2011/2012 has been a very busy year for speakers and visits. The detrimental weather conditions throughout the year have given us all a very difficult show season with many cancellations.
In November, we had an interesting and informative talk by Julia Moorhouse. Julia discussed health schemes and allowed members the opportunity to obtain relevant advice for individual herds.
December saw us making a visit to Ripon Select Foods. Thanks again to James & Sarah Cooper for their hospitality and allowing us a tour around the factory.
January we had an excellent talk by Lisa Bennett from Genus. January also saw us invited to a Charolais Meeting where we had an informative talk from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratory in Thirsk. Thanks again to Margaret Atkinson for the invitation.
Once again, we won the Interbreed Quiz in February. Congratulations to the winning team of John & Claire Mason, James & Sarah Cooper and Thomas Wood. Thanks go to Keith Wilson for setting the quiz.
April was busy month starting with a visit to the Tomschoice Herd, where we also held a stock judging competition. Thanks go to James & Sarah Cooper for a great evening especially with all the building work going on around. We look forward to another visit once these are completed!
20th April was our Club Show & Sale at Leyburn. Thanks go to Richard Bradley for judging. The results for the Pedigree & Pure Bulls were as follows:-
1st Richard Priestley 2nd Cliff Moffett 3rd Stainthorpe Partners
May, we had a successful 5th Northern Limousin Extravaganza obtaining over 50 entries including both pedigree and commercial cattle sired by a Limousin bull. Thanks go to Stephen Illingworth for judging. Garrowby Farms had the Overall Champion with a homebred bull called Garrowby Gizmo. The Reserve Show Champion was Tomschoice Gladstone from James & Sarah Cooper. The Female pedigree Champion was Millington Gorgeous from Millington Grange Estate.
The results of the Stock Judging were as follows:-
Over 18’s 1st Keith Wilson 2nd Val Brown 3rd Corissa Priestley
Under 18’s 1st Mya Priestley 2nd Jess Johnston 3rd Nicola Chappelhow
Skipton Red Sale contained 71 entries. The top price was achieved by the homebred Gallaber Freddie from the Sedgewick Family, which sold for 4,800gns to David & Martin Wilson.
The Supreme Champion Bull was a homebred bull belonging to Andrew Howarth, Copperhurst Fuller. The Reserve Champion belonged to James & Sarah Cooper, Tomschoice Galahad. Oddacres Figurine was the Female Champion from John & Claire Mason’s Oddacres Herd.
Excellent results were achieved by our Young Breeders stock judging team at the Devon County Show. Congratulations go to Karl Suddes and Katrina Donaldson who finished second and our Junior Team of Hannah Donaldson and Rebecca Parkinson who finished third. Katrina Donaldson has since been crowned National Stocksperson of the year 2012, this is a fabulous achievement.
Congratulations are also due to Michael Priestley who became the Society’s Honorary President at the 2012 BLCS AGM held at the Royal Highland Show in June. Michael has been a stalwart of the North East Club over the years and will no doubt do us all proud as President over the next two years with his good grace and abundant humour.
Unfortunately, the Great Yorkshire Show was abandoned after one day due to the weather. This did not prevent a superb show of cattle. The Limousin Supreme Overall Championship was the cow Ironstone Dumandy from Smiths of Bloxham.
Brockhurst Bolshoi from Messrs WJ & M Mash won the Reserve Female and the Reserve Overall Championship. Doug Mash also won the Male Championship with Hafodlas Domino.
Enjoying a fantastic debut at the show was the Maraiscote Team from the herd of Mr I Nimmo, Lanark. The herd won Male, Female and Overall Junior Limousin title as well as the Individual Junior Interbreed title and featured in the winning Junior Interbreed Team.
Junior Male Champion and Reserve Junior Overall was Maraiscote Graffiti. The Overall Junior Limousin Champion and the Junior Interbreed Champion was Maraiscote Gucci. The Reserve Junior Female was Ironstone Floribunda from Smiths of Bloxham. The Reserve Junior Male Championship was Tomschoice Gladstone exhibited by James & Sarah Cooper.
In the Interbreeds, Limousins dominated securing interbreed titles in the Junior Beef Group Championship, the Blythewood Beef Pairs Competition and the Interbreed Group of Four. The Limousin pair comprised of the formidable duo of Hafodlas Domino and Ironstone Dumandy. These were then joined by Ironstone Floribunda and Springsett Empress to form the Group of Four. Springsett Empress was exhibited by Dougie McBeath and Sarah-Jane Jessop. The Junior Interbreed Team was made up of Maraiscote Gucci, Ironstone Floribunda, Millington Gorgeous and Queenshead Freya. Millington Gorgeous was shown by Millington Grange Estate and Queenshead Freya by the Varley Family.
The NELBC provided an excellent barbecue and hospitality from the stand. Thanks go to all the helpers for the tremendous effort put in to ensure its success.
In August, we visited the Netherhall Herd. Thanks go to the Kelly Family for their superb food, great hospitality and allowing us an insight into how they select and introduce different bloodlines into their herd. They certainly showed us a tremendous show of cattle.
September we visited the Swarland Herd at Andrew Proctor’s. We saw wonderful crossbred cattle sired by Limousin bulls including some black Limousins alongside his pedigree herd. Thanks to the Proctor Family for providing a brilliant barbecue and allowing us to hold a stock judging competition. The results were as follows:-
Male 1st W Barron 2nd = S Ramage and J Peckitt
Female 1st Jenny Swales and Christine Baxter 2nd R Dean
Junior 1st R Herdman 2nd E Wilson 3rd A Herdman
Thanks go to John Logan for judging.
The Annual Bull & Heifer Derby took place at a very wet Nidderdale Show. The Champion Bull was Tomschoice Gladstone from James & Sarah Cooper. Millington Gorgeous took the title of Champion Heifer from Millington Grange Estate. Thanks go to Bruce Greenwood for judging.
At the time of writing, we are looking forward to a busy stand at Countryside Live where all your help will be appreciated. We also have our AGM approaching where our Society Chairman, Peter Kirton will be speaking. Then it is our Annual Dinner at the Bridge Inn, Walshford. The Herd Competition Judge, William Cowx, will announce the results and prizes. Many thanks to William & Keith Wilson for all the hard work undertaken to ensure the smooth running of this competition.
Good Luck to Katrina Donaldson who has been chosen to represent the UK in the Young Limousin Breeders’ Club Anglo-Irish Stockjudging Competition due to be held at the English Winter Fair on the 17th November.
Many thanks go to all Committee Members and anyone else who has helped throughout the year. A special thanks to Phyllis Orton, our Treasurer, and Annabel Mason, our Secretary, for their tremendous support and hard work undertaken throughout the year.
New Members are always welcome, please ring Annabel 07792 198346 or John 07713 322245
