- Whinfellpark Glittered wins Supreme Championship & Reserve Individual Interbreed
- Poolehall Iris wins Reserve Supreme Champion and places third in Interbreed Pairs
- Foxhillfarm Lordofthering wins Male Championship, Junior Championship, and Reserve Junior Interbreed
- Grahams Lorenzo wins Interbreed Beefbreeder title.
- Limousin-sired heifer JLO wins Overall Commercial Championship
In sunny warm conditions, Whinfellpark Glittered of Messrs Jenkinson, Penrith, Cumbria, shone through a high quality field to win the Limousin Supreme Championship on the opening day, 23rd June, of the 2016 Royal Highland Show held at Ingliston, Edinburgh.
A 2011-born cow by the herd stock sire Wilodge Cerberus, and with an April-born heifer calf at foot, she came through from a powerful Limousin entry of 130 animals, the largest in the beef section, for judge for the day Stephen Illingworth of the noted Glenrock Herd at Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie. Whinfellpark Glittered is out of Grange Orleans a cow purchased from an on-farm production sale from the herd of George Smith, Daventry, Northants.
Commenting on his Champion, Stephen Illingworth said: “This young cow caught my eye straight away and won her class on the first look! She’s just full of style, class and presence. With great femininity she still had width and power. With plenty of milk she was doing a very good calf. This was a tremendous all round cow, not too extreme, very correct and with no real faults. Whinfellpark Glittered is very much the type of female to build a herd around.”
On her way through to the title Glittered also picked up the Limousin Female Championship and the special prize for Best Animal Bred by Exhibitor. Come the Saturday Whinfellpark Glittered was placed as the Reserve Supreme Overall in the blue riband Individual Interbreed by Gerald Smith, Fordoun, Laurencekirk who described her as a “tremendous cow” with a “lovely udder for the young calf”.
With a nice little bit of connection with the 2015 Show Glittered’s calf at foot, Whinfellpark Misschief, is by Foxhillfarm Jasper the Supreme Champion from last year who was shown by Michael and Melanie Alford and is now the stock bull in the Whinfellpark herd.
A fortnight ago in a ‘dry run’ Whinfellpark Glittered had made her show debut at Cumberland Show here she won the breed championship, interbreed, and champion of champions titles. Next up for the sparkling Glittered, who has been AI’d to the world record breaking Trueman Jagger, will be the 2016 National Limousin Show due to be held on Friday 29th July at Carlisle.
For the 120 breeding female Whinfellpark herd, split into autumn and spring calvers, the Highland Show win was the highest show accolade to date and came in their fourth year of showing at Ingliston with a little gap prior to 2015. Speaking afterwards Allan Jenkinson said: “It has always been an ambition to win a major Royal title and as such I am thrilled and delighted to have lifted the title at the 2016 Royal Highland Show. The standard of competition within the Limousin section is always so high and to win in such company is fantastic.”
An excellent Whinfellpark team marshalled by stockmen Colin Soutter and Craig Douglas met with further success when Whinfellpark Lavender won the Junior Female Championship from within what Stephen Illingworth described as an “all-round outstanding show full of exceptional youngstock with a lot of potential.”
The April 2015 born Lavender is by the 26,000gns Gorrycam Hazzard and is out of the Lowerffryd Empire daughter Whinfellpark Holly. Whinfellpark Lavender came through the first class of the day which featured fourteen quality young Limousin heifers. Rounding off a fine opening day the trio of Whinfellpark Lavender, Whinfellpark Glittered, and Whinfellpark Jade added to the trophy haul when winning the Limousin Group of Three title.
Another fine show was had by the dynamic duo of Dougie McBeath and Sarah Jane Jessop, Lower Greenyards Farm, Bannockburn, Stirling who took the Reserve Supreme Championship and Reserve Female Championship with their October 2013 born heifer Poolehall Iris. This heifer, bred by Nigel Matthews, Shropshire is by Haltcliffe Ben and an embryo calf out of the 27,000gns Wilodge Flawless. With a strong show record behind her Poolehall Iris is the reigning Scottish Limousin Grand Prix Champion, a title that she won at Turriff Show and where she also picked up the Overall Supreme Beef Championship, and Champion of Champions. In 2016 she has already won the Limousin Championship, Overall Interbreed, and Champion of Champions at Ayr Show. Originally purchased at Red Ladies in December 2014 for 4800gns this heifer is also aimed at the 2016 National Limousin Show.
Of his Reserve Champion Stephen Illingworth said: “Again this heifer was a very easy winner in her class and through to the Reserve Overall title. She is super clean, long and has outstanding muscle. She has all the makings of being a real bull breeder.” On Saturday morning, and paired with the class winning Dinmore Jollygood from Redpath Farms, Poolehall Iris placed third in the Interbreed Pairs judged by Jim Goldie, Townfoot, Dumfries.
Taking the top spot as Overall Male Champion, Junior Male Champion, and Overall Junior Champion was Foxhillfarm Lordofthering for Mr & Mrs MJ Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon. Lordofthering emerged through the strongest class in the male section that saw thirteen young bulls in all shown. A 2015-born bull by Guards Boomer, he is out of Bankdale Alice, also dam of the aforementioned Foxhillfarm Jasper and Foxhillfarm Ivy who took Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion honours at the Highland Show in 2015. Jasper subsequently sold to Messrs Jenkinson for 32,000gns. Guards Boomer is also the sire of the 48,000gns Foxhillfarm Irishlad. For the prolific Bankdale Alice this cow has now bred two male and two female champions in the last four years at the Royal Highland. On Saturday morning there were Interbreed honours to come when Foxhillfarm Lordofthering placed an excellent Reserve Overall Supreme in the Junior Interbeef in front of Michael Robson, Ballyclare.
Prior to the Highland, Foxhillfarm Lordofthering had placed Breed Champion and Interbreed Champion at the Devon County Show at twelve months of age. He then went on to win Male Championship and Reserve Breed Championship at the Royal Cornwall. This young bull is another now heading to what promises to be a mouth-watering National Limousin Show.
The Alfords also took the Reserve Junior Female Champion spot with Foxhillfarm Limitededition. Described by Judge Stephen Illingworth as “an animal perfectly typifying the Limousin breed”, she is an August-2015 born heifer by Kype Interrogate out of the noted Bankdale Elizabeth – a Bankdale Alice daughter – also shown and first in her class. Foxhillfarm Limitededition had placed second in the first class to the Junior Female Champion Whinfellpark Lavender.
Reserve Junior Male and Overall Reserve Champion Male on the day, and from the same bull class as the Champion, was the upstanding young bull Grahams Lorenzo from the sixty cow herd of Messrs R&J Graham, Airthrey Kerse Dairy Farm, Bridge Of Allan, Stirling. An AI calf by the noted Claragh Franco, and out of the home-bred Grahams Coffey, ‘only a whisker’ divided this smart young bull from Lordofthering in the top slot. Lorenzo had previously secured breed and Championship titles at both Stirling and Cargunnock Shows with a first place also at Drymen Show. Here this May 2015 born bull went on to lift the Interbreed Beefbreeder title in front of judge Michael Robertson, Fodderletter Farms, Ballindalloch, Banffshire.
In the always keenly contested Commercial Cattle section it was JCB Commercials from Northern Ireland that took the Overall Supreme Champion title with their December 2014-born heifer, JLO. Sired by Norman Ely and out of a LimX dam this heifer was purchased last winter at Hilltown Mart for £1000. Making it a win double success this season, JLO has previously secured the commercial title at RUAS Balmoral Show held in May.
Thanks are extended to the Limousin judge for the day, Stephen Illingworth of the Glenrock herd and sponsors of the Limousin show section, Norbrook Genetics. Congratulations also go to all exhibitors who put on such a magnificent show of Limousin cattle with depth and quality in the classes throughout.
To view video of the Limousin judging, click here and for the Limousin championship judging, click here.
