After a break of two years the Northern Limousin Extravaganza (NLE) made a welcome return to again feature on the opening day of Skipton Auction Mart’s big annual two-day breed showcase. (Tuesday 10 May 2022)
Also returning to retain his crown at the show-only fixture for up-and-coming 2021-born youngsters was 2019 supreme champion, County Durham’s Willy Barron, with a standout heifer from his Barrons pedigree herd at Morrow Edge, Farm, Burnhope.
He again took the title with his January-born Barrons Sierra, which had earlier won its show class, before progressing to become female, then pedigree and overall supreme champion, making a real impression on Scottish show judge Dougie McBeath, who runs the Springsett pedigree Limousin herd in Stirling.
Sierra is a daughter of Sarkley Volvo, sired by French bull, Ionesco, and acquired by Mr Barron as a ten-month-old calf. He has since made a major impact, notably on female bloodlines in the award-winning herd, which for the past seven out of eight years has won the annual herd competition run by the North East Limousin Breeders Club, who again supported the two-day highlight.
Mr Barron also consigned a February, 2021, bull Barrons Sundance, by the home-bred Barrons Major – one of his sons sold a matter of days before the show for 17,000gns – which finished runner-up in its show class to the overall male champion before standing pedigree male reserve. His duo, which together also won the pairs show class, have now earned their places on this year’s northern county show circuit, possibly progressing to the National Limousin Show at the end of July.
The commercial champion and overall reserve champion also came from Cumbria and fixture regulars the Priestley family, who run the Brontemoor herd at Cracrop Farm, Kirkcambeck. Their first prize Limousin-sired bullock, given the name ‘Captain Tom,’ is a well-bred January-born AI son of the 17,000gns Trueman Idol.
Taking the male championship were James and Sarah Cooper, of the Tomschoice herd at Hill Top Farm, Dacre, Harrogate, with Tomschoice Snoopdog, a March-born son of Tomschoice Orriflamme, since sold for 6,000gns to Noel Gill’s Kilcor herd in Ireland, out of Tomschoice JessyJ, who goes back to Tomschoice Bethan, champion at the very first Northern Limousin Extravaganza back in 2007.
Geoff Hadfield’s Willowbank pedigree herd from Lumm Farm, Littlemoss, Droylsden, arrived with a trio of classy French-bred young bulls in the hands of the herd’s management consultant Mark Lewis, which all did well when picking up two red rosettes, plus a runners-up placing.
The two red rosette winners were the January-born Willowbank Simon and the April-born Wlllowbank Stewart, both sons of Macaroni, himself out of the dam, Grolle, among the top breed females in France famed for her maternal traits. The second prize winner was Willowbank Steve, a March-born son of the German poll bull Jost, bought in France in 2017 on the strength of her daughters. All three took their place in the following day’s main Limousin fixture.
Back with the ladies and Cumbria again, Ian Wilson and Carol Wood, who run the Lowflan herd in Ulverston, consigned the winner of the second pedigree heifer show class, also reserve female champion. Their Lowflan Storm is by former stock bull, Ironstone Gandi, a full brother to the 40,000gns Ironstone Dumandy, out of a solid home-bred cow, also dam to the herd’s latest stock bull, Lowflan Roy, turned out on the cows for the first time this Spring.
Last, but not least, commercial reserve champion was the first prize Limousin-sired heifer from Thirsk’s Craig Bentley and Rachel Mudd. Rising 11-months-old, she is out of Limousin-x-Blue cow.
NLE sponsors were Skipton NFU, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the British Limousin Cattle Society, New Lodge Contractors, PV Dobson, WBW Surveyors, I’Ansons Feeds, Thornton Breakers and Carrs Billington. Full results are posted at www.ccmauctions.com
ENDS
Pictures by Adrian Legge Photography
Further info: Robin Moule, Moule Media, 07976-559961, e-mail: robin@moulemedia.com
