THE winter show season kicked off at Countryside Live, Harrogate, where the overall beef championship went to the steer champion 15-month-old Haribo, from Hannah Donaldson, York.
Weighing in at 538kg and by the Limousin sire, Easegillhead Exterminate, it was bought at Carlisle in March from Brian Harper, Falkirk and was second at the Great Yorkshire Show on its only previous outing.
Judge, Neil Slack, Penrith, said his champion caught his eye as soon as it came into the ring, being very correct and with tremendous presence.
Standing reserve was the heifer champion, home-bred Tui 2. The 16-month-old British Blue-cross by Bluegrass Cyclone weighing 534kg is owned by Dion Hughes, Corwen, who only flew home from Norway where he is sheep shearing two days before the event, relying on his mother, Yvonne to prepare the heifer.
Reserve steer was 17-month-old Limousin sired 678kg Dark Destroyer exhibited by Mike and Sylvia Rowlands, Llanidloes, and shown by Steven O’Kane, whose 17 championships this season include the Royal Welsh steer title.
Brockhurst Orihana, a 16-month-old pure Limousin exhibited by Phil and Sharon Sellers, Lincolnshire, and bought from breeder, Doug Mash in the summer, claimed the reserve heifer championship.
The baby beef championship went to the winner of the heifer class, three-month old Limousin sired Lady Million from Deiniol Hughes and Gwenllian Morgan, Anglesey. Weighing in at 225kg, it was being shown for the first time and will next go to the English Winter Fair.
In reserve was the second prize winner from the same class, Marmite, an eight-month-old 394kg home-bred heifer by Emslies Galileo out of a British Blue cow from Taylor Charlton and his granddad, Dennis, Penrith. Taylor’s brother, Will, also led Marmite to win the young handler’s class.
Winning the baby beef steer class was Beth Duerden, Blacko, Lancashire, with four-month-old Turbo
In the sheep rings it was a first supreme championship at the event for Ian, Mary and Richard Lancaster, Clitheroe with their winning pair of trimmed continental sired lambs. Weighing 45.5kg piece, the gimmers by a Withytrees Beltex ram out of a Beltex cross ewe were reserve champions at the Great Yorkshire Show.
The judge, Michael Winchester, Skipton said they were the perfect pair of butcher’s lambs which were a credit to the exhibitors.
Reserve went to Martin and Val Brown, Leyburn, with their home-bred pair of 45kg Suffolk sired gimmer lambs out of Beltex cross ewes.
The inaugural pedigree calf show saw the overall supreme go to the heifer champion, British Blue, Dewlands Olivia, a January 2019-born daughter of Tenace de la Praule out of Graymar Glamorous from Mark Hallam and David Wright, Ashbourne.
Reserve was the reserve heifer champion, Beverley Heroine, a March 2019-born Lincoln Red from R.I. Clough, Spilsby.
The bull calf champion was the Limousin, Almande Paris, a January 2019-born son of Gerrygullinane Glen from Alan Morgan and Mandy Johnson, Sedgefield.
Commercial beef (N. Slack, Penrith) Sup. and male, H. Donaldson, Haribo; res. and fem., D. Hughes, Tui 2; res. steer, J.M. and S.M. Rowlands, Dark Destroyer; res., fem., P. and S. Sellers, Brockhurst Orihana.
Baby beef (F. Page, Northamptonshire) Sup. and fem., D. Hughes and G. Morgan, Lady Million; res. and res. fem., T. and D. Charlton, Marmite; male, B. Deurden, Turbo; res., Messrs Dent, Black Jack.
Pedigree calves (all breed judges) Sup. and fem., M. Hallam and D. Wright, Dewlands Olivia (British Blue); res. and res. fem., R.I. Clough, Beverley Heroine (Lincoln Red); male, A. Morgan and M. Johnson, Almande Paris (Limousin); res., R.I. Clough, Beverley York (Lincoln Red).
Sheep (M. Winchester, Skipton) Sup. and sup. continental, I., M. and R. Lancaster (Beltex cross); res. and sup., native shortwool, A.M. and H.V. Brown (Suffolk cross); res. continental, A.M. and H.V. Brown (Beltex cross); res. native shortwool, C.D. Timm (Suffolk).
Native longwool, sup., J.B. Brittain (Blackface); res., J.B. Brittain (Dalesbred).