Tears for Dexter success at Ardingly

SELDOM ARE exhibitors reduced to tears, but for May Henderson seeing her eight year old Dexter cow Iffin Brandy collect the reserve interbreed award at last week’s South of England Show was reason enough.

 

Described by judge Jimmy Hull as a correct cow with excellent locomotion and teat placement, Brandy gave about 18l/day in her last lactation and is due to calve again in August.

 

Heading the way in the dairy classes was the Holstein leader from the Warnock family’s Cappelleferne herd. Their third calving cow Cappelleferne Arpagone Empress calved in February and is currently giving 45l/day at 4% butterfat and 3.3% protein, said Jim Warnock.

 

Capelleferne Arpagone Empress stole top dairy honours, narrowly pipping the Dexter leader Iffin Brandy to the title.

 

“On top of that she is a low cell count cow and gave more than 12,000 litres in her second lactation. She’s from seven generations of cows classified excellent or very good classification cows and we hope she’ll go excellent at her next classification.”

 

Across in the sheep lines there were few surprises in the championship awards with the hotly tipped Charollais shearling ram, Chestnutt Park Eric, from Glos-based John and Ann Griffiths picking up the overall championship.

 

Eric, who is by Chestnutt Park Alfred and out of a Westonvale ewe also won male champion at Devon County and was first prize shearling ram at Bath and West. Entered for the Charollais premier sale at Worcester in July, he now heads for the Three Counties show this week.

 

Sheep leader was this Charollais shearling  ram from Glos-based John and Ann Griffiths.

 

Reserve spot was taken by a Wenslydale shearling ram from the Blakey and Leech partnership. The homebred ram is by a Princethorpe sire and out of a homebred ewe and clearly caught judge Bill Prichard’s from the outset and fought a close competition with the Charollais.

 

In the beef lines it was turn-over time, with Shadwell Estates’ Aberdeen Angus bull, Shadwell Emperor, who had only stood male champion in the breed classes coming through to take the overall interbreed title.

                                                                                                 

While at many shows this would be impossible, a quirk of judging at the South of England allows this with the overall interbreed award contested by the male and female champions of the show.

 

 

Beef topper was Aberdeen Angus bull Shadwell Emperor from Shadwell Estate. Emperor is by last year’s Royal Show interbreed beef champion Justin Eric of Blelack.

 

Emperor, although carrying the Shadwell prefix, is Blelack bred throughout, with both sire and dam bred in the Massie’s herd. Emperor’s sire is Justin Eric of Blelack, last year’s Royal Show interbreed winner for Shadwell and dam is Ergressa V55 of Blelack.

 

Standing reserve to Emperor was the Charolais female and breed champion Rumsden Ultra from Richard and Stephanie Wakeham-Dawson’s 35-cow Graywood herd. Bought as a foundation animal for the herd from Rupert Taylor’s Rumsden herd for an undisclosed figure, Ultra is by Irish sire Doonally Olmetto and out of Rumsden Pirouette.

 

Meanwhile in the pig classes it was a repeat of last year’s win for Dave Overton, lifting interbreed honours with his homebred Gloucester Old Spot sow Exfold Princess 95.

 

Reserve spot here was a double for the Exfold herd, with 2004-born gilt  Exfold Princess 130 standing second to her herdmate.

 

 Elegant Empress……Heading up the pig lines was the Gloucester Old Spot sow Exfold Empress 95 from David Overton. Empress’ win was a repeat of her win at Ardingly last year.

 

RESULTS

BEEF CATTLE

Interbreed Shadwell Estate’s Aberdeen Angus bull Shadwell Emperor; res, R and S Wakeham-Dawson’s Charolais heifer Rumsden Ultra.

Native Junior Interbreed P Noel and R Snelling’s Hereford bull Sarabande Zippy; res, Shadwell Estate’s Aberdeen Angus heifer Shadwell Rose Erica.

Continental Junior Interbreed Hackelton Farms’ British Blonde bull Hackleton Varig; res, Rupert Taylor’s Charolais heifer Rumsden Violet.

Interbreed Pairs British Simmental; res, Sussex.

Aberdeen Angus P C Stovold’s heifer Rosemead Karlotta; res, Shadwell Estate’s heifer Shadwell Rose Erica.

Sussex The Buchanan Family’s bull Black Ven Glow-Worm 1; res, The Buchanan Family’s cow Black Ven Malecite 16.

Hereford  P Noel and R Snelling’s bull Sarabande Zippy; res, R J Hutchings bull Fisher 1 Aternator.

British Charolais  R and S Wakeham-Dawson’s heifer Rumsden Ultra; res, R L Potter’s heifer Coningsby Snowdrop.

British Simmental D A Sapsed’s cow A W L Starlet; res, P L Gunther’s bull Fircovert Majestic.

British Blonde Messrs Jones and Garratt’s cow Egerton Pandora; res, Hackleton Farms’ bull Hackelton Varig.

British Limousin Thorndean Farm’s heifer Thorndean Tart; res, Buriton Estates’ bull Brontemoor Sting.

British White G J and M P Scotcher’s heifer Bridge Homestead Flute; res, A I Dunn’s cow De Beauvoir Mopsey.

AOB Beef or Dual-Purpose J L Dunlop’s Beef Shorthorn bull Tarrant Paladin; res, J L Dunlop’s heifer Tarrant Wisteria.

Native Super Beef Bull P C Stovold’s bull Rosemead Primate.

Continental Super Beef Bull Mortimers Farm’s British Charolais Mortimers Vanquish.

 

DAIRY CATTLE

Interbreed J R Warnock and Sons’ Holstein cow Capellferne Arpagone Empress; res, M Henderson’s Dexter cow Iffin Brandy.

Interbreed Pairs Holstein; res, Ayrshire.

Ayrshire J Howie’s heifer Ridley Hill Holly Dorrie; res, Oathall Community College’s cow Rustic Milkmaid.

Holstein J R Warnock and Sons’ cow Cappelleferne Arpagone Empress; res, Plumpton College’s cow Plumptondown Bigtime Mistress 2.

AOB Dairy Chichester College Brinsbury Campus’ Dairy Shorthorn cow Ridgewardine Topsy; res, Chichester College Brinsbury Campus’ Dairy Shorthorn heifer Brinsbury Strawberry Dairy Maid 1.

Jersey P C Ainslie’s cow Cooden Josephine; res, P C Ainslie’s heifer Cooden Midway.

Dexter M E Henderson’s cow Iffin Brandy; res, J A Knight’s cow Knightsway Blossom.

Super Cow Plumpton College’s Holstein cow Plumptondown Bigtime Mistress 2.

 

SHEEP

Interbreed J and A Griffiths Charollais shearling ram; res, Messrs Blakey and Leech’s Wensleydale shearling ram.

Interbreed Group H R and J A E Wyatt’s Poll Dorsets’ res, J and A Griffith’s Charollais.

Southdown Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer’s shearling ram; res, S Pond’s pair of ewe lambs.

Suffolk K and K Manning’s ram lamb; res, K and K Manning’s pen of two ewe lambs.

Texel J J Gurden’s ewe lamb; res, J W Horn’s ram lamb.

Charollais  J and A Griffith’s shearling ram; res, J and A Griffith’s shearling ewe.

AOB Longwool Messrs Blakey and Leech’s Wensleydale shearling ram; res, Messrs Blakey and Leech’s Wensleydale shearling ram.

AOB Heath and Hill M H Miller’s Lleyn shearling ram; res, P J Bull’s Jacob ram lamb.

AOB Shortwool D and J Masters’ Hampshire Down ewe lamb; res, V Miles’ Hampshire Down ram lamb.

Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset H R and J A E Wyatt’s shearling ram; res, H R and J A E Wyatt’s shearling ewe.

Butchers’ Lambs S W Curran’s Texel cross lambs; res, S W Curran’s Texel cross lambs.

 

PIGS

Interbreed D Overton and A Nicholls’ Gloucester Old Spot sow Exfold Princess 95; res, D Overton and A Nicholls’ Gloucester Old Spot gilt Exfold Princess 130.

Modern Breeds Oathall Community College’s Large White sow Oathall Lady Mollington; res, Oathall Community College’s Large White sow Oathall Dainty Lady 8.

Traditional Breeds D Overton and A Nicholls’ Gloucester Old Spot sow Exfold Princess 95; res, D Overton and A Nicholls’ Gloucester Old Spot gilt Exfold Princess 130.

Commercial Pigs P B Banks Large White cross cutter pig; res, Oathall Community College’s Large White pork pig.