- Diamant wins Limousin Championship & Individual Interbreed
- Brockhurst Bolshoi Reserve Supreme Limousin
- Limousins win Team of Five Interbreed
- Diamant & Bolshoi Reserve Supreme Fitzhugh Pairs
- Frogmore Helen Reserve Junior Heifer Interbreed
- Nealford Impecabull wins Elite Junior Bull Interbreed
- Limousin Championship One-Two in Commercials
The six year old stock bull Diamant, from Paul Dawes, Kipperknowle Farm, Dinmore, Hereford, sparkled in the sun on the opening day at the 2014 Royal Welsh Show when winning the Limousin Supreme Championship before moving on to win the Show’s Supreme Individual Interbreed title.
In what is the closing Royal ‘major’ of the summer show season the Limousin breed thrilled the crowds by putting on a show of over eighty cattle described as perhaps the best both in terms of depth and quality seen anywhere in the UK in 2014. The Limousin entry, which featured cattle from all four home countries, saw the breed feature in all of the major interbreed titles and win the Supreme Individual, and the prestigious Team of Five. Further titles included the Elite Junior Bull Interbreed, Fitzhugh Pairs Reserve, Reserve Junior Heifer Interbreed, and a championship one-two in the eagerly contested Commercial Beef section.
For Paul Dawes and his Dinmore team, brought out by stockman Richard Bartle, the win ensured that the herd had taken the Supreme Championship or Reserve in four out of the five last Royal Welsh Shows. The 2008-born senior stock bull, Diamant, was purchased privately from the noted breeder Gaec Camus, Martinet, France. Full of breeding, Diamant is by Berliozb, a grand son of Levrier, whilst his mother is Version by the noted Pacha 08. Diamant had stood first in his class at the French National Show at St Gaudens in 2013 and was Reserve Champion Male at the Paris Show in 2013. Bought privately on the strength of his progeny, Paul Dawes said that Diamant ‘will bring scale, correctness, muscularity, and growth’ through his breeding to the Dinmore herd which has 60 pedigree cows in addition to its embryo work. Commenting directly after winning the late afternoon Individual Interbreed Mr. Dawes said; “This title is something that you work hard towards. It is a great honour and marks a fantastic summer following winning the Burke Trophy at the Royal Three Counties. The standard within the Limousin section alone was just so high and the Royal Welsh is, in my eyes, the top show in the country for Limousin cattle.” Diamant is being used as a stock bull within the herd and semen is already available from him for worldwide use.
The man with the enviable task of judging the Limousin classes was Peter Kirton of the noted Ashledge herd, Severn Lodge Farm, Kinlet, Bewdley, Worcs who is also the present Chairman of the British Limousin Cattle Society. Mr Kirton opened the day with a class of seven senior bulls and it was from that opening class, and some four hours of intensive judging later, that the Champion Diamant emerged from. Commenting, Peter Kirton said: “He’s just a terrific bull that came out of an exceptional class. A breeder’s bull he has got everything you would want, lift length, frame and locomotion. He’ll also breed the power and faster growth rates that are so much required by the commercial beef producer.” Of the show of Limousins, the judge was quick to join in the praise and continued; “I’ve been coming to the Royal Welsh Show for many years and I think this is the best show of Limousins I can remember. They had quality in abundance, style, shape, power, class and correctness throughout the junior and senior classes. It was a great honour to judge such quality and at such a prestigious show.”
Taking the Reserve Overall Supreme, and rounding off a magnificent 2014 summer season, was the eight year old Brockhurst Bolshoi from Doug Mash, Torrington Farm, Grove Lane, Chesham, Bucks. Bolshoi arrived at the Royal Welsh hot on the heels of having won the 2014 Supreme Championship at both the Royal Highland and the Great Yorkshire Shows, as well as the Royal Bath & West and a multitude of Interbreed titles. Shown with her Brockhurst Centurion-sired bull calf at foot, Brockhurst Imacelebrity, Brockhurst Bolshoi is full of breeding being by the 55,000gns Grahams Samson and out of the herd’s foremost cow Ronick McAinsi. The judge Peter Kirton commented; “What a terrific cow this is and for her age. She has so much style, is very correct, and is doing her calf ever so well.” Bowing out gracefully whilst at the top, Doug Mash said that the intent post the Royal Welsh had always been for Brockhurst Bolshoi to retire from the show ring.
Mr Elgan Jones, Coedmore Hall Cellan, Lampeter, Ceredigion brought the curtain down on day one when presiding as judge over the Supreme Individual Interbreed Championship. A terrific day for Paul Dawes and the Limousin breed was assured when Diamant was tapped up as the day’s Champion.
Interbreeds were also the theme of day two with Limousins again firmly to the fore. Perhaps the biggest spectator spectacle at the show is the Nat West Team of Five Interbreed held in the natural amphitheatre of the main ring. The judge on this occasion was the well-known farmer and broadcaster Mr Dai Jones MBE, Berthlwyd, Llanilar, Aberystwyth. The Limousin team, full of power and quality, duly took this Blue Riband Championship award in fine style. The winning team comprised of Diamant, Brockhurst Bolshoi, Evidence from Doug Mash, Dinmore Glorious from Paul Dawes, and Nealford Honey from JH Neale & Son, Wilkie Down, Boyton, Launceston, Cornwall.
Full report to follow.
