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The last month has been the biggest of the year with regard to agricultural shows. The end of June saw the Royal Highland Show take centre stage in Edinburgh, while in the last two weeks the Great Yorkshire and Royal Welsh have come and gone.
A number of exhibitors throughout the UK look at these as the big three and strive to make an appearance at all.
While this may mean a 1,000 mile round trip for some, the prestige and marketability of one’s animals after a successful stint could well outweigh the initial outlay.
No animal achieved three overall breed championships across the shows this year. However, one came close.
Two out of three
In fact, Simmental cow Popes Princess Cleo claimed two of the three supreme beef titles, just missing out at the Highland Show last month. Princess Cleo won the first interbreed at Yorkshire earlier in the month before being tapped out by judge Mr G Riby earlier this week as supreme beef champion at the Royal Welsh.
Bred and exhibited by the Preston-based Woods family, Princess Cleo went one better on last year’s Welsh show, having secured the reserve interbreed title in 2016.
Sired by former Stirling senior champion Banwy Wonderboy, the six-year-old was shown alongside her young heifer calf.
While Princess Cleo may be performing in the show ring, she’s also doing it in production with her first bull calf sold at Stirling last year for 10,000gns.
This marked a highly successful run for the family who also secured the reserve breed championship at the Royal Welsh with the young heifer Popes Rhona and reserve breed championship at the Great Yorkshire with Popes Fearless.
Reserve interbreed honours at the Royal Welsh went to the Shorthorn breed champion Westhide Zoe.
This six-year-old cow from Mary Cormack and Richard Bartle is well used to the Llanelwedd showgrounds having also secured the Shorthorn breed championship at the show last year. Sired by Chapelton Waverley, she is out of Grafton Zoe and was shown alongside her eight-week-old bull calf.
Foxhill success
The Alford family was out in force across the three shows, securing a good return across all categories.
The January 2016-born Foxhillfarm Mammamia needs no introduction, having secured the supreme beef championship at last month’s Highland Show.
Adding to this success, she went on to be awarded the junior interbreed titles at both the Yorkshire and Welsh.
Sired by the homebred Foxhillfarm Irishlad, she is out of world record Limousin priced female Glenrock Illusion.
Further success came from her pen mate Foxhillfarm Lord of the Ring, who was awarded the overall Limousin and reserve supreme interbreed championship at Yorkshire along with the reserve male championship at the Welsh.
This one is owned in partnership with the Swarlesmoor herd and is the mating cross of Guards Boomer and the prolific brood cow Bankdale Alice.
The Alfords’ success didn’t stop in the Limousin ring. The family also claimed top spot in the commercial ring at this year’s Royal Welsh.
Their Belgian Blue-sired heifer Lady Gaga went on to secure the senior female, overall female and overall commercial championship under judge Elfed Williams.
Lady Gaga is out of a former Smithfield reserve champion and was purchased privately earlier this year. Reserve honours in the commercial ring at the Royal Welsh was secured by Mr D Thomas with his senior steer Black Magic.
This Limousin cross Blue-sired calf was also purchased privately and has previously placed champion and reserve at local shows.
Belgian Blue
Securing top position in the Belgian Blue at this year’s Royal Welsh show was Pinnacle Hero from Mr and Mrs Morgan. Originally bred by the late Kevin Banville, Wexford, he is sired by D’Ochain and out of Rosemount Faith and was purchased at the dispersal sale of the Pinnacle herd back in 2014. Since his purchase, Hero has gone on to breed bulls to 5,500gns in Carlisle for his new owners.
Reserve honours in the Blue ring went to Solway View Kesha from Mr Kevin Watret. Sired by homebred Solway View Firecracker, Kesha is a full brother to the 2015 Royal Highland Blue champion Solway View Jackpot.
The reserve female champion to Kesha was also from Mr Watrets pen in the form of Solway View Illusion.
This heifer has hit all the headlines over the past month, standing top of the line in the breed championship at both the Highland and the Great Yorkshire.
Sired by Solway View Dynamite, this stylish three-year-old was shown alongside her naturally born pedigree heifer calf at foot.
Boden & Davies Ltd were to the fore in the Charolais ring with their two-year-old Sportsmans Ladyship. This stylish homebred heifer is no stranger to the show ring, having secured the overall breed champion at the Royal Welsh also last year. Sired by Barnford Ferny, a former Royal Welsh interbreed champion, who was purchased for 70,000gns, she is out of homebred Sportsman Duchess.
This topped a great show for the outfit who also secured the top male spot with the 28,000gns Goldies Jerry and the interbreed pairs when the two came together.
Making it to the final four forward in the interbreed finals was the Salers champion Indiana Poll. This four-year-old cow from Matthew Jones originally came from France, where she had previously claimed the Paris show interbreed championship as a two-year-old. Sired by English-bred bull Cumbria Joker Poll, Indiana Poll along with her father are both from polled (hornless) Salers genetics which is increasing across the breed as a whole year on year.
Royal Welsh dairy champions
Out on top of the Holstein line was Braedale Goldwyn daughter Willsbro Goldwyn Kitty from Mr A H Wilson & son. This six-calver was purchased as a yearling and since then has secured the Holstein championship twice at the Welsh, the last before this week being back in 2013.
Currently classifying EX96, Goldwyn Kitty calved back in May and is currently giving 680 litres. The eight-year-old has produced over 80,000kg in her lifetime.
Securing the reserve spot under judge Gwilym Richards was Mr Bryn Davies with Moorshard Windbrook Alicia. Sired by Gillette Windbrook, this third-calver gave over 11,000kg in her last lactation. Born January 2013, this one is classified VG88.
Tregibby Panama Tequila secured the championship in the Jersey ring. This three-year-old bred and exhibited by Mr Wilson is no stranger to success in the show ring, having secured champion at the show as a heifer in 2016, champion at Agri-Scot last winter before securing the homebred interbreed title the same day.
Panama Tequila is currently giving 25 litres a day having calved nearly 300 days. Classified EX90 as a second-calver, she gave 7,700kg in her first lactation of 5.85% fat and 3.6% protein. Close on her heels was this year’s Highland Show breed champion Bluegrass Vindication Harp from the Fleming family.
This stylish four-year-old is currently giving 40 litres a day off the back of a 6,600kg lactation. Sired by Bluegrass Festival of Fireworks, she is out of Bluegrass Jetsons Blusher.
A large entry of Brown Swiss at this year’s Royal Welsh saw Quarry Zeus Orange out in front. Bred and exhibited by a Mr Williams, this now 10-year-old is currently giving a massive 61 litres after a lactation of nearly 13,000kg in 2016.
Sired by Red Brae Prelude Zeus, Zeus Orange stands as only the third Brown Swiss animal in all the UK to classify EX96.
This one is no stranger to the showgrounds in south Wales having also secured the overall breed championship back in 2013.
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