ENGLAND TEAM WINS YOUNG LIMOUSIN BREEDERS’
ANGLO-IRISH STOCKJUDGING EVENT
Northern Ireland and Scotland achieve joint second
Jess Simms Wins Best Individual
The Young Limousin Breeders’ Club (YLBC) Anglo-Irish Stockjudging Competition, held on Saturday 17th November 2012 within the English Winter Fair, Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford, saw England win the team competition with Jess Simms, Hulse Farm, Lach Dennis, Northwich, Cheshire lifting the Best Individual title.
This annual event, held for the sixth year, was established jointly in 2007 by the British and Irish Limousin Cattle Societies respectively to promote young breeders stockjudging in a spirit of competition and friendship between the two herdbooks. The 2012 event, organised by the British Young Limousin Breeders’ Club, included teams from Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
The England team, which won the competition for the second year running, comprised of Matthew Wright, Cannock, Staffs; Jess Simms, Northwich, Cheshire; and Karl Suddes, Cornsay, Co Durham who scored 764 points out of a possible 900. In joint second place were the Northern Ireland and Scotland teams both scoring 722 points. The Northern Ireland team consisted of Kim Nicholson, Ruth Hamill and Arthur Callaghan with the Scotland team made up of Sarah & Richard Priestley and Kirree Kermode.
Jess Simms won the overall individual title scoring 267 points out of a possible 300. This win followed on from her victory at the Young Limousin Breeders’ Club Annual Stockjudging Competition held in May earlier this year at the Devon County Show. Harriet Wilson of Haughton, Staffs and Kirree Kermode, Isle of Man, were joint second on 262 points.
In line with previous years, the Anglo-Irish Competition was divided into three sections: handling, judging and reasons. All the teams, comprising of three competitors in each, judged a class of four heifers and four bulls before giving reasons on the heifers to a panel of judges made up of Paul Sykes (Irish Limousin Society Secretary), James Cooper (YLBC President) and Derek Hume (who runs the Culnagechan Limousin Herd in Randalstown, N Ireland).
The Placing and Reasons sections challenged the competitors to correctly judge, and place in order, four heifer calves before giving reasons to the judging panel for their placement. This demanding section takes into account a combination of content; appearance and manner of presentation; accuracy of observation; focus on a comparative rather than descriptive statement; and style, ability and confidence.
In the Handling section, competitors displayed their skills in cattle handling, including parading an animal and standing it up for the judges’ inspection. The animals were selected through the drawing of lots and the young Limousin breeders only had a limited time to get acquainted with them. Elements taken into account in this section were: ability, style, conduct and appearance. Richard Bartle of the Dinmore Herd, Hereford, kindly judged the Handling section.
Young Limousin breeders are active in all regions of the United Kingdom. Under the national structure of the YLBC and its office bearers, events are organized at national and local level with the assistance of the British Limousin Cattle Society and its nine associated regional clubs. Varied events and activities held in the year include: National Young Breeders Stockjudging, Anglo-Irish Stockjudging, calf shows, social events, regionally-focused days and courses in preparing, halter training, clipping and showing cattle together with general stock knowledge.
Thank you to Irish Limousin Society Secretary Paul Sykes, YLBC President James Cooper and Limousin breeders Derek Hume and Richard Bartle for generously giving their time to judge the competition. A big thank you also goes to all the cattle exhibitors who kindly lent their livestock on the day.
2012 ANGLO IRISH STOCKJUDGING TEAM RESULTS
1st England (Jess Simms, Karl Suddes, Matthew Wright)
2nd= N Ireland (Kim Nicholson, Arthur Callaghan, Ruth Hamill)
2nd= Scotland (Kirree Kermode, Sarah Priestley, Richard Priestley)
4th S Ireland (Marie Ryan, Melissa Tarpey, Sean Moroney)
5th Wales (Harriet Wilson, Tom Corbett, Michelle Tarpey)
2012 ANGLO IRISH INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1st Jess Simms
2nd= Harriet Wilson
2nd= Kirree Kermode
