- McBeath & Jessop’s Poolehall Iris wins Female Championship, Limousin Overall Supreme, Overall Interbreed, Champion of Champions, and Interbreed Pairs
- Gunnerfleet Joplin wins Interbreed Junior Bull & Interbreed Pairs
The third Scottish Limousin Grandprix was held at Turriff Show on the 2nd of August 2015 in what is one of the heartland areas of Scottish beef production.
Judge for the day James Hazard, of the noted Mereside herd based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, was highly complementary about a superbly well organised show as he judged an entry of almost sixty outstanding Limousins from all the corners of Scotland. The claim of quality was confirmed with Grandprix winner D MacBeath and S J Jessop’s rising two year old heifer Poolehall Iris also winning the Beef Interbreed Championship before taking the Turriff Show Champion of Champions. Later on Poolehall Iris teamed up with Overall reserve Champion Gunnerfleet Joplin to win the Interbreed Pairs. The Limousin breed took almost all the other interbreed titles at the show to boot!
The Grandprix Champion Poolehall Iris was purchased at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Red Ladies Derby Sale at Carlisle in December 2014 for 4,800gns from breeder Mr & Mrs N Matthews, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. By Haltcliffe Ben and an embryo calf out of the 27,000gns Wilodge Flawless she was described by the judge as “oozing style and class, a modern heifer with superb length, a great top and hindquarters that fill the eye.”
Through 2015 Poolehall Iris has been successfully shown at the Royal Welsh where she picked up Reserve Interbreed honours and also at the Great Yorkshire where she was first in her class.
Strong supporters of the Grandprix, Dougie McBeath & Sarah Jane Jessop, Lower Greenyards Farm, Bannockburn, Stirling, have now won this title twice, and placed overall reserve in the events three stagings! They first won the title in 2013 with Ardglasson Highlander.
The 2015 Grandprix Overall Reserve and Male champion was Gunnerfleet Joplin, the junior stock bull at the Anside herd, Braehead Farm, Drummuir, By Keith, Banffs. Purchased from Messrs Handley, Ingleton, Lancashire in May 2015 for 6,000gns, this January 2014 born bull is by the 17,000gns Maraiscote Graffiti out of Gunnerfleet Fortunas. The judge James Hazard described Gunnerfleet Joplin as “a lovely well balanced bull, again with a great top and wide, square plates.” Gunnerfleet Joplin also won the Junior Interbreed title, and then the Interbreed Pairs with the day’s Champion.
Taking the Overall Senior Champion spot was the much admired April 2013 born heifer Emslies Ieryl, brought out by Aileen Ritchie, Tamala, Burnside, Whitecairns, Aberdeenshire. This heifer was originally purchased for 15,000gns from the Sassy Lassies sale of breeder Harry Emslie, Kinockie, Mintlaw, Peterhead in January 2014. By the 28,000gns Procters Cavalier she is out of Emslies Eryl. Following up in the reserve spot was Renton & Redden Partners six year old in calf cow Meadowrig Eva, a Broadmeadows Luigi daughter, who also secured the title of best animal bred by exhibitor.
The Senior Male was taken by Spittalton Gold from Michael Robertson, Fodderletter Farms Ballindalloch, Banffshire. March 2011 born this bull, bred by Andrew Burnett, is a Middledale Shergar son. Standing Reserve was Gaich Farms, Lower Gaich Farm, Grantown on Spey with the January 2013 born Culnagechan Ibrox. This bull purchased for 10,000gns at Carlisle in October 2014 is by Carmorn Copilot.
The junior titles were secured by the Overall and Reserve champions with the Reserve Female coming from the Dick family, Mains of Throsk, Stirling with Ronick Jingo. The April 2014 born Jingo is by Rathconville Eugene and is out of Ronick Bingo. The Reserve Male was from Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld with Ballinloan Jaegerbomb. This March 2014 bull is by the stock bull Ampertaine Foreman and is out of the Nebo Dynamite daughter Ballinloan Glee.
James Hazard commented that “overall the females were a stand out on the day but that it has been a pleasure to judge quality Limousins all the way through from the calf classes to the seniors. Massive congratulations for the turnout of quality cattle are due to all who competed.”
The Interbreed competitions really saw the Limousins make their mark on the 2015 Turriff show with Poolehall Iris securing the Overall Interbreed title, the Champion of Champions, and the best continental beef animal, then jointly with Gunnerfleet Joplin securing the best pair from the same breed consisting of champion and reserve champion. Gunnerfleet Joplin took the junior interbreed title with the Ronick group of three winning the interbreed reserve spot.
The event proved to be a major success for the breed and the Scottish Limousin Club. The Grandprix social activities started on the Sunday evening with a steak BBQ for the exhibitors hosted by the Scottish Limousin club and was generally accliamed an outstanding start to the event.
