Tomorrow (Friday), there will be a show and sale of 800 store cattle sponsored by UK Farm Finance and judged by Ian Pirie of Overton of Bruxie, Maud. The show will begin at 8.30am and the sale will commence at 10am, with the presentation of trophies to take place at noon. Also taking place on Friday is a breeding sale of about 150 adult head.

On Saturday (September 1), Thainstone Centre will host the biannual sale of rare and minority breeds which will incorporate a show and sale of Jacob and Ryeland sheep from 9.30am.

Horses and ponies will be sold in ring two from 10.30am and will be followed by livestock while ring three will be the venue for an auction of harness and tack from 11am. Thainstone Exchange will be the setting for the sale of around 650 cages of poultry and hatching eggs will be sold under the Exchange canopy from 11am. Implements and handtools from a bygone era will go under the hammer in the concourse from 11.30am.

Catalogues for the rare breeds sale can be downloaded at www.goanm.co.uk/anmarts.
Wednesday (September 5) will see around 100 top show animals travel to Thainstone Centre for the Spectacular show and sale of store cattle and weaned calves suitable for further showing.

Sponsored by Clydesdale Bank and with a prize-fund totalling £3,300, the event will feature many prize-winners from the summer show circuit including a team of 14 from J. and J. Wilson, Wester Cairnglass, Gollanfield, Inverness and 11 from Smallburn Farms, Rothes, Elgin.

Clydesdale Bank managing partner Iain Clark commented: "It's a special delight this year to be able to continue our support for this important event, after such a disruptive period for the whole livestock sector. To be able to do so, completely in step with the original event schedule, is a tribute to the way in which the recent outbreak was handled."

Aberdeen and Northern Marts' store and breeding cattle manager John Angus added: "We are delighted that the Spectacular is able to go ahead and the event will undoubtedly provide a much-needed and timely boost to exhibitors.

"The entries we have this year show an excellent mix of groups of cattle and individual entries, all of which will combine to make for another excellent Spectacular and we look forward to welcoming buyers from throughout the UK."

The show will begin at 2pm and the sale will commence at 6.30pm with the presentations to champions to be held at approximately 7pm.

Meanwhile, Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce has welcomed the lifting of restrictions. He said: "I had learned of the outbreak when on holiday and made it a priority to determine the scale of the problem as soon as I returned.

"There is relief that the outbreak was contained in the south of England but frustration at how it had occurred and the detailed costly restrictions imposed hundreds of miles away from the affected area."

Mr Bruce added: "I urged the European Commission to return to normality as soon as possible and welcome that last week's veterinary committee in Brussels agreed.

"It was clear to me that everyone accepted the immediate freeze on movements but people were becoming frustrated and turning to anger by the nature of the restrictions and the loss of income and increased costs.

"Lifting of the export ban and other restrictions came just in time. Let's hope that the market recovers quickly."