What a way to start the week at the Royal Welsh! Limousin were looking tip top, and the atmosphere was electric as the winners were tapped out throughout the show. Limousin claimed prizes across the board in the Interbreed Individual, Interbreed Pairs and Commercial Championships.
Maraiscote Tangerine
Full and everlasting accolades go to the fabulous Maraiscote Tangerine who lifted her second Overall Interbreed Championship title of the season and completed the Royal Highland-Great Yorkshire-Royal Welsh ‘triple crown’ of Breed Championship titles. This has only ever been achieved once before which was by Limousin, when Foxhillfarm Gracie swept the boards in 2013. Bred and owned by Ian & Andrew Nimmo, Newmains, North Lanarkshire and handled throughout the season by Sophie Harvey, Tangerine is a 25-month-old heifer by the Irish-bred stock bull Morhan Peter and out of homebred Maraiscote Orange, a daughter of the herd’s noted sire Bassingfield Machoman whose progeny have sold to 28,000gns in recent years.
Many congratulations to the Nimmo family and Sophie on such a momentous and memorable achievement with a heifer that is ‘perfectly Limousin’.
Judge Michael Massie
The Limousin classes were judged on Monday 22nd July by Mr Michael Massie of the Elrick pedigree herd, Aberdeenshire and following hot on Tangerine’s heels in the Reserve Overall Breed Champion spot was Foxhillfarm Titan. Owned by Mary Cormack of the Rougemont pedigree herd in Herefordshire and bred by Mr & Mrs Alford, Foxhillfarm, Devon, Titan had taken the Male Championship honours earlier in the day.
FoxhillFarm Titan
Sired by Derrygullinane Kingbull with dam lines going back to Bankdale Alice, Titan is 26-month-old, carries the F94L/NT821 myostatin gene and is out of the famous Foxhillfarm Gracie, previous ‘triple crown’ winner mentioned above. He has had an extremely successful 2024 showing season, with the highlight at Royal Cornwall show, where he was crowned Supreme Interbreed Beef Champion in his debut outing in June.
Male Champion Foxhillfarm Titan
The Reserve Male title was awarded to Garrowby Tarzan, exhibited by R & J Graham, bred by Garrowby Farms, Bugthorpe, York. Tarzan’s show season has also been a highly successful one, this win adding to his Male Championship wins at the Highland and Great Yorkshire shows. This 26-month-old bull, sired by Grahams Rooney and out of Gunnerfleet Nacian, was purchased at the October bull sales in 2023 for 12,000gns.
Runner up to Tangerine in the female Championship was the eye catching Ritchies Treasure owned by R & J Graham, Bridge Of Allan, Stirling and bred by Aileen Ritchie, Burnside, Aberdeenshire. She is a 23-month-old, Carnew Millreef daughter out of Burnbank Nessa. She also went home with the award for Best Junior Heifer, adding both to her Junior Championship win at the Royal Highland Show.
Ritchies Treasure
Whinfellpark Limousins also had a successful show day with their 15-month-old heifer Whinfellpark Una. Owned and bred by AW Jenkinson she was awarded as Best Exhibitors Bred Maiden Heifer and Reserve Best Junior Heifer. She is out of the homebred Foxhillfarm Oprah and sired by Foxhillfarm Jasper. Additional successes for the herd came from their bull Whinfellpark Upperclass who has proven a popular favourite with the judge. Going home with the RWAS rosette for Best Junior Bull, he adds this to his Junior bull and Reserve Male Overall titles from the Great Yorkshire and Royal Highland shows.
Reserve to Upperclass was Pabo Upandunder, exhibited and owned by Llyr and Peredur Hughes,Fferam Gyd, Anglesey. Rising 17 months of age, he is by Guards Boomer out of homebred cow Pabo Mared.
Best Exhibitor Bred Female owned by a breeder residing in Wales, the LVB Thomas award, went to Upperffrydd Tuttifrutti, owned and bred by Tomos Evans, Powys. She is sired by Gunnerfleet Lion, who was purchased by Whinfellpark at Carlisle for 22,000gns in 2017 and now resides with the Tomlinson herd, Retford. Just rising two years old, Tuttifrutti is out of Wilodge Opal, a Grahams Lorenzo daughter.
Interbreed Pair champion
Tuesday’s Beef judging saw the triumphant Tangerine and Tarzan in the ribbons again, where they lifted the Beef Cattle FitzHugh Championship for best pair having worked their way through strong competition for judge, Mr Charlie Boden, Mellor Hall Farms, Stockport.
Llyr & Peredur Hughes added to their Royal Welsh show successes on Tuesday when they claimed the Reserve Championship in the Agri Lloyd Elite Junior Bull competition with their January 2023-born bull Pabo Ultimatum. Judged by Mr Jim Goldie, Newbie Mains Farm, Dumfriesshire, this class had two elements of judging, first the animals EBV’s are ranked, based on their percentage above their breed average, and secondly on the judge’s visual assessment. Well done to the Hughes family on winning this notable award.
Limousin dominated the Commercial Classes at the Royal Welsh Show claiming the champion and reserve spots in the Baby Beef, the Senior Commercial and the Overall Commercial competitions.
Claiming the triple awards of Commercial Heifer, Senior Commercial and Overall Commercial championship was the Limousin sired April 2023-born ‘Lulu’ bred out of a Limousin cross dam from OW Williams. Stuart and Lynsey Bett were awarded the reserve titles in all three of these championships with their February-born Limousin sired heifer ‘Electra’, who lifted Championship titles at the Highland and Great Yorkshire shows just a few weeks ago.
The Baby Beef section was headed up by EH Pennie & Son with their September-born Limousin sired heifer ‘Queen Bee’, bred out of a Limousin cross dam. Standing reserve was ‘Black Market’ from purebred Limousin parents, this June 2023-born heifer was exhibited by J & I Phillips.
Completing the Limousin domination of the commercial sections, the commercial steer champion and reserve were also Limousin sired with the champion ‘Butterscotch’, a May 2023-born bull, bred and exhibited by Aled Hughes Roberts and the April 2023-born reserve ‘Fist Full of Dollars’ exhibited by JM & SM Rowlands.
A victorious day for Mared Hughes in the Interbreed Young Handler Competition, she won the U18 class and was awarded Overall Reserve Champion. Mared also came out top with a first in her class with her home bread heifer out of Pabo Oldspice and second place in her age group in the YFC stock judging. Well done Mared, we are excited to see where your next triumphs take you.
The Limousin young breeder stock judging event was a great success, kindly judged by Aled Edwards of the Dyfri herd. Held in conjunction with Wales YFC, teams and individuals competed together from Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Top individual with the highest score went to Sioned Thomas (Wales) with the top individual (not in a team) being awarded to Serena Murphy (NI). Champion Senior team Sioned Thomas & Lisa Jenkins were also representing Wales as was the champion junior team Abigail Jones & Mared Hughes. The overall winning team was also awarded to Wales. Well done to all competitors, Master judge Aled Edwards commented that “the standard of judging, presentation and reasoning was extremely high, and our young breeders have a very bright future ahead of them”.
