Cornwall Show: Strong bloodlines come to the fore

Strong bloodlines came to the fore at the Royal Cornwall Show last week with the champion beef and dairy animals continuing their parents’ winning ways.

Treginegar Dairy Farm’s Ayrshire cow Pam Ayrs Dream Hawaii EX94 scooped the dairy interbreed championship for the second time, and won the breed championship for the third year running. A fourth calver, shown by Stewart Williams, she calved in March, and was now giving 48kg a day. Her dam, Warmhill Ann EX92, had claimed a number of showing successes in her time, with sire Pam Ayrs Dreamcatcher helping to produce this lovely correct cow.

“She has exceptional width and a powerful front end,” said judge Iwan Morgan from Carmarthen. “She has a strong top line and a really balanced body – it takes great dedication all year round to turn out cows like this, and it has been an exceptional interbreed class.”

Dream Hawaii would probably head to the Stithians Show and South West Dairy Event later in the year, said joint owner Dawn Coryn. “She’s a real diva but is a totally genuine every day cow – she peaked at 50kg as is back in calf every 12 months. Her mother was twin to a bull, she was a twin to a heifer, and her sister has had twins as well – it’s an extraordinary family.”

WH Ley and Partners’ Holstein cow Thuborough Shottle Leilani 2 came in second place, having taken the reserve breed championship at Devon County Show in May and the Royal Cornwall last year. A second calver by Picton Shottle and out of Thuborough Light Year Leilani, she calved at the end of April and was now giving 60 litres, said exhibitor Roland Ley.

In the beef section, Judge Finlay McGowan picked Colin Hutchings’ Aberdeen Angus bull Kingsbrompton Endeavour for the top spot, having taken the reserve breed championship at the Devon County and Royal Bath & West Shows. “His mother, Kingsbrompton Miss Ethel, won the interbreed championship here twice – it just goes to show these families are good ones,” he said.

By Curzon Endeavour, the five year-old bull would be heading for the Three Counties Show next, said Mr Hutchings. “But I’m doing a lot of judging this year so can’t be competing as well.” 

Patrick Greed’s British Limousin bull Kaprico Donato took the reserve honours, having scooped best male at the Devon County Show. “He was only put in as an afterthought at Devon, because we’d kept the cows in due to the wet weather and AI’d them instead of risking the bull,” said Mr Greed, who keeps about 500 head of cattle at Columbjohn Farm near Exeter, Devon.

He bought Donato about two years ago, and uses him on his Limousin heifers. “He’s very easy calving and good natured – we brought one of his heifers here to the show and she came fourth in her class.”

In the pig section, Alice Newth’s Landrace sow Prestcombe Vega 8 scooped the champion prize. Born in 2009, she was by Deer Park Enorm and out of the Newth’s own Prestcombe Vega. Steve Loveless’s Large White boar, Portbredy McFlannel, by a boar of the same name and out of Portbredy Champion Lady, took the reserve spot.

Sadly, gale force winds meant the interbreed sheep classes had to be cancelled, as the marquee housing the record entry of 1250 sheep had to be evacuated on Thursday.