- Foxhillfarm Gracie Interbreed & Interbreed Junior Champion
- Interbreed Team Winners
- Interbreed Junior Team Winners
- Blythewood Interbreed Pairs Champions
- Commercial Championship One-Two
A clean sweep of titles at the 2013 Great Yorkshire Show saw Limousin cattle dominate both the pedigree and commercial classes to secure all six interbreed championships. Foxhillfarm Gracie, from Michael & Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon won the Limousin Championship, and the Overall Individual Interbreed title, on the opening day of the show held at Harrogate 9th-11th July before going on to take Junior Interbreed Honours, be part of both winning teams, and win the Interbreed Pairs – all on the second day!
This latest breed championship on the Tuesday followed on from her similar successes at this year’s Royal Highland, Royal Three Counties, Royal Bath & West and Royal Cornwall shows respectively. Later on the opening afternoon, Foxhillfarm Gracie capped a fine day when she went head-to-head with the other breed champions and was awarded the Overall Interbreed Individual Championship under Judge Mr Arwel Owen, Welshpool, Powys.
On the following day, this maiden heifer took the Junior Individual Interbreed crown, and was part of the winning Interbreed Team, the Interbreed Junior Team as well as the Blythewood Interbreed Pairs in front of Judge Mr Aled Edwards, Cilycwm, Llandovery, Carms.
The rising two-year-old Foxhillfarm Gracie is by the prolific 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the 15,000gns foundation female, Bankdale Alice, who was purchased at the Bankdale Dispersal Sale at Carlisle in July 2011 whilst in calf with Gracie.
Judging the Limousin classes was Mr Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries, who said of his champion: “This is a super heifer from a fantastic line-up of females – big, long, clean and a very impressive female all round.” She now heads to the Royal Welsh later this month.
The ASDA-sponsored Blythewood Pairs saw Foxhillfarm Gracie join forces with Millington Hawk to provide an evenly-matched pairing to win the award. Full of breeding, Millington Hawk is a February 2012-born son of Wilodge Vantastic and is out of Brockhurst Option (Ronick Matador x Ronick McAinsi), and was shown by Millington Grange Estate, Millington, York.
This duo had earlier teamed up with the Limousin Male Champion and Reserve Male Champion respectively in the shape of Maraiscote Hiphop and Mayfields Hisgrace, to secure the Interbreed Junior Group title. Maraiscote Hiphop, exhibited by Mr I Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw, is an April 2012-born Goldies Comet son and is out of Maraiscote Disco. Mayfields Hisgrace was brought out by Mr & Mrs A Clark, Ringinglow, Sheffield. A Marlepark Elite son he is out of the Requin granddaughter, Mayfields Duchess. The same pairing had stood Junior Male Champion and Reserve in the Limousin classes.
Mirroring the result of this year’s Royal Highland Limousin section, standing Reserve Overall and Reserve Female Limousin Champion was Glenrock Fantastic from Mr and Mrs SD Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie. An embryo calf, Glenrock Fantastic is by the 100,000gns Haltcliffe Vermount and is out of the noted cow Glenrock Spangle who has bred daughters to 20,000gns and sons to 16,000gns Commenting on his Reserve Champion, Mr Goldie said: “She is a tremendous example of the breed with length and outstanding breed character.”
In the Interbreed Team competition, Glenrock Fantastic, plus the ever-present Foxhillfarm Gracie, teamed up with the senior bull Brockhurst Elvis and the in-calf cow, Brockhurst Bolshoi, to secure another win. The 2009-born Brockhurst Elvis, and the seven-year-old prolific show winner Brockhurst Bolshoi, were both consigned by WJ & M Mash Ltd, Torrington Farm, Chesham, Bucks.
Rounding up the honours in the Limousin classes was the January 2012-born heifer, Millington Highlight – once again sired by Wilodge Vantastic – and another from Millington Grange Estate, who took the Reserve Junior Limousin award behind Foxhillfarm Gracie with the judge Bruce Goldie describing her as: “A super heifer, hard muscled and a great mover.”
In the commercial cattle ring on the Wednesday morning, Judge Colin Phillips, Weobley, Hereford put up Limousin heifers as his Championship one-two. Mr TA Lyon, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs saw his homebred Limousin-sired heifer, Temptation, win overall. January 2012-born, this multi title-winning 600kg female had previously won at Beef Expo as well as at Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Royal Norfolk Shows respectively and will next head next to the Royal Welsh. She is by the French sire Rossignol and is out of a Cloughhead Titanic-sired Limousin-cross dam bred by Messrs Scott, Thirlwall Castle.
Another Limousin crossbred female, Molly, took reserve for Mr A Scarborough, Kilham, Driffield, E Yorks. Scaling 504kg, she had been purchased privately from CR Raines & Sons and is by the Limousin sire Snoopy. She has previously stood champion at Otley Show and first in her class at Lincolnshire Show.
Completing a “Great” Yorkshire Show for the Alford Family, their January 2012-born purebred steer, Harlem Shake, also took the Commercial Steer Championship. By Cawfields Dazzler and out of Arkle Diana, this January 2012-born steer was bred by OJ Kendall, Reeth, N Yorks and was purchased at the Leyburn Potential Sale for £1,400. Harlem Shake had previously stood Steer Champion at Beef Expo as well as Overall Champion at the Royal Cornwall Show.
For a video of the Limousin judging, click here and here for a video of the Championship judging.
