COMMUNITY
WEST COAST REVIEW | 9
giant onions as for pedigree
cattle.
Livestock and the home industries
feature across all the local
shows, but the differences in
classes are part of what makes
each one distinct - whether
that’s Mid Argyll’s extensive
horse categories, Dalmally’s
Terrier Race, or Appin’s ‘Best
Dressed Farmer’ prize.
Shows are rife with rivalries,
with friends and family often
competing alongside, and
against, each other, and that’s
all part of the atmosphere. The
prize money may not be high
(you will be lucky if it’s enough
to buy a round of ice creams)
but the kudos of victory certainly
is.
West Coast Review spoke to
successful show competitors
from around the area, to fi nd
out what they do to earn their
trophies, and how they feel
about their local events. We
may not have uncovered the
closely guarded secrets of their
success, but below is a little insight
into what it takes to be a
winner.
Beef cattle
Ewen MacGillivray, Home
Farm, Barcaldine
Prizes: Overall champion, Lorn
Show 2016 (for a Texel gimmer
sheep) Reserve champion
Dalmally Show for beef cattle
Success story: “It’s all about
the back breeding of the livestock.
You’ve got to have the
right bloodlines, going back for
generations - and hopefully the
breeding comes through. And
you have to dress the livestock
to have them looking good on
the day.
View: “It’s the community that
make the show – they really get
behind it and everyone does
their bit and gets stuck in.”
Flower arranging
Pat MacLeod, Dalmally
Prizes: Best exhibit in the fl oral
section, Dalmally Show
Success story: “I did my entry
the night before. I don’t know
why it won, but maybe it was
because it was more natural
than some.”
View: “I only started entering a
few years ago, and Dalmally’s
the only show I do. I won some
things, and thought I’d continue
for the fun of it really. I think
it’s good to take part.”
Horticulture
David MacLeod, Dalmally (husband
of Pat)
Prizes: Braeside Cup for Horticulture,
Dalmally Show
Success story: You’ve got to
plan in advance – it takes a
long time for things to come
to fruition. Certain things, like
leeks, you have to grow particularly
for the show, others
are part of your normal gardening
pattern.
View: “You’ve got to take part
in these things. It is competitive,
and some people are really
professional about it, but
I’d encourage anyone to have
a go. Get some advice from
someone who has been doing
it for years, they would be happy
to chat and help you try to
improve.”
Baking
Rosemary MacCormick, Appin
Prizes: Senior baking trophy at
Appin Show, plus best baking
exhibit at Lismore (and more).
Success story: “I had a number
of entries in different baking
classes, for things like pancakes,
a sponge and a fruit
loaf - and won when the points
were added up. My Clootie
dumpling won a prize when
judged on its own too (and my
grand-daughter was the runner
up). I quite enjoy baking.
You can’t start too early - it’s all
got to be done just before.”
View: “I take part for the fun of
it really, and to try and keep the
show running. I thought last
year’s Appin Show was the
best of all the shows about for
baking and fl owers – one year
we had 19 Victoria sandwiches
for the judge to try.”
Highland Cattle
Willie MacLean, West Ferlochan
Farm, Benderloch
Prizes: trophies for Highland
Cattle at recent Appin and Lorn
shows and others.
Success story: “A lot of it is
preparation, you’ve got to
look at what’s coming up six
months to a year ahead, and
take into account the different
stages each animal goes
through.
How much, or how little you
feed them is a big part of it,
and you have to train the animal
a long time before so that
it will do what you want it to do
– stand in a particular way. The
show animals do get looked
after that bit better than the
others.”
View: “We’re not in it for the
prize money. A show is a shop
window for a farmer – whatever
the size of the event, you
don’t know who’s going to be
there, looking at the animals