- Foxhill Farm Gracie Wins Junior Interbreed and takes Reserve Overall Interbreed title.
- Killerton Hillbilly wins all-breeds Elite Junior Bull Championship
- Trevor Lyon wins Commercial Championship with Limousin sired animals taking Championship & Reserve.
The 2013 winning streak of Foxhillfarm Gracie, from Michael & Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon, continued on the opening day of the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells, when this remarkable rising two year old heifer won the Limousin Overall Supreme Championship.
Played out in the natural amphitheatre of the Royal Welsh judging rings in front of a huge crowd basking in the glorious sunshine, the win for Foxhillfarm Gracie saw her complete an unprecedented triple crown of summer ‘major’ championships with wins already secured at both the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire shows respectively. Throw in an Individual Interbreed title at the Great Yorkshire, numerous team interbreeds, wins at the Royal Bath & West and Royal Cornwall, and it all adds up to an incredible first year’s pedigree showing for the heifer and also the Alford team of Michael, Melanie and Charlotte. The man literally in the ‘hot’ seat for the day was judge Harry Emslie of the noted Emslies pedigree herd based at Kinockie, Mintlaw, Peterhead. Before him was a show of over 100 head of Limousins in what was the largest entry of all the beef breeds at the show. Late in the day, Foxhillfarm Gracie secured the Reserve Overall Supreme Interbreed title. This final ribbon added to the Championship win in the Limousin ring where she had also secured the Overall Limousin Female Championship, and the Exhibitor Bred title. STOP PRESS UPDATE: On the Tuesday morning, Foxhillfarm Gracie went on to win the Individual Junior Interbreed.
Foxhillfarm Gracie is of course by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the 15,000gns foundation female, Bankdale Alice, who was purchased at the Bankdale Dispersal Sale at Carlisle in July 2011 whilst in calf with Gracie.
A feature of the day was again the prize winning animals sired by the 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic himself a previous winner of the Championship at the Royal Welsh Show.
Another animal to play a major part in the day was the classy October 2009 born cow Dinmore Elegance from Paul Dawes, Kipperknowle Farm, Dinmore Manor, Hereford, Herefordshire. Shown with her Ionesco sired bull calf at foot, Dinmore Elegance is by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the noted Carmorn Voney a previous two time Interbreed Champion at the Royal Ulster Show. In a judge-off, with much anticipation from the ringside crowd, an outstanding line up of first prize females had seen Foxhillfarm Gracie pip Dinmore Elegance into the Reserve Female position. The same one-two carried through to the Overall Championship positions and reflected upon what had been a terrific show of Limousin females.
There was also a Limousin first in the bull classes with Knock Black Glencoe from Esmor Evans, Monfa, Gwornaffield Road, Mold, Flintshire winning the Male Championship. This is the first time a black coated Limousin bull has picked up one of the top awards at a summer ‘major’. This May 2011 born bull is by Greenhaugh Europa and is out of Knock Dolly. Bred by Aberdeenshire breeder Albert Howie, Knock Black Glencoe was purchased by Esmor Evans for 18,000gns at Carlisle in February this year.
Taking the Reserve Male Championship was Simbo Gili from Nigel Simms, Hulse Farm, Lach Dennis, Northwich, Cheshire. This was the first time the Simbo team had been in action showing at the Royal Welsh for some seventeen years. The January 2011 born Simbo Gili is another by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the Haltcliffe Flashman daughter Simbo Obel.
All the way from Yorkshire was regular Royal Welsh Exhibitor John Weatherall, Millington Grange Estate with a team from his Millington herd based at The Grange, Millington, York, East Yorkshire. Their travel found reward when the February 2012 born Millington Hawk won the Junior Male Championship. Again by Wilodge Vantastic, Millington Hawk, who has a Beef Value of LM+43, is out of the Ronick Matador sired Brockhurst Option.
Taking the Junior Male Reserve Championship was Mynach Harlequin shown by Daf and Jayne Griffiths, Cilgryman Fawr, Cwmfelin Mynach, Hen Dy Gwyn, Carmarthenshire. January 2012 born, this young bull is by Greenwell Dreamboy and is out of the Sable sired Mynach Burgundy.
Dinmore breeding, and a high quality Dinmore team featured strongly in the day and gained top reward with numerous first prizes as well as the Overall Supreme Reserve. The February 2012 born Dinmore Hannah from Paul Dawes took the Junior Female Championship award. February 2012 born she is by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the Broadmeadows Cannon sired Wilodge Priceless. Taking the Junior Female Reserve was Dinmore Hottie from Richard Bartle & Mary Cormack, 2 Upper Dinmore Cottages, Upper Dinmore, Hereford. This June 2012 heifer is by the French AI sire Objat and is out of the Wilodge Vantastic sired Dinmore Caprice.
STOP PRESS UPDATE: On the Tuesday morning, the March 2012 born Killerton Hillbilly from Patrick Greed, Columbjohn Farm Ltd, Columbjohn Farm, Rewe, Exeter, Devon, with a beef value of LM+37, won the all-breeds Elite Junior Bull title.
STOP PRESS UPDATE: On the Tuesday morning, Mr TA Lyon, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs with his homebred Limousin-sired heifer, Temptation, won the Overall Commercial Championship. January 2012-born, this multi title-winning 600kg female had previously won at the Great Yorkshire, as well as Beef Expo Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Royal Norfolk Shows respectively. She is by the French sire Rossignol and is out of a Cloughhead Titanic-sired Limousin-cross dam bred by Messrs Scott, Thirlwall Castle. Michael & Melanie Alford took the Reserve with the Limousin sired steer Harlem Shake, sired by Cawfields Dazzler.
Look out for Interbreed updates to this report today (Tuesday).
Full report and updates to follow
