BLACK BEAUTY LIFTS THE COMMERCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR HARRYMAN AND WARRINER AT 2016 NATIONAL LIMOUSIN SHOW

It was a day to remember for Mark Harryman and Sarah Warriner, Swainsea Barn Farm, Pickering, North Yorkshire, when they lifted the 2016 National Limousin Show Overall Commercial Supreme Championship, and a cheque for £1000, with their heavyweight heifer Black Beauty.

Weighing in at 581kgs this January 2015 born heifer came through the first of the heavyweight heifer classes to lift the Heifer Championship before moving on to take the Overall Supreme Championship.  Judge for the day was the noted commercial producer Frank Page, Lodge Farm, Elkington, Northants who amongst other awards had himself won the 2015 East of England Smithfield Championship.

Black Beauty, out of a Lim cross cow, was originally purchased for £3600 at Middleton in Teasdale Suckled Calf Sale in November 2015 from the breeder John White, Rigg Farm and where she had stood Champion.  Adding a nice touch, and making the National Show win even more special, Black Beauty is by Keskadale Apollo a bull bred by Mark Harryman along with his father Keith.  In 2015 Mark and Sarah lifted the Supreme Championship at the English Winter Fair with their heifer Red Hot Honey which was also sired by a Keskadale bull, Keskadale Eyefull.

At the time of purchase Mark said that he had one eye on the National Limousin Show with a trip to the Great Yorkshire prior to that.  Through the summer the heifer had stood second at North Yorks County Show, second at the Great Yorkshire, and Reserve Champion at Driffield Show.

Speaking afterwards Mark Harryman said:  “It’s a great honour to win the National Limousin Show and especially as it is only held every five years.  The event is very much like a Champions League for Limousin sired animals and the standard of competition was extremely high.  We have been delighted in the past to have won the Championship at the English Winter Fair and also the Champion Purebred and Reserve Overall at Smithfield.  This win is very much right up there with those achievements.”

Mark Harryman and his fiancée Sarah Warriner have lived at the 350 acre Swainsea Barn Farm since September 2014.  One hundred acres is down to grass with the rest being arable.  Cattle wise they have ten pedigree Limousin cows run under their Hotshot prefix and have fifteen cross bred Limousin heifers.

Mark and Sarah also lifted the Reserve Overall Steer title with the 586kgs Super Ted.  This April 2015 born calf was also purchased at Middleton In Teasdale for £1200 on the same day as the Champion. Super Ted is by Elmtree Dance, a Goldies Apollo son out of a 7/8 Limousin cow, and was bred by AE Iceston, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham.  Adding the final icing to the day Mark and Sarah also won the Pairs Championship with Black Beauty and their third prize bullock Diesel a Cwmlimo Eubank son.

Commenting on his Champion the judge Frank Page said: “The cattle presented on the day were full of quality across the board and were a terrific advert for the Limousin breed and its carcase qualities. The Champion animal was a real meat machine, just full of muscle, with a tremendous loin but still carrying a bit of style.”

Following hard on the heels of the summer majors the Commercial Championships at the National Limousin Show saw many of the year’s prize winners from around the United Kingdom face off against each other.  This included the classy J-Lo heifer from JCB Commercials, Northern Ireland.  Arriving at the National Limousin Show she had already won a terrific 2016 double having lifted the Supreme Championships at both the Royal Ulster Show, Balmoral, and the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston.  Going head to head with the eventual Champion from the word go J-Lo placed second in her class and followed Black Beauty all the way through to take the Reserve Overall Supreme and Reserve Heifer titles.   The 582kgs J-Lo was originally purchased last winter at Hilltown Mart for £1000. Sired by Norman Ely and out of a Lim x dam she was bred by P Fagan.

Taking the Male Championship was the 548kgs Billy Wizz, from Rachel Mudd and Craig Bentley, The Gables, Kepwick, Thirsk. Bred at Carry House, Hexham by Martyn Archer, this red May 2015 born steer was purchased for £2000 at a new Spring 2016 Sale held at Hexham & Northern Marts.  Sired by the French bull, Ananas, this steer is out of a Limousin cross cow.  Having exhibited at the primestock shows for some twenty two years now Craig and Rachel said that 2016 had perhaps been their most successful to date: “We have been strong supporters of the shows and have picked up plenty of second and third prizes and have had the Steer Championship at the English Winter Fair.  2016 has however been a terrific year for us and to win the Steer Championship at the National Limousin Show within this company is just fantastic,” said Craig.  Craig and Rachel, who milk 160 cows and run some 360 sheep, are now aiming Billy Wizz at various shows before heading back to Carlisle for the Borderway Agri Expo and the winter show circuit.

In 2011 Jennifer Hyslop, Balluskie Farm, Barhill, Girvan, Ayrshire won the Supreme Championship at the National Limousin Show with her lightweight heifer Mysticque. Five years on and she was back again to put up a strong defence of her title with her heavyweight heifer who was also called Black Beauty.  After winning her class, Jennifer’s Black Beauty went on to win the Best Bred by Exhibitor award.  This April 2015 born heifer, weighing 623kgs, is sired by Huntershall Gladiator.  Jennifer also had another class win in the second class of heifers with the Waindale UFO sired Sassy Lassy bred by John Smith Jackson.

The Reserve Exhibitor Bred title was won by Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff, Perthshire with his 592kgs heifer Tooshie Noir.  This heifer, sired by Kype Elliote, had stood third in its class the Overall Supreme and Reserve Supreme Champions respectively.

The full results of the Commercial section were as follows:-
 

COMMERCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP, 2016 NATIONAL LIMOUSIN SHOW