Sub Dacia snatches win at West Mids

An unbiased adjudicator had to be found when dairy interbreed judge Bryan Challenor was faced by a Holstein cow he bred and sold as a yearling heifer.

Golden Calf SR Dacia was a last-minute substitute entry from Michael and Oliver Eaton’s 100-cow Smiddiehill herd, based at Albrighton, just a few miles from the Shrewsbury showground.

Up stepped Ed Seaton, the local breeder, who exhibited the 2005 interbreed champion.

He did not hesitate to pick the stylish Dacia as his champion, with Bluegrass Hallmarks Donna Bella from her owners’ 25-cow Jersey herd in reserve.

Mr Seaton described Dacia as an “absolutely tremendous” cow with outstanding udder, legs and feet. Mr Challenor admitted that she had allowed her new owners to achieve what he had failed to do over decades of exhibiting at the West Midlands Show.

He also expressed regret about the impact bovine TB and rising costs were having on entries for dairy classes at smaller shows.

Numbers for beef classes were much stronger and interbreed beef judge Chris Pennie was delighted when confronted by five teams of five cattle.

The championship went to the almost perfectly matched Belgian Blue quintet, with the Limousin team a close second.

But the Limousins had their revenge in the supreme championship when Ravenelle, the outstanding French-bred cow exhibited by Christine Williams and Richard Bartle pushed Graig Goch Meriel, Christine and Heather Carberry’s Welsh Black cow, into reserve spot.

Limousin sired heifers also took the commercial beef championship and reserve.

England’s World Cup game probably reduced the number of spectators for Sunday afternoon’s interbreed sheep championship, but judge Wynne Davies did not keep those that were ringside waiting long for a result.

When Robert and Jeanette Gregory’s Charollais ewe was shortlisted, a hat-trick of successive wins at the show seemed likely, but the top award went to Tom Cox’s Suffolk ewe lamb.

Mr Cox who runs 50 ewes on his parents’ farm at Church Eaton in Staffordshire.

The judge described the champion as superb, with all the meat in the right places.

bobdavies@agrinews.fsnet.co.uk

BEEF
Interbreed D A Williams’ Limousin cow Ravanelle; res, C and H Carberry’s Welsh Black cow Graig Goch Meriel.
Interbreed Pairs Charolais; res, Limousin.
Interbreed Team of Five Belgian Blue; res, Limousin.
Hereford R Manning’s bull Mandalay 1 Benny; res, M and H Timmis’ cow Shraden 1 Dutchess.
Charolais H Coppinger’s heifer Burnaston Vikki; res, W Everall’s bull Shraden Atom.
Limousin D A Williams’ cow Ravenelle; res, P Dawes’s heifer Wilodge Viceless.
Belgian Blue D and I Morgan’s bull Ty Isaf Adfa; res, A Neachell and Sons’ bull Greystone The Boss.
South Devon W Sandford’s bull Haughton SAS Joe Louis; res, R Hartshorn’s cow Betton Polly 7.
Longhorn L Dixon’s cow Julaw Alice; res, S Barker’s cow Carreg Dilemma.
Welsh Black C and H Carberry’s cow Graig Goch Meriel; res, E and M Botwood’s cow Felin Cerio Meg.
Dexter P Hunt’s cow Saltaire Sharp; res, M and J Bancroft’s bull Moonshire Platinum.
Rare Breeds Messrs J Williams’ Red Poll Bull Fedw Stig; res, J Brigg’s Beef Shorthorn bull Glenisla Senor Gus.
Commercial A Dickinson’s Limousin cross heifer Up 2 Tricks; res, T Edwards and Sons’ Limousin cross
heifer Miss Penny.

DAIRY
Interbreed Smiddiehill Holsteins’ Holstein Golden Calf SR Dacia; res, Smiddiehill Jerseys’ Jersey Bluegrass Hallmarks Donna Bella.
Interbreed Pairs Holstein; res, Jersey.
Interbreed Team of Five Holstein; res, Jersey.
Holstein Smiddiehill Holstein’s Golden Calf SR Dacia; res, Smiddiehill Holsteins’ Villavale Capritara.
Jersey Smiddiehill Jerseys’ Bluegrass Hallmark Donna Bella; res, S and S Murray (Farms) Ltd’s Option Foam.
Ayrshire H Jones’s Hayford Mistletoe 55; res, H Jones’s Hayford Evelyn.

SHEEP
Interbreed T Cox’s Suffolk ewe lamb; res; R and J Gregory’s Charollais ewe.
Interbreed Group of Three Beltex; res, Kerry Hills.
Beltex R Birch’s ram; res, G and J Belcher’s ewe.
Black Welsh Mountain G Hughes and Daughter and Son’s shearling ewe; res, G Hughes and Daughter and Son’s ram.
Border Leicester I Evans and Son’s shearling ewe; res, R Birch’s ram.
Charollais R and J Gregory’s ewe; res, D Reynold’s ram.
Bluefaced Leicester D May’s ram; res, L Norris’s ewe lamb.
Dorset/Hampshire J L Davies’s Hampshire Down ram lamb; res, J Ward’s shearling ewe.
Jacob D Price’s shearling ram; res, D Price’s ram.
Kerry Hill R and R Powell’s ewe; res, R and R Powell’s shearling ewe.
Lleyn S Frost’s shearling ewe; res, S Frost’s shearling ram.
Ryeland A Turner’s ram; res, J Morgan’s ewe lamb.
Shropshire S Farquhar’s ram; res, P Geddes’s shearling ewe.
Suffolk T Cox’s ewe lamb; res, V Samuel’s ewe.
Texel S Smith’s ram; res, H and R Drapers’ ewe.
Any Other Pure Breed B Brook’s Rouge ewe; res, E Roberts’s Charmoise Hill ewe.