Limousins win Supreme & Reserve Overall Championship
Baby Beef Champion & Reserve
One-Two in Carcase Competition
Supreme Champion sells for £4,150
Continuing the momentum of this season’s primestock successes already achieved at Countryside Live and Borderway Agri Expo, Limousin-sired animals dominated the awards at the English Winter Fair held at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire on 19th-20th November 2011 when securing the Overall Supreme, Baby Beef, and Carcase Championships.
Lincolnshire-based Phil & Sharon Sellers of Thorpe Tilney Farm, Thorpe Tilney held sway when winning the Overall Supreme Championship with their two-year-old pure but unregistered Limousin heifer, Miss Scarlet. Weighing in at 575kg, the winning heifer was bred by Wendy Morgan, Nantgwynne, Llanddeusant, Carmarthenshire who, remarkably, has now bred three out of the last four champions here. Sired by Raffertys Buster, a Rocky son purchased at Carlislein November 2007 for 8,000gns, Miss Scarlet is out of a Haltcliffe Novel-sired cow and later sold in the post-show auction for £4,150 (or £7.22 per kilo) to Lee Machin of Derbyshire-based Manifold Valley Meats. Earlier this year, Miss Scarlet had secured the Commercial and Interbreed Individual titles at the Southwell Ploughing, Notts.
The Championship judges were Colin Phillips, a breeder and showman from Sarnesfield, Weobley,Herefordalong with Miranda Brown of Belchford, Horncastle, Lincs, a wholesale butcher. Commenting, Mr Phillips said: “My Champion was of a tremendous width, well-fleshed, perfect on the day and an easy winner.”
Following the Champion through the classes to take the Reserve Crossbred Heifer award and Reserve Supreme Overall was Black Beauty from Andrew Bishop, Pitfield Farm, Eldersfield, Glocs. Described by the judge as “a very stylish heifer, full of meat and who handles very well,” the August 2010 born Black Beauty is sired by the Limousin bull and show calf producer Waindale Ufo and is out of a Limousin cross Blue cow and was purchased privately from B Blandford & Sons. The 565kg heifer later sold for £2,720 to Nottingham-based C Bowring.
In the Baby Beef section it was another Championship win for Pokemon on behalf of Michael & Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Devon which followed on from titles at Countryside Live and Borderway Agri Expo. Under the eye of judge Mr John Peckitt who described his winner as “the real article: very correct and a tremendous show beast,” Pokemon is a March 2011 born steer calf bred by Messrs McArthur, Mid Fleenas, Littlemill, Nairn, and bought for £3,000 at the Thainstone Spectacular where it was also Supreme Baby Calf. Pokemon will now head to the Scottish and Welsh Winter Fairs later this month.
Reserve Baby Beef Champion was the Baby Heifer Champion, Lulu, consigned by Messrs Lawson & Wilkinson, Leyburn, N Yorks. April 2011 born and scaling 345 kilos, she was bred by Brian Lawson, Buddlehouse, Richmond. Lulu is sired by Gunnerfleet Volvo and is out of a Limousin cross Blue cow having previously won the Bowes Show and having stood first in its class at Wensleydale, among other show outings. In the post show auction, Bagshaws reported a total of 71 cattle forward achieving an average of £3.17/kg liveweight. Baby beef cattle topped at £3,000 (£8.70/kg liveweight) for Lawson & Wilkinson’s Lulu.
In the Carcase Competition, Bryan & Carole Wilson, Haughton, Staffs won Supreme Champion beef carcase with a home-bred 308kg Limousin cross grading U-3, which made £5.10/kg (£1,544 gross) to the section’s judge and local retail butcher Rob Stafford. TheWilsons’ Reserve Supreme Champion carcase, a 380kgLimousincross grading U+3, made £4.40/kg (£1,673 gross) to GA Cropper of Ackrington. The carcases were sired by the homebred Limousin bulls, Haughton Bruno and Haughton Arkle respectively. Overall, beef carcases averaged £4.17/kg deadweight.
Picking up the Reserve Pedigree Championship was the April 2010 born Dinmore Fenella from Frank Page, Lodge Farm, Elkington, Northants. Bred by Paul Dawes, Kipperknowle Farm, Dinmore Manor, Hereford, Dinmore Fenella is sired by Dinmore Bulldozer (by Wilodge Tonka and out of Fleethill Sal), and is out of the Saunders Stallone daughter, Dinmore Bereka.
Earlier, Dinmore Fenella had won the Limousin pedigree section narrowly pipping the pure steer, Dolcorsllwyn Figaro from TC Edwards & Sons, Pen Y Bryniau, Betws Y Coed. Bred by Glyn Vaughan, Machynlleth, Powys, the June 2010 born Figaro is by the French sire Soleil and is out of Dolcorsllwyn Vanity. This was the second year running that the Dinmore herd had bred theLimousinpedigree champion.
Reserve Limousin Steer was Bosworth Frank from GR Fountaine, Beachampton, Bucks. Sired by Scorboro Cravat and out of Bosworth Brenda, he was bred by Mr R Lawrence, Market Bosworth, Leics. ReserveLimousinheifer was Andrew Bishop’s Fflur Ffidora by Fieldson Alfy and out of Fflur Blodyn, bred by Mr G Griffiths, St Clears, Carms.
The Reserve Steer Champion in the crossbred section was Darrell & Sarah Cheacker’s Duke from their Pilning,Bristolholding. Bred by D&M Kelly who run the Netherhall Limousin Herd inMansergh,Cumbria, the September 2010 born Duke is sired by Teddy and is out of a Limousin-cross cow. He had previously won the steer championship at Monmouth Show and will now head to the South West Winter Fair at Sedgemoor, Somerset.
