Taking Stock

This year's Royal Welsh Show is underway and Taking Stock is here to bring you all the latest results. Contrary to rumours, the show organisers are insisting the show will go on, despite the weather which meant a 2.5hr journey to the showground this morning, not bad for just seven miles!

Judging is underway in both the beef and sheep rings, with the first championships likely to be decided in the next hour or so.

Taking Stock will bring you pictures as they happen, so check back here later for full results. For more show news check out FWi's main News page.

The first of today's Royal Welsh Show beef champions was decided earlier, with veteran show cow Marston Mill Penelope Pit Stop taking the Blonde title for Ian and Sue Archer.

As promised Taking Stock can now bring you a selection of beef and sheep champions from today's judging at the Royal Welsh Show.

Leading the way in the Limousin lines was Smiths of Bloxham's bull Wilodge Vantastic. October 2004-born Vantastic is by Wilodge Tonka and out of Ravanelle.

Further judging in the beef lines saw the South Devons finish their judging, with W H Sandford's bull Haughton Sas Joes Louis taking the honours here. Louis is by Trevowah Joe Louis 11 and out of Haughton Vicky 2.

Welsh vet Esmor Evans lifted this year's beef interbreed title with his homebred Charolais heifer Maerdy Beauty.

By homebred sire Maerdy Padraic and out of Maerdy Omlette, this stylish, showy heifer was described by interbreed judge Neil Massie as exceptionally balanced and not too heavily muscled. "She had plenty of feminine charm to go with her fleshing."

Following an intensive day's judging at the Royal Welsh, the major beef cattle competitions were completed yesterday and here are the full listings. Some results are missing, but we'll update these as soon as we get them.

BEEF CATTLE RESULTS
Interbreed D E Evans’ Charolais heifer Maerdy Beauty; res, M W Jones’ Welsh Black heifer Deiniolen Non 12.
Interbreed Team of Five Welsh Black; res, Limousin
Interbreed Pairs Charolais; res, Simmental.
Welsh Black M W Jones’ heifer Deiniolen Non 12; res, G and M Phillips’ bull Dancoed Cymro 13.
Hereford A Owens’ bull Hermitage Commando; res, P J and A C Allman’s heifer Greenyards 1 Duchess.
Charolais D E Evans’ heifer Maerdy Beauty; res, Boden and Davies’ bull Thrunton Voldemort.
Blonde I C and S D Archer’s cow Marston Mill Penelope Pit Stop; res, D M Davies’ bull Fronfedw Rhyd-Y-Beirdd.
Limousin Smiths of Bloxham’s bull Wilodge Vantastic; res, P R Dawes heifer Dinmore Athena.
Simmental A Davies’ bull Hirwaun Rooney; res, Boddington Estates bull Sterling Hawaii’s Krumpet.
Belgian Blue Black N Blue Show Team’s cow Black N Blue UK.Com; res, I Philips’ heifer Balzer Waterlily.
South Devon W H Sandford’s bull Haughton SAS Joe Louis 1; res, W H D Scott’s heifer Z Grove Sorrel 39.
Aberdeen Angus E A and M C Jones’ bull Rull Evitus; res, J and A Price’s heifer Oakchurch Red Delia.
Longhorn G Woollatt's heifer Selborne Myrtle; res, B and M Llewellyn's heifer Carreg Ginkgo.
British White A Hamilton’s heifer Dadley Britannia; res, F W Cook and Son’s bull Albany Shilton.
Murray Grey H Davies’ cow Romany Eirmintrude; res, Otter and Co’s Ashrose Elizabeth 17.
Dexter T Drew’s cow Beechwood Gyspy; res, P Eagling’s cow Mostyn Beauty.
Beef Shorthorn M A Holmes’ bull Holmeere Alastair; res, E T and J R Gethin’s heifer Maxton Cinderella.
Devon A and J Benneworth’s cow Glebe Flirt 2; res, Stonegrove Livestock’s heifer Stonegrove Norrie 5.
Highland D T Handley’s heifer Furan Fraoch of Gilden Vale; res, A C Spawton’s heifer Collaidin 1 of the May.
Commercial Cattle T Edwards’ Limousin cross heifer Shakira; res, J E Jones and Co’s Limousin cross heifer Babe.

The second day of the Royal Welsh Show has dawned with bright sunshine replacing yesterday's rain.

While car parking is still a nightmare for many, with visitors told to park in the first car park they find and then walk in, the show's organinsers are determined to go ahead, as are exhibitors.

As always, Taking Stock will bring you up to date results and pictures as judging progresses throughout the day.

Breed judging has been completed in the dairy lines this morning at the Royal Welsh with the interbreed due to follow tomorrow. In the meantime here are the breed results and pictures.

Holstein Seaton Farms' cow Brinibower Gordon Charity; res, Sahara Holsteins cow Bricknell Stormatic Ethel.

This year's commercial beef title was claimed by Tudur Edwards with his Limousin cross heifer Shakira.

Bred by Andrew Davies, Shakira was one of two animals bought by Mr Edwards for a total of £2500. Shakira is likely to be back at Builth for the Welsh Winter Fair in November.

The phrase if in doubt go local is a stock favourite of judges and it proved true for John Elliot when judging the Beef Teams of Five at this year's Royal Welsh Show.

Mr Elliot tapped out the Welsh Blacks as his champions, with the Limousin team in reserve.

Full judging rings in the sheep section were the highlight of the second day of the this year's Royal Welsh and many breed's were fortunate to have excellent displays of sheep to show the crowds which gathered.

Last year's interbreed title winner Tim Pritchard lifted the championship again in the Charollais section with a homebred shearling ewe by Glatreys Dominator.

The third day of this year's Royal Welsh has been greeted with more rain, although thankfully so far its only a light drizzle, rather than the torrential downpours of Monday.

Today see's interbreed judging take place in the pig, dairy and sheep sections, so its going to be a busy one for Taking Stock, check back here later for full interbreed results and championship pictures...............

Welsh sow Braemor Nina 4 took this year's Royal Welsh interbreed pig title for breeder Phil Fowlie, making it a total of eight Royal Welsh interbreed titles for Mr Fowlie.

Homebred Nina 4 was interbreed champion at the Three Counties show earlier this year and interbreed champion at last year's Royal Show.

Standing reserve to her was the reserve Welsh champion, Teifi Evans' January 2007-born boar Gold Foot Leo 2.

Tension is mounting in the sheep lines with the interbreed pairs competition due to be judged at 10.30 this morning and the individual interbreed due to be decided this afternoon.

In the meantime, see below for the sheep results to date....

The rain drenched cattle judging rings were the scene for today's interbreed dairy judging, with stewards resisting the temptation to move classes onto hard standing.

With just four breed champions competing for top honours, judge Tom Kelly, Co Louth, Eire had no trouble picking out his leader in the form of the Holstein champion from Seaton Farms, Shropshire and the Holgate family, Yorkshire.

Their winner was Allian Champion Isis, bred by the Holgates and currently giving 50 litres a day in her second lactation. Having given 13,100 litres in her first lactation, Isis is due to calve again in February having held to service just 50 days into this lactation. She was flushed to Picston Shottle as a heifer and the partners already have a Shottle yearling heifer on the ground from her.

The two French breeds with similar names took top honours in the sheep and beef pairs competitions this morning at the Royal Welsh Show.

In the sheep lines it was the Charollais pairing which beat the North Country Cheviots to the title.

For all of you who missed out on the action at the Royal Welsh (or for those of you who were there and want to try and spot yourselves in the crowds), here's a picture round up for you from some of the judging rings.......

With 43 breeds out in front of him, interbreed sheep judge David Raine certainly faced a stiff test of his abilities on Wednesday afternoon. Picking his champion, the Charollais leader, he said it was an excellent example of its breed, showing excellent fleshing and well up on its legs.

Exhibiting the champion was last year's interbreed title winner Tim Pritchard with a homebred shearling ewe by Glatreys Dominator. The ewe was interbreed champion at the Three Counties Show on her only other outing this season and her mother’s sister was last year’s interbreed champion.