30/06/06
A Saturday hat-trick of interbreed titles was the crowning highlight
of another tremendous show of Limousin cattle at the 2006 Royal Highland
Show 22nd – 25th June. From another large entry of 132
cattle the Limousin breed again dominated the head to head weekend
meeting of breed champions when winning the Individual Interbreed,
Group Interbreed and Junior Interbreed titles. For good measure
Limousin steaks provided a 1-2-3 win in the prestigious Tesco/MacIntosh
Donald Scotch Steak competition. In the commercial section,
a Limousin cross heifer picked up the Champion Heifer rosette.
|
Within blustery but thankfully dry conditions, judge Roger
Hazard of the noted Mereside pedigree herd, Saltby Heath Farm,
Skillington, Grantham, Lincolnshire, set forth on his task early
on Thursday morning, 22nd June. Some four hours later and
from a large and particularly high quality female entry, he awarded
the Limousin Supreme Championship to Millington Tangerine, a first
calver born in September 2002 and shown by the breeder Millington
Grange Estate, Cold Skin Farm, Millington, York.
This
was the second time that owner John Weatherall and his Millington
team had won the Royal Highland Limousin Supreme title following
their victory, also with a cow, Gaich Nutcracker, in 2002. In
2006 however, the Limousin Championship was just the precursor
to a heavy haul of further titles. In what was a formidable
line-up, judge Roger Hazard teamed up Millington Tangerine with
Millbrook R2K, the Limousin Male Champion from Mr W Campbell, 48
Ballyvaddy Road, Carnlough, Ballymena; Ballymoney Veronica, the
Junior Limousin and Junior Interbreed Champion from Mr H Emslie,
Kinknockie, Mintlaw, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire and Grahams Violet,
a first prize two-year-old heifer from Mr & Mrs RJ Graham,
Airthrey Kerse Dairy Farm, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire.
Oozing
class, style and balance the team grabbed the attention of Interbreed
judge Mr Billy Robson, Kilbride Cottage, 35 Kilbride Road, Doagh,
Co Antrim who duly placed them as Team Champions and said, "the
Limousins were a wonderfully balanced team with no weaknesses and
being very correct all the way through.". Better still
was to come for Millington Tangerine. After a quick breather,
the Champions from each breed came back to compete for the title
of Individual Interbreed Champion. Under the eye of the same
judge, Tangerine prevailed capping a sparkling seventy two hours
for the Millington Grange Estate pedigree Limousin herd.
Roger Hazard, who has now judged all the mainland ‘Royals’ was
delighted by the breed’s overall show success and
was particularly impressed by his champion animal. He commented, “It
was a great pleasure to judge such a strong and good show of
animals. The strength in depth of the female classes was
superb and in overall quality just shaded the bull classes. Millington
Tangerine I think is a real classy Limousin female, ever so breedy,
powerful but feminine with lots of presence and a real ‘look
at me’ factor. She is only young but she has it all
and can go on to be a tremendous cow.” “Ballymoney
Veronica my Reserve Female and Junior Champion fitted very much
as a type with the Champion and is a really super heifer,” said
Mr. Hazard.
Millington Tangerine is by Woodhouse Prince, a Broadmeadows
Cannon son who himself won the Royal Welsh Show Limousin Championship
in 2002. She is out of Newsham Lemon a daughter of Normande
Ecosse purchased from George Westgarth, Richmond, North Yorkshire. This
coming four–year-old was shown with its November 2005 born
bull calf at foot, Millington Ascot sired by the French bull
Ideal.
Getting things of to a winning start on Saturday morning was
the very stylish Ballymoney Veronica, the Limousin Overall Junior
Champion and Reserve Female Champion from Harry Emslie Kinknockie,
Mintlaw, Peterhead. A July 2004 born heifer, Ballymoney
Veronica was bred in Southern Ireland by Angus McDonnell. She
is by the French sire Highlander and is out of Ballymoney Noisette.
Veronica’s style and presence saw her awarded the Show’s
Overall Junior Interbreed title by judge Jim Neill, Boreland
of Balmagie, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway.
Amongst the bulls it was a fantastic day for the Campbell family
from Carnlough, Ballymena with their six-year-old bull Milbrook
R2K. No stranger to the show ring this Festin son out of
Milbrook Monique is a multi title winner having last year secured
the Individual Interbreed title at the Royal Ulster Show and
in 2004 having stood Reserve Male Champion to the Overall Champion
at the ILC National Limousin Show. In a very tense senior
bull class, Milbrook R2K was placed first in from of Mr & Mrs
R&J Grahams defending champion and, himself, multi title
winning bull, Samy. Milbrook R2K, bred by Mr W Smith, Milbrook,
Old Castle, Co Meath stood as the Limousin section Overall Reserve
Champion.
The Royal Highland Show 2006 marked yet another realisation
of the strength and depth of quality there is in Limousin cattle
around the United Kingdom. A truly inclusive and national
Limousin competition saw prize-winners and exhibitors from all
four home countries. Breed support at the principle Royals
continues to grow unabated with entries well in excess of 100
evident at the Royal Ulster, Royal Highland, Royal and Royal
Welsh Shows. It constitutes great competition and a fantastic
showcase for the Limousin breed.
INDIVIDUAL SHOW RESULTS
Class 269 Female born on or after 01.04.05
1st Agate Mr & Mrs
R&J Graham
2nd Keirsbeath
Atlantis David
Orr
3rd Bettws
Asta AH & GW
Roberts
Class 270 Female born 01.11.04-31.03.05
1st Alagils
Ainsi AJ
Macnab
2nd Ronick
Viveur Ronald
Dick
3rd Grahams
Virtue Mr & Mrs
R&J Graham
Class 271 Female born 01.04.04-31.10.04
1st Ballymoney
Veronica Mr
H Emslie
2nd Spage
Valentine Mr
W Campbell
3rd Newstart
Viyella Mr
D & Mrs M Cormack
Class 272 Female born 01.11.03-31.03.04
1st Grahams
Violet Mr & Mrs
R&J Graham
2nd Newhouse
Vommy Mr
BD Mairs
3rd Ronick
Vorita Ronald
Dick
Class 273 Female born 01.11.02-31.10.03
1st Grahams
Trendy Mr & Mrs
R&J Graham
Class 274 Female born on or before 31.10.01
1st Millington
Tangerine Millington
Grange Estate
2nd Gaich
Pinup Millington
Grange Estate
3rd Ronick
Money Mr
BD Mairs
Class 275 Bull born on or after 01.03.04
1st Sarkley
Volcanic Mr
Andrew Ewing
2nd Hafodlas
Vino Mr
Harry Emslie
3rd Lodge
Vilamoura WI& AW
Callion
Class 276 Bull born 01.09.03-28.02.05
1st Springsett
Agent D
McBeath & SJ Jessop
2nd Maraiscote
Alfy John
Nimmo
3rd Hafodlas
Awdur AH & GW
Roberts
Class 277 Bull born 01.01.04-31.08.04
1st Greenhill
Viper Mr
D & Mrs M Cormack
2nd Dyfri
Victor David
Orr
3rd Taymar
Vince Martin
Taylor
Class 278 Bull born on or before 31.12.02
1st Milbrook
R2K Mr
W Campbell
2nd Samy Mr & Mrs
R&J Graham
3rd Ravageur N&E
Cruickshank
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Best Junior Bull Vigot
Reserve Lodge
Actor
Best Junior Female Ballymoney
Veronica
Reserve Agate
Best Junior Animal Ballymoney
Veronica
Reserve Vigot
Best Cow Millington
Tangerine
Best Female Millington
Tangerine
Reserve Ballymoney
Veronica
Best Bull Milbrook
R2K
Best Animal Millington
Tangerine
INTERBREED CHAMPIONSHIPS
INDIVIDUAL
Supreme Champion Millington
Tangerine
GROUP OF FOUR
Supreme Champions Milbrook
R2K, Millington Tangerine, Ballymoney Veronica, GrahamsViolet
JUNIOR INTERBREED
Supreme Champion Ballymoney
Veronica
Limousins
at Balmoral 2006
Woodview Belgian Blue genetics shine through at Highland Show
Performance
And Achievement Highlights Limousin Year
White
Rose Group Limousin heifers sell to 3,600gns
|