- King’s Cup winner
- Duke of Norfolk Champions
- Reserve overall champion
- Reserve heifer champion
- Steer champion
- Reserve steer champion
- Reserve Baby Beef champion
- Reserve interbreed calf champion
Limousin breeding was again to the fore at this year’s East of England Smithfield Festival, Peterborough, when Keith Harryman and family, Keskadale Farm, Newlands, Keswick, Cumbria picked up the Reserve Heifer Championship, Purebred Championship and Reserve Overall title with their homebred pedigree Limousin heifer Keskadale Gamel.
This June 2011-born heifer by Sarkley Volvo weighed 724kg and also won the purebred championship last year. She is out of the Snoopy daughter, Keskadale Bramble, and took a red ticket at the Borderway Agri-Expo and stood second at the English Winter Fair as well as collecting numerous championships throughout the summer.
Keskadale Gamel went on to collect the King’s Cup for the best exhibitor bred beast, a remarkable double having won the same award at last year’s Smithfield event too. The King’s Cup win for a pedigree Limousin followed on from the Welsh Winter Fair where another pedigree Limousin heifer, Powerhouse Hella, won the Supreme Championship.
Limousin breeding was again dominant throughout the catalogue with the show’s overall champion and heifer champion, Bang Tidy from Drew Hyslop, being bred out of a Limousin cross dam. Bang Tidy, a first prize winner from last week’s Scottish Winter Fair, Ingliston, was bred by Hugh and Lynne Dunlop, Ochiltree, Ayrshire, and was bought privately by Drew Hyslop for the winter show season.
In the steer classes it was another winning day for the Alford family, Mike, Melanie and Charlotte, Foxhill Farm, Cullompton, Devon, when their Limousin cross steer Harlem Shake took the crossbred and overall steer championship.
Bred by O J Kendall, this one is by Cawfields Dazzler and was steer champion at the Royal Welsh Show in the summer, as well as the Great Yorkshire and Royal Highland Show and has been a first prize winner on the winter circuit as well as claiming the steer championship and reserve overall at the 2013 Scottish Winter Fair.
Reserve to him was Neil Lloyd at the halter of Elfed Williams’ Limousin cross steer Dynamite Dougie. This one was reserve overall champion at the Welsh Winter Fair where he went on to sell for £6500 to an Irish buyer. This Normande Adventurer son is out of a Limousin cross female and former show heifer and was originally purchased at the Caledonian Marts Calf Sale in September for £4500 from Wilson Peters after standing overall champion in the pre-sale show.
In the Baby Beef classes it was Alistair and Liz Vance, Newton Stewart, who led the way for the Limousin breed, taking the reserve overall title as well as the reserve heifer championship with their heifer Bonnie Betty. This May-born Limousin heifer by Wilodge Azure was winner at Colmonell and Wigtown Shows and was also reserve champion at Agri Expo. Today this one weighs 317kg.
The event’s pedigree calf show also saw a good result for the Limousin breed, with the Alford family picking up the reserve interbreed title with their heifer Foxhillfarm Izzy. This one is by the noted Wilodge Vantastic and is out of Bankdale Alice, making her full sister to last year’s champion and multi award winning heifer Foxhillfarm Gracie. The Limousin breed closed the event in style when winning the prestigious Duke of Norfolk trophy for the best team of three pedigree calves. In perhaps a first in this competition, all three members of the winning team were homebred from the one exhibitor, namely the Alfords. The team comprised of Foxhillfarm Impeccabull; Foxhillfarm Izzy; and Foxhillfarm Isla. All are embryo calves out of Bankdale Alice and sired by Wilodge Vantastic. Impecabull and Izzy are January 2013 born, whilst Isla is March 2013 born.
Harlem shake is a pure limousin