East Midlands Limousin Club Report & Herd Competition Results 2011

What a year for the East Midlands Club membership!

• Centre record for a bull at Newark ‘Limousin Day’
• Brockhurst Batik sells for 22,000gns
• East Midlands region hosts 2011 Beef Expo 2011
• Brockhurst Bolshoi wins Great Yorkshire
• Plumtreee Fantastic sells privately for £40,000
• Withersdale Empress Reserve Overall National Limousin Show

The first main event of the year started at the annual ‘Limousin Day’ sale held at Newark Market, kindly judged by Mr Harry Emslie making the long trip down from Aberdeenshire. With a centre record for a Limousin bull at 6,500gns underpinned a strong pedigree and commercial trade at the 7^th annual Limousin Day, held on Saturday 16th April 2011. A catalogued entry of 537 head saw 37 bulls, which was an increase of nine on the year, go under the hammer to average a healthy £3,214. The bull trade was largely commercial and saw senior bulls favoured, which were ready to work. The female section was headed by a 4,500gns final bid for the RM Hazard & Sons’ Mereside Attila with calf at foot.

Averages:

37 Bulls £3,213.57
23 Cows & Calves £2,307.72
64 Heifers £1,632.26
3   Cows £1,855.00

Another main event within the region was the on-farm Production sale of the Brockhurst Herd on behalf of Messrs WJ & M Mash Ltd held at Torrington Farm,Grove Lane, Chesham, Bucks on Saturday 9th April 2011. The sale was topped by Brockhurst Batik, with an impressive show career which included Championship and Reserve Championship titles at the 2008 Royal Highland Show & Royal Show, selling at 22,000gns. Also at the sale 21 embryo bred calves averaged an impressive £3,010.

Next followed Beef Expo held at Newark which hosted visitors from home and abroad on Wednesday 25^th where they got to see ‘arguably’ the best market and auctioneer in the country. During the day it was possible for people to visit the Hazard family’s ‘Mereside’ herd as one of the Beef Expo host farms. Then on Thursday 26^th the live judging was held at Newark showground, where the East Midlands Club supplied cattle and welcomed people onto the Limousin stand. Many thanks to Rachel Burns, Margaret Bloom and Sue Hazard for providing food, drink and hospitality on the Limousin stand at the event. Our thanks also to David Duffin, Paul Cairns, David Burns, the Fieldson family and Paul Gentry on behalf of Gascoines Group Ltd for providing the quality cattle seen on the Limousin stand.

Onto the show season where yet again breeders from theEast Midlands region did not disappoint. Congratulations to Paul Barwood and Anita Padfield on a successful show season with their team, especially with Withersdale Donna winning numerous Limousin championships and Interbreeds around the county shows.

Yet another fantastic show season for W J & M Mash Ltd winning Limousin Supreme Overall Championship on the opening day of the 2011 Great Yorkshire Show held at Harrogate. The win completed a mainland ‘grand slam’ of UK major titles for the prolific show winning Brockhurst herd as they have previously won the Supreme Championship titles at The Royal, Royal Highland and Royal Welsh shows respectively, therefore congratulations to them.

A tremendous day was had by the breeders from the East Midlands area who attended the 40^th Anniversary Limousin Show, with everyone picking up rosettes! Many thanks to all those who competed, taking the time and effort to represent the East Midlands with some fantastic cattle and were duly rewarded for their quality and effort. Mr DC Wharton of the Withersdale herd having had fabulous results around the summer shows went on to win the Reserve Overall Supreme title with the homebred heifer Withersdale Empress.  Empress had been placed Reserve to Trueman Euphonium in the Intermediate Female section before following the Champion through to the Overall Reserve position and with it the Overall Reserve Bred by Exhibitor title.

To round off the summer, news came when Mr Paul Cairns announced the private sale of Plumtree Fantastic to the Gunnerfleet herd of Ian Handley and family for £40,000. Another fantastic achievement following on from the sale of Plumtree Deus sold for 35,000gns Carlisle February 2010.

Around came the October ‘Limousin Day’ sale again held at Newark Market, many thanks to Richard Priestley of the Brontemoor herd for judging the event for us. All cattle traded on a good commercial basis, with a number of bulls sold to local suckler herds keen to buy locally and support the sale. Females were also well sought after and the pick of the lots were subject to strong bidding battles. Overall it was another pleasing sale and once again cemented Newark’s place among the top pedigree sale centres in the UK.

We wish to thank Richard Bartle for giving up time in his very busy schedule to travel the length and breadth of the East Midlands region judging this year’s herd competition for us, below is a list of the winners.

HERD COMPETITION RESULTS 2011     Judge : Richard Bartle