Let’s flock ‘n’ roll: Inspired by Scotland’s fertile lands
The Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships is returning to the Royal Highland Show in June after 20 years.
Held in the MacRobert Theatre, more than 35 countries from across the world will battle it out to see who is the fastest sheep shearer and who has the best woolhandling technique.
The highly-anticipated event will feature 39 decorated sheep sculptures that are currently on tour across Scotland in the Flock to the Show public art trail.
The Scotsman is the media partner for both events and the Royal Highland Show is held from 22 to 25 June.
Visit the website at royalhighlandshow.org
Meet the artist
Anna Bilyk is an artist/designer based in central Scotland.
Her work is inspired by her love of travel and her surrounding landscape. These two elements and her creative practice are intrinsically linked, and both are as important as each other to the artist.
Documentation of places explored is another important element throughout Anna’s work and is a strong motivation.
Now predominantly working in printmaking – specifically lino print – she is focusing on exploring this medium.
Anna says: “Inspiration for this design was a mixture of landscape and process. The images are all inspired by travels and surrounding landscapes brought together and merged into a type of visual story.
“The style of the design comes from the process and style I use to design images for lino printmaking.”
Esha
Esha by Anna Bilyk raises awareness of the fact that Scottish farmers have been using organic matter instead of synthetic fertiliser for
many years, benefiting the country’s soil health.
Organic matter can improve soil structure, increase water-holding capacity, and enhance soil biodiversity, leading to better nutrient availability and uptake.
Additionally, it can help increase soil carbon storage and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change mitigation.
Unlike synthetic fertiliser, which typically provides only a limited range of nutrients, organic matter provides a diverse array of nutrients, leading to more balanced and sustained crop growth.
Organic matter can also improve soil resilience to environmental stresses, such as drought, disease, and pestilence.
It can be produced from a variety of sources, including crop residues and compost, which can help promote circular and sustainable agricultural practices.
Meet the sponsor
Galloway & MacLeod manufactures market-leading livestock feeds for the UK and European farming industry.
The feeds are freshly made in a mill using premium ingredients to ensure consistent, high-quality products.
These are highly palatable and specifically formulated to optimise growth, improve health, and enhance fertility – producing show-winning livestock.
The company says: “We are a customer-focused, results driven business, serving the needs of livestock farmers.
“We felt that the Flock to the Show campaign provided an outstanding opportunity to support the RHASS, the Royal Highland Show and Golden Shears, while boosting our brand awareness and reputation among customers, stakeholders, and supporters.
“Last year, we chose to support the show with the RHS TV advertising package which we found very beneficial – many of our customers commented how well the package had looked.”
Find your fleece
Locate today’s sheep and access our VIP competition to win free parking, hospitality, and lots more by following this link.