Limousins win:
Individual Interbreed
Nat West Interbreed Team of Five
Fitzhugh Interbreed Pairs
Females of the Future Interbreed Champions
Reserve Commercial Champion
Commercial Steer Champion
Baby Beef Champion
Reserve Interbreed Elite Junior Bull
Reserve Interbreed Junior Bull
The 2008-born Limousin cow, Ironstone Dumandy, secured a memorable second consecutive Limousin and Individual Interbreed Championship on the opening day of the 2012 Royal Welsh Show held at Builth Wells Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd July. The defending champion took both honours for the second consecutive year – thought to be a first for any breed at the Royal Welsh!
On the Wednesday afternoon, the Limousin team – which also included Ironstone Dumandy – then came through against 14 other breeds to win the Nat West Interbreed Team of Five Competition in very hot and sunny conditions. This concluded a clean sweep of interbreed team titles for the Limousin breed at the major shows held in 2012 on the UK Mainland comprising the Royal Highland, Great Yorkshire & Royal Welsh. In the last eight years at the Royal Welsh alone, Limousins have achieved a remarkable haul of four championships and three reserves in the Team of Five.
Making it three out of three, Dumandy subsequently teamed up with the Reserve Male Champion, Hafodlas Domino, on the Wednesday to lift the Fitz Hugh Interbreed Pairs Competition judged by Mrs Hazel McNee, Dumbils Farm, Forgandenny.
Owned by Smiths of Bloxham, Newlands Farm, Banbury, Oxfordshire, Ironstone Dumandy is sired by the 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the 50,000gns Bailea Umandy and had earlier come through the Limousin classes under Judge Mr Colin Hutchings, Kingsbrompton Farm, Brompton Regis, Dulverton, Somerset who described his Champion as “an outstanding female with character, personality and a tremendous body of beef.” A first calver, she was shown with her November-born bull calf at foot, Ironstone Guyfawkes (by Teddy).
At this year’s Royal Highland Show, the multi-title Ironstone Dumandy had stood Female Champion and Overall Reserve Supreme and had also featured in the winning Interbreed Team of Four. At the Great Yorkshire earlier this month she had secured both individual Limousin and Interbreed Team honours.
Dumandy had emerged as champion from a female section which the Judge praised as outstanding in strength, length, power and quality. On the second day, the Limousins proved a winning combination as she teamed up with the Reserve Male Champion, Hafodlas Domino, the 2009 born cow, Brockhurst Elaine (both exhibited by WJ & M Mash, Torrington Farm, Grove Lane, Chesham, Bucks) together with October 2009-born Dinmore Elegance (from Paul Dawes, Kipperknowle Farm, Dinmore Manor Estate, Hereford) and Sherry Fraggle, a June 2010-born heifer from Mr & Mrs T&S Jones, Bowley, Clehonger, Hereford. Judging the Interbreed teams was Mr Archie MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, Glasgow, who said of the winning team: “An outstanding spectacle, the Limousin Team was superbly well-balanced, full of flesh, power and breed character.”
Wilodge Vantastic breeding proved to be once again to the fore with three out of the five members of the Team of Five sired by the prolific stock bull and AI sire. Underscoring this, four out of five animals in the Female Championship line-up were by Vantastic including both Champion & Reserve.
Reserve Female & Reserve Overall Limousin Champion was Dinmore Daffodil on behalf of Paul Dawes. Once again Wilodge Vantastic-sired and this time out of Croftlimousin Primrose, this February 2008-born cow followed Dumandy all the way through from her class. She had stood Reserve Female Champion at the 2011 Royal Welsh Show.
From an entry of 115, the biggest show of beef cattle mustered by any breed, judging got underway on Monday morning in welcome warmth and sunshine. Leading the way was the senior bulls and which saw the French-bred Cacao B, by Pompier and out of Truth B, go on to win the Male Championship for exhibitors Dylan & Arwen Thomas who run the 30-strong Treweryll pedigree herd at Dolau Newydd, Blaenffos, Boncath, Pembrokeshire. 2007 born, Cacao B was imported on behalf of the brothers by Owain Llyr and had previously stood second in his class at last year’s show. He is a prolific winner of regional shows which have included Limousin and Interbreed titles at Cardigan & Pembrokeshire Shows respectively. In the 2011 South Wales & Mid West Limousin Herd Competition, the Treweryll prefix was placed third in the medium herd category.
Standing second in the class and going on to take the Reserve Male title was Hafodlas Domino from Doug Mash. The reigning Royal Highland Limousin & Interbreed Champion, the October 2008-born Hafodlas Domino was bred by AH & GW Roberts, Hafod Las, Ysbyty Ifan, Betws Y Coed, Gwynedd. Sired by the 22,500gns Bailea Spunkie, he is out of Hafodlas Shona, a Hafodlas Llion daughter.
The Junior Male Championship went to ED Griffiths & Co, Cwmfelin-Mynach, Whitland, Carms with their March 2011-born Mynach Genoboy, a son of Greenwell Dreamboy and out of Mynach Bwtsi. This was the third Junior Male title for the Griffiths who had previously won with Mynach Sporty and Mynach Botswana respectively. The family had also taken Overall and Interbreed honours in 2008 with Rhonllwyn Vandal. On the Thursday morning in front of Judge Hazel McNee, who was overseeing the Junior Bull Interbreed Championship for bulls born after 1st Jan 2011, Mynach Genoboy was awarded Reserve Overall on behalf of Messrs Griffiths.
Taking the Reserve Junior Male award in the Limousin classes was the second prizewinner from the same class, Millington Galliant, by Mas Du Clo and out of Brockhurst Option.
Making it a real Ladies Day, Millington Grange Estate, Millington, York also secured the Overall Junior Championship with the same-way-bred Millington Gorgeous, once more sired by Mas Du Clo and out of Brockhurst Option. Reserve Overall Junior Champion came in the shape of Bishops Goldilocks from Mr & Mrs MJ Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Devon. January 2011-born, she is sired by Waindale UFO and is out of Scorboro Custard.
In the Commercial Cattle section, GP Brooke, Barley Farm, Alfrick, Worcester was Reserve Overall with his Limousin-cross heifer Roxy Rose. Weighing in at 496kg, this one was bred by Emily Jones and is sired by Haltcliffe Chico having been purchased at the Brecon Potential Sale in February for £3,100. Dylan Hughes took the Reserve Steer award with Andy Pandy who was bed by N Richardson & Son. Steer Champion was No Likey No Lighty exhibited by Mr & Mrs MJ Alford who had previously stood Reserve Continental Champion at Beef Expo in May. By a Fieldson Alfy bull, he had been purchased at Brecon for £5,500 from breeder AJ Powell. Baby Beef Champion under Judge Mr Wilson Peters, Monzie, Perthshire was the multi-title winning heifer, Tequila, brought out by Tecwyn Jones, Ty Newydd, Nebo, Llanwrst. Tequila, who is by the 16,000gns Netherhall Emperor, was bred by A & MJ Trafford, Bassenthwaite Hall, Cumbria. She had previously won the Baby Beef & Supreme Overall titles at Beef Expo.
Judging of the Agri Lloyd Elite Junior Bull Competition for performance-recorded continental bulls took place on the Tuesday morning once more under the eye of Judge Mr A MacGregor. Limousins took Reserve & Second Reserve positions respectively with the following entries: Glangwden Goldboy, sired by Haltcliffe Ullswater and out of Glangwden Baby, from CL & FE Jerman, Glangwden, Caersws, Powys; and Dyfri Glyndwr, sired by Wilodge Cerberus and out of Dyfri Ultrabright, exhibited by DG & MJ Edwards & Son, Home Farm, Cilycwm, Llandovery, Carms.
The first-time “Females of the Future” Beef Pairs Championship was judged on the Thursday morning by Mr Frank Sutton, Castle Garage, Raglan, Monmouthshire. The Limousin pairing of Gritstone Gabrielle (by Objat) and Dinmore Giselle (by Ronick Hawk) secured the breed’s fourth interbreed title to round off a fantastically-successful four days showing at the Welsh. Joining Paul Dawes’ heifer, Dinmore Giselle, was Gritstone Gabrielle who was brought forward by Mr & Mrs D Armstong, Highfield Farm, Jolly Tar Lane, Coppull, Lancs exhibiting at only their second Royal Welsh. The Gritstone Herd was established in 2008 and currently numbers 16 breeding females. Having sold their 100-strong commercial herd at Carlisle earlier this month, the Armstrongs plan to increase the pedigree Limousin herd to around 100 in due course.
Limousin Male Class Winners
- Cacao B, Dylan Thomas
- Ecu, Mark & Helen Lewis
- Mynach Genoboy, ED Griffiths & Co
- Garyvaughan Gordon, Colin Lewis & Sons
Female Class Winners
- Ironstone Dumandy, Smiths of Bloxham
- Quaish Evie, Nick Hill
- Dinmore Elegance, Paul Dawes
- Ironstone Floribunda, Smiths of Bloxham
- Millington Gorgeous, Millington Grange Estate
- Temeside Gerda, Vince Corbett
- Dinmore Giselle, Paul Dawes
An informal gallery of the Judging can be seen HERE and the BLOG entries from Monday’s judging HERE
Watch Ironstone Dumandy win the Interbreed at the RWAS 2012. Full Video of judging available.
Sherry gigolo won the junior bull class at the Royal Welsh. T&S Jones.