- Champion animal sells for £7,600
- Baby Beef Champion & Reserve are Limousin sired
- Limousin wins Pedigree Championship & Reserve
- Limousin sired animals win Carcase Champion & Reserve
The Supreme Overall Beef Championship at the English Winter Fair 2015, held at the County Showground, Stafford went to the Limousin cross heifer Red Hot Honey, shown by Mark Harryman and Sarah Warriner, who farm at Pickering in North Yorkshire. The couple purchased the April 2014-born heifer from Kevin Sparke, of Hexham in Northumberland.
“We are delighted to have won the championship,” said Mark. “My father and I bred actually bred her sire, Keskadale Eyefull, which makes it even more special. “This is her sixth championship; she also won her class at the Great Yorkshire and was the Overall Limousin Sired Champion at Countryside Live.” Keskadale Eyeful is a grandson of the noted Jacot.
Judges for the day Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Gilmerton, Perthshire who teamed up with Mark Jarrett, Alec Jarrett Ltd, Oldland Common, Nr Bristol, described the Champion animal as being “tremendous.”
“Red Hot Honey has a beautiful top line and great width,” said Mr Peters. “Her head is very feminine and she also has very correct legs and good locomotion.
“I have never been to the English Winter Fair before but was delighted to have been asked to judge and will definitely be back; the standard of cattle has been extremely high and it is encouraging to see such a lot of young people getting involved in the livestock industry.”
The auction which followed the cattle championships saw the hammer fall at £7,600 for Red Hot Honey. The successful bidder was George Cropper, who is a partner in George Cropper Butchers, which is based in Accrington Market in Lancashire.
It was another strong day for the Limousin breed with Limousin sired animals winning amongst a host of titles: the Overall Supreme; Heifer Championship; Pedigree Championship; Baby Beef Champion & Reserve; and the Carcase Champion & Reserve.
Having come through the breed section the Overall Pedigree Champion went to the heifer Bailea Juniorchamp from IJ Phillips, Castellan, Pencon, Newcastle Emlyn. Bred by Brian Jones, Sennybridge, Brecon, this February 2014 born calf is by Millgate Fame and is out of the Salomon sired Bailea Emotion. Making it a Limousin Championship one-two was the home-bred heifer Calverton Jemima from Mrs Judith Fontaine, Hill Farm, Beachampton, Milton Keynes. This April 2014 born heifer had followed the Champion all the way through from the Limousin heifer class. Again featuring Bailea breeding Calverton Jemima is by the Salomon sired Bailea Emmerdale and is out of Calverton Gemma a Rocky daughter.
Limousin sired animals also doubled up in the Baby Beef section. Taking the Championship prize was the Baby Beef Heifer Champion Black Eyed Pea from R Millichap, Rhiwgarn Fach Farm, Tonyrefail, Mid Glamorgan. Bred by exhibitor, the April 2015 born Black Eyed Pea is by Llanrhiw Hulk a Glenrock Spartacus son, and is out of a British Blue cross. Overall Reserve in the Baby section was the Baby Steer Champion Dolfy Duke from local based JA Nicholls, Randles Lane, Wetley Locks. This May 2015 calf was bred by I Robinson and was sired by the noted Limousin bull Mereside Godolphin.
Judging the Baby Beef section was Frank Page, Lodge Farm, Yelvertoft Road, Elkington, Northampton. A regular exhibitor at the English Winter Fair Mr Page met with some success himself when lifting the event’s Overall Carcase Champion (for carcases not exceeding 380kgs cold weight). This was his seventh Carcase Champion at the event and his second in a row! Another homebred animal the winning carcase came from an April 2014 born heifer sired by the Page’s stock bull Pembridge Delboy (sire of the 2014 Carcase Champion) and out of a British Blue cross dam. In Overall Reserve was JM&SM Rowlands, Dolwen Farm, Llanidloes, Powys with a Limousin sired heifer out of a Lim cross cow.
In the Limousin section of the second National Pedigree Calf Show, the Champion animal was the heifer Sevengun Jellee from Tony Booth, Hardwick Hall Farm, Aston, Sheffield. This November 2014 born animal had firstly come through the Senior Heifer Class in front of the judge Duncan Hazard of the Mereside pedigree herd at Saltby Heath Farm, Skillington, Grantham, Lincs. By Millgate Fame, who Mr Booth was the original joint purchaser of at 32,000gns, Sevengun Jellee is out of Hartlaw Erotica a Haltcliffe Braveheart daughter bought for 2100gns at Carlisle at the Hartlaw Dispersal Sale. Speaking of his Champion Limousin animal the judge said: “This is an ultra-modern Limousin heifer. She has well developed muscularity but is just full of breed character. She combines natural muscling, width and shape with good locomotion.”
Standing as Overall Reserve and Champion Male was Dinmore Jackthelad from Paul Dawes, Dinmore Manor, Hereford. This December 2014 born bull calf is by the noted Requin, sire of the 50,000gns Bailea Umandy, and is out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Dinmore Caprice.
Taking the Reserve Male award was Foxhillfarm Logan from Michael & Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Cullompton. This April 2015 born bull calf is an embryo calf by Ionesco and is out of the now renowned Bankdale Alice. On the previous Saturday Foxhillfarm Logan had stood as the Overall Limousin Junior Champion and the Interbreed Continental Junior Champion at the Stars of the Future Show in Stirling.
The Reserve Female in the Limousin section also went to Paul Dawes with the stylish January 2015 born Dinmore Lizelle. This embryo calf is by the herd’s stock bull Diamant and is out of the 2010 Royal Welsh Champion Dinmore Elle.
