Recently in Royal Smithfield Club Category

A new partnership announced today between the Royal Smithfield Club and the East of England Agricultural Society has secured the future of the Smithfield primestock championships.

The partnership will stage a new, as yet un-named, winter primestock show at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, on 2 and 3 December this year.

The new event will build on the successful East of England Winter Stock Festival, which has grown rapidly in three years to be recognised as one of the premier primestock shows in the UK, explained East of England Agricultural Society chief executive Paul Wallwork.

"The growth of our Winter Stock Festival has been phenomenal and our hosting of last year's Royal Smithfield Primestock championships, following the cancellation of AgriLIVE Smithfield, underlined it's recognition as one of the leading winter events.

"This new agreement, which will see the show housed in the showground's purpose built Exec exhibition centre, will allow the event to move forward significantly and secures the future of the Royal Smithfield Club's championships too."

Primestock classes at the event will include classes for prime cattle and sheep, with the traditional auction sale of exhibits to round the event off, with the event being managed by East of England Agricultural Society agricultural manager Kerry Buttriss.

Speaking on behalf of the Royal Smithfield Club, the Club's secretary Geoff Burgess said the new event would build on the successful relationship between the two organisations which existed as a result of last year's successful show.

"We are looking forward to working with the East of England Agricultural Society to create a new showpiece event in the winter primestock calendar. This new prestigious event should attract entries from across the UK and provide a much needed end of season spectacle for the winter primestock circuit," he added.

As anyone who has followed the trials and tribulations of Smithfield since it left London will appreciate this new partnership is a resounding vote of confidence in the future of the championships and hopefully will lead to a long and lasting partnership between the two organisations.

Here at Peterborough the East of England Winter Stock Festival, which is this year incorporating the Royal Smithfield Club's championships too, judging in both the cattle and sheep has been progressing well this morning, with all the sheep classes placed by Andy Bishop and Liz Vance making strong headway in the cattle too.

The major awards so far have been in the cattle, with the pure bred championships awarded this morning already.

Taking the Continental championship were Richard and Judy Fountaine with Cothi Eyecatcher, a Limousin steer which tipped the scales at 592kg. This one has previously been steer champion at Countryside Live. Reserve to it was Dulands Ebony, a Limousin heifer from Andrew Dickinson which weighed 694kg.

In the Native championship the winner was Galloway steer Super Mario. This one from Mike and Melanie Alford weighed 550kg. Reserve was Michael Read with Lincoln Red heifer Hemingby Bridget which weighed 499.

Taking the pedigree steer championship was the Limousin Cothi Eyecatcher from the Fountaines, while reserve was the Galloway from the Alfords. Then the champion pedigree heifer was Dulands Ebony from Andrew Dickinson, with Witherdale Empress, another Limousin heifer, this time from David Wharton standing reserve.

The purebred championship was then awarded to the Fountaines with Cothi Eyecatcher. Reserve here was the Galloway, Super Mario from Mike and Melanie Alford, Devon.