- Fifth Countryside Live title for Phil Sellers
- Limousins take Overall Championship, Baby Beef Champion & Reserve, Reserve Steer title, Exhibitor-bred Championship & Reserve,
- Best bred in Yorkshire Champion
Limousins ruled the roost in the championships at Countryside Live, Harrogate on 18th-19th October 2014, taking the Supreme Beef Championship as well as the Baby Beef title, the Reserve Baby Beef championship and the Reserve Overall Steer Championship. On top of this, the breed also claimed the best exhibitor-bred award and also the title for the best beast bred, owned and exhibited by a Yorkshire resident.
Taking the supreme championship at the season-opening primestock event was the 604kg Limousin-cross heifer More Of That from Phil & Sharon Sellers, Thorpe Tilney Farm, Lincs. This one, which clinched the Sellers’ fifth championship title at Harrogate, is sired by Fieldson Alfy and is out of a Limousin-cross cow.
Bred by Andrew Harrison and purchased from Carlisle in March she has previously been Champion at Lincoln Show and second in her class at the Royal Welsh, as well as Reserve Overall champion at Pateley Bridge Show earlier in the summer. Here, she had earlier been Limousin heifer and overall Limousin champion before going on to clinch the top ticket.
Judge James Alexander, Randalstown, N Ireland said his champion was an exceptional heifer with great length and end, commenting: “She’s tremendous through her top and has very little waste on her.”
Taking the Reserve Championship Steer title were the Stephenson Family with their winner from the homebred class, Bordley Pot Black. Sired by a homebred Limousin bull, he is out of a Blue-cross cow and was a regular winner this summer, being champion on four outings. He was also the winner of the best exhibitor-bred title and the best bred and owned in Yorkshire award.
Reserve Champion Yorkshire-bred, owned and exhibited beast was the Stoney Family’s Red Magic, a 624kg December 2012-born heifer. Meanwhile, the Reserve Limousin-cross beast was the Reserve Limousin Heifer Champion from Trevor Lyons & Family. This was Ira, a January 2013-born heifer weighing in at 632kg.
In the Limousin steers, the Champion was Elfed Williams’ Red Alert. This privately-bought bullock was bred by Simon Blandford at Malvern and weighed in at 564kg. He is by Ampertaine Commander and is out of the Limousin-cross cow, Bambi, which was Reserve Supreme at Smithfield in 2000.
Reserve Overall Limousin Steer Champion was Poker Prince from the Alford Family, Devon. This one is by the French sire, Attila, and was bred by the John Robertson, Newton of Logerait, and bought at Caledonian Marts in September for £3,200.
Leading the way for the breed in the Baby Beef section to secure the overall title was the March-born heifer Miss Chief – being another from Lincolnshire-based exhibitors Mr & Mrs Sellers.
Sired by the 25,000gns Bailea BMW, this one is out of a British Blue-cross dam and was bred by the Robertson Family, Fodderletter. She was bought from the Thainstone Spectacular earlier this autumn for £3,300 and was on her first outing for Phil & Sharon Sellers having enjoyed a successful summer show season with championships at Echt, New Deer, Grantown and Turriff shows respectively.
Standing Reserve Overall were Mike & Melanie Alford with their Limousin-cross heifer Pokerlicious. This one was bought from the Caledonian Marts sale for £3,200 and was bred by Brian Harper, Falkirk. She is by Easegillhead Exterminate and out of a Limousin x Blue dam.
Limousins were also to the fore in the steer class, taking first and second. Top spot in this class was Neil Slack’s Limousin-cross bullock Sparticus, a 398kg January-born entry. Following that in second spot was Trevor Lyon’s March-born steer Midnight Black weighing in at 300kg.
