Tinkerbell waves her wand to take supreme overall championship at the English Winter Fair

From a quality show forward, Limousin sired cattle swept the boards winning all of the major titles on offer.

In front of a big crowd the red heifer Tinkerbell, exhibited by Mr James May, Sheltwood Farm, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, lifted the heifer championship before moving on to take the supreme overall championship.

Commenting on what was a very popular win, accompanied by a huge cheer from the crowd, Mr May said: “We are all absolutely over the moon to have won this title and it really does mean a lot to the family.”

The champion animal was tapped out by the joint judges for the day in the shape of the well-known Mr Richard Bartle of the noted Dinmore herd and Mr David Plested, Chinnon, Oxon.

Commenting on their champion Richard Bartle said: “This heifer is superb, she has such a level full top, clean with no waste and possesses that extra bit of style and class that Limousins are renowned for. The heifer classes were particularly strong with quality in depth throughout.”

Weighing in at 615kgs, the May 2015 born Tinkerbell was purchased privately from W Richardson and Son, Appleby, Cumbria. She is sired by the Rossignol son Melbreak Hero and is out of a Lim x Blue cow. Tinkerbell went on to sell for £4,200 to Messrs B and T Kitson, Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

Previously this heifer had won commercial champion at Kington Show and had received first in her class at the East of England Smithfield Festival at Peterborough.

The May family run a large operation at home taking care of a 1400 acre mixed farm, comprising of 170 dairy cows, 600 Texel cross ewes, and finishing around 200 cattle each year. Last year they reached the final three of the Farmers Guardian Awards for the best family farm.  

The reserve overall supreme champion was Jasmine from T A and L C Lyon and Son, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs.

Jasmine had come all the way through from winning the best bred and fed championship and is sired by the family’s stock bull Ironstone Hornblower, a Rathkeeland Dylan son, who is breeding very well for the Lyon family. Out of a Salomon sired heifer, Jasmine is to be retained as a breeding female. 

The baby beef classes were judged on the second day by Mr Keith Harryman, Newlands, Keswick, Cumbria.

Taking the steer and overall baby beef championship was Master Monty, exhibited by J A Nicholls, Wetley Rocks, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire. Bred by T F and C Robinson, this May 2016 born steer is sired by the popular AI sire Lodge Hamlet. 

Reserve overall baby champion went to the heifer champion, Tallulah who was exhibited by  Wilkinson, Lawson and Marwood, North Yorkshire. Born in April 2016, Tallulah was bred by B R Lawson and Son. 

No stranger to success was Mr Frank Page, Lodge Farm, Elkington, Northamptonshire who bred and exhibited Elkington Letsparty, and won the purebred championship. The April 2015 born steer is sired by Pembridge Delboy and out of Millington Dusty.  At last year’s English Winter Fair Frank Page had won the carcase championship with a heifer also sired by Pembridge Delboy.

Steer champion was won by the Limousin sired May 2015 born steer Mr Chuckles, who was exhibited by Brymore Academy and Clatworthy family, Somerset. 

Reserve steer champion was also won by a Limousin cross animal in the shape of Wurzel which was exhibited by J and S Wareham, Heathfield, East Sussex. Wurzel is a June 2015 born steer that was bred by A J and F M Harrison, Appleby, Cumbria. 

It was another tremendous day yet again for the Foxhillfarm herd of Mel and Mike Alford, Cullompton, Devon in the national pedigree calf show competition.

After winning both champion and reserve in the breed sections on the first day under judge Mr Chris Pennie, Montgomery, Powys of the noted Sarkley herd, the two Foxhillfarm animals went one further to claim the interbreed champion and reserve titles on day two. The overall calf champion was Foxhillfarm Limitededition, an August 2015 born heifer by Kype Interrogate and out of Bankdale Elizabeth who is a daughter of the herds cornerstone cow Bankdale Alice.

Taking the reserve interbreed title was the January 2016 born bull calf Foxhillfarm Manhattan. Sired by Guards Boomer and out of the multi-show winning homebred dam Foxhillfarm Gracie. 

Commenting on day one on his Limousin champion, Foxhillfarm Limitededition, the judge Chris Pennie said: “The champion is a classy heifer, very correct, has a breedy head and is good on her legs. She’s very smart and has got a lot of outlook.”

Rounding off an excellent two days for the Limousin breed, the British Limousin Cattle Society also picked up the award for the best trade stand. Featuring on the stand were three quality young bulls with two coming from the Garyvaughan herd of Colin Lewis, and the third from the Simse herd of Eddie Simse.