There’s been no stopping them again this year and the Netherton herd of Messrs W and D McLaren have won the coveted Walker’s Show Herd of the Year competition for the fourth year on the bounce and now 12 times in total.

Their success on both the summer and winter circuit resulted in the team winning the most points with exhibitor bred cattle at specific qualifying shows across the UK. They will receive a trophy and share of the £500 prize find, kindly sponsored by Walkers Shortbread.

This year’s team has focussed on all ages, but the most consistent for them has been Netherton Karama K574. She is by Netherton Big Edition H460 who has sired some of the breeds top show females over the last four years and is out of Netherton Karama E368, herself a successful show cow for the herd before being sold for a five-figure price to Saville Angus.

In 2014 Karama won five breed championships and three interbreed championships, ending her show career at The Black Isle Show before being sold as part of the complete herd sale of the adult portion of the herd to HW Angus in the summer.

Also in the team this year having great success is Netherton Frances M679, Netherton Kelso N768, who was Summer National Show calf champion and Netherton Evita N734, who was Winter National Show yearling champion. The herd itself competed at 11 shows and picked up 28 first prizes, as well as five breed championships and six interbreed titles.

Runner up on points was Tom Rennie’s Mosston Muir herd who were runner up to Netherton in 2012 and have previously won the award nine times as well. Tom, with the expert help of James McMillan, has had great success across the Scottish Shows, as well as travelling further afield to support National events, as well as a breed championship win at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Third place was Shadwell Estate Ltd, whose Suffolk-based herd had a strong run of success on the summer circuit culminating in clinching the Summer National Show championship.

The qualifying shows for 2014 were Royal Highland, Royal Welsh, Great Yorkshire, Royal Three Counties (Aberdeen-Angus Summer National Show), Borderway Agri Expo (Aberdeen-Angus Winter National Show), Ayr, Banchory, Black Isle, Kirriemuir and Westmorland.