice Hunters (Conformation) 

Mr Tim Wiggett, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire 

Hunters Under Saddle – Novice Hunters (Ride) 

Mrs Lesley Jones, Comber, Northern Ireland. 

Sports Horse in Hand 

Mr Michael Cooper, Manchester, Lancashire. 

Retraining of Racehorse Final (Conformation) 

Ms Lucinda Russell, Kinross, Perthshire 

Retraining of Racehorse Final (Ride) 

Ms Morag Snow, Leven, Fife 

Highland Ponies Under Saddle (Conformation) 

Mrs Heather Prescott, Ormskirk, Lancashire 

Highland Ponies Under Saddle (Ride) 

Mr James Munro, Wick, Caithness 

Welsh Mountain Ponies (Section A) 

Mrs Julie Perrins, Wakefield, Yorkshire. 

Welsh Ponies (Section B) 

Mr Sandy Anderson, Loughborough, Leicestershire. 

Welsh Ponies Cob Type (Section C) 

Mrs Sharon Charlton, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, Wales. 

Welsh Cobs (Section D) 

Mr Vic Moore, Ebbw Vale, Gwent, Wales 

Mountain & Moorland Ponies in Hand 

Mrs Ann Nicholls, Halmore, Gloucestershire. 

Connemara 

Mrs Ann Nicholls, Halmore, Gloucestershire. 

Pony Breeding 

Mr David Puttock, Newent, Gloucestershire 

Riding Horses & Novice Riding Horses (Confirmation) 

Mr David Dixon, Guisborough, Cleveland, 

Riding Horses & Novice Riding Horses (Ride) 

Mr Michael Cooper, Manchester, Lancashire. 

Arabs Anglo Arabs & Part Bred in Hand 

Mrs Kirsty Brown, Wigan, Lancashire 

Arabs Anglo Arabs & Part Bred Arabs Under Saddle 

Mrs Penny Hollings, Stockton on Tees, Co. Durham 

Cobs (Confirmation) 

Mr David Dixon, Guisborough, Cleveland, 

Cobs (Ride) 

Mr Michael Cooper, Manchester, Lancashire. 

St Johns Wells Trophy 

Mrs Sylvia Ormiston, Ballater, Aberdeenshire. 

Mountain & Moorland in Hand Overall (Waxwing Trophy) 

Mrs Kathleen Scott, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. 

HOYS Supreme in Hand Championship Qualifier 

Mr Nigel Hollings, Blackburn, Lancashire 

HOYS Mountain & Moorland Working Hunter Ponies (Conformation) 

Mrs Nicola Shuttleworth, Northallerton, North Yorkshire 

HOYS Mountain & Moorland Working Hunter Ponies (Jumping) 

Miss Kerry Wainwright, East Adlington Cheshire 

Side Saddle 

Miss Marjorie Grant, Scone, by Perth, Perthshire. 

HOYS Show Hunter Ponies and Show Hunter Pony Lead Rein & First Ridden (Conformation) 

Mrs Penny Hollings, Stockton on Tees, Co. Durham 

HOYS Show Hunter Ponies and Show Hunter Pony Lead Rein & First Ridden (Ride) 

Mrs Clare Dew, Welwyn, Hertfordshire 

Show Ponies and Show Pony Lead Rein & First Ridden 

Mrs Karen Slight, Biggar, South Lanarkshire. 

HOYS Mountain & Moorland Lead Rein & First Ridden (Ride) 

Mrs Gillian McMurray, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire. 

HOYS Mountain & Moorland Lead Rein & First Ridden (Conformation) 

Mrs Kathleen Scott, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. 

HOYS Junior Mountain and Moorland Ridden Pony (Conformation) 

Mrs Nicola Shuttleworth, Northallerton, N Yorkshire 

HOYS Junior Mountain and Moorland Ridden Pony (Ride) 

Miss Kerry Wainwright, East Adlington Cheshire 

Donkeys in Hand 

Mrs Linda Impey, Nr Chelmsford, Essex 

HOYS Working Hunter Ponies (Jumping) 

Mr David Puttock, Newent, Gloucestershire 

HOYS Working Hunter Ponies (Conformation) 

Ms Sarah Chapman, Llandinam, Powys. 

HOYS Part-Bred Ridden (Conformation) 

Mr Chris Bartram-Lawson, Peacehaven East Sussex. 

HOYS Part-Bred Ridden (Performance) 

Mr David Bartram-Lawson, Peacehaven East Sussex. 

HOYS Mountain and Moorland Ponies Under Saddle – Fell, Dales, Highland, Connemara, Welsh Section D (Conformation) 

Mrs Ann Nicholls, Halmore, Gloucestershire. 

HOYS Mountain and Moorland Ponies Under Saddle – Fell, Dales, Highland, Connemara, Welsh Section D (Ride) 

Mr David Puttock, Newent, Gloucestershire. 

HOYS Mountain and Moorland Ponies Under Saddle – Welsh Section C, B & A, New Forest, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Shetland (Conformation) ** Championship & Silver Medal 

Mr Richard Miller, Ferryside, Carmarthenshire, Wales. 

HOYS Mountain and Moorland Ponies Under Saddle – Welsh Section C, B & A, New Forest, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Shetland (Ride) 

Ms Debbie Spears, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 

HOYS Coloured Horses & Ponies Under Saddle (Ride) 

Mr Nigel Fuller, Rawreth, Essex. 

HOYS Coloured Horses & Ponies Under Saddle (Conformation) 

Ms Cathy Wood, Barnstaple, Devon. 

Coloured Horses & Ponies in Hand 

Mrs Nicola Pargeter, Northallerton, Yorkshire.