- Grahams Melody wins Reserve Supreme Interbreed Championship
- Limousin quartets take top spot in senior and junior group competitions
- Grahams Melody claims Female Limousin Breed Champion title and Overall Limousin Breed Champion
- Foxhillfarm Jasper takes Male Limousin Breed Champion title
- Foxhillfarm Natasha takes Limousin Junior Breed Champion accolade
In what turned out to be outstanding weather conditions, the quality of the cattle exhibited at the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate on 10th and 11th July proved to be just as impressive and Limousin cattle took a haul of Interbreed titles.
The first day of judging saw British Limousin Cattle Society Chairman Michael Cursiter from the Dwarmo Limousin Herd in Evie, Orkney, soak up the sun in the ring as he evaluated the cattle on the morning of the opening day of the show.
Grahams Melody scooped the Limousin Female Championship then the Overall Limousin Breed Championship on her way to take reserve spot in the Beef Individual Interbreed Championship later in the afternoon when she was put before judge Mrs Vicky Smith from Crediton, Devon. No stranger to success the two-year old heifer from Robert and Jean Graham of Airthrey Kerse Dairy Farm, Bridge of Allan, Stirling, Melody came to Yorkshire on the back of a first place in her class and as a member of the winning Limousin Team of Four at the recent Royal Highland Show. She had done well through 2017 as a youngster, winning her class at the Highland and standing as Reserve Champion, Reserve Female Champion and Junior Female Champion at the Scottish Limousin Grand Prix held at the Dumfries Show in August. An embryo calf by Ampertaine Elgin, Melody is out of the highly successful Millbrook Gingerspice who made history at the 2014 Balmoral Show becoming the first animal to claim the show’s Individual Interbreed crown in three consecutive years.
In commenting on her Reserve Champion Mrs Smith said ‘Melody was was turned out beautifully, she oozed quality, style and femininity’ she added that ‘it was a tough decision to make and that it had been a very close call between her and the eventual Champion’
Robert Graham said ‘The whole team is absolutely delighted to win the Limousin Championship and stand as Reserve Interbreed Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show with Grahams Melody. It is made extra special after winning the Breed and Interbreed Championship at the Highland Show with her stablemate Grahams Niaomi. Melody, from a youngster has always been a stand out animal winning her class at both the Highland Show and the Great Yorkshire Show last year at only 11 months of age and then taking Junior Champion and Reserve Overall at the Scottish National Grand Prix’. He added ‘Melody has tremendous presence and style in the show ring and carries all the attributes to make a tremendous breeding female’
Standing Reserve in the Limousin Championship was the April 2016 born heifer Stephick Mistique from Stephanie Dick, Stirling. Mistique had stood second to Grahams Melody all the way through the judging, first in their class, then as Female Breed Champion. She is by the Rocky son Rathconville Eugene and out of Ronick Voici.
Mr Cursiter awarded the Male Limousin Championship to Foxhillfarm Jasper from Messrs Jenkinson, Penrith, Cumbria. The January 2014 born bull was bred by Mike and Melanie Alford of Cullompton, Devon. He led the BLCS sale at Carlisle in May 2015 when selling to Jenkinson Farms for 35,000gns. An embryo calf he is by the Wilodge Vantastic son Loosebeare Fantastic and out of the Alford’s noted cow Bankdale Alice.
Reserve Limousin Male Champion was a January 2017 born bull from Messrs J M and S P Cooper of Harrogate in the shape of Tomschoice Navarino. Home bred, this smart bull is by Kaprico Eravelle and out of Tomschoice Filipa.
The Junior Limousin Championship was a 1-2 for the Alford family with Foxhillfarm Natasha taking the top spot ahead of her stablemate Foxhillfarm Naomi. Both young heifers are by Trueman Jagger and when teamed up with Foxhillfarm Napoleon and Foxhillfarm Minesagin, another Jagger daughter, went onto take the Interbreed Junior Beef Group competition under the eye of Judge Mr Donald Biggar of Castle Douglas on day two of the show.
Mr Biggar also placed the Senior team of Stephick Mistique, Grahams Melody, Brockhurst Jade and Woodroad James as Interbreed Group Champions. He commented on the teams ‘power and mobility’ he said that both teams were so well balanced it was ‘hard to see past them’.
More to follow
