A national suckled calf show with a prize fund of £4000 – a first for the NBA’s annual event – proved a major feature of Beef Expo 2006, attracting almost 80 entries.

Left to right, Beef Expo organising committee chairman Ian Watson, judge Terry Coghill and Alister Vance with his suckled calf champion, a Limousin cross heifer Sassie Lassie.

The show featured a total of 12 classes – six for Continental calves and six for native-breed calves – in three different weight ranges for steers and heifers.

The overall champion which walked away with a cash prize totalling £800 for class, section and championship wins as well as a handsome championship trophy, was a Limousin cross heifer shown by Alister and Elizabeth Vance, of Newton Stewart.

The judge Terry Coghill, of Orkney, selected the heifer as his champion over a native bred steer – a pure Galloway from Andrew Waugh, of Kilnstown, Bewcastle.

The champion, called Sassie Lassie, was by the Limousin bull Waindale Sinbin, out of a Limousin cross dam and was bred by A and MJ Trafford, of Bassenthwaite.

The main event yesterday (Friday June 2) at Harrison & Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle, was attended b y 5,000 people and had attracted the most comprehensive display of beef cattle and crosses even seen at the UK’s national beef event – with more than 300 cattle of 22 breeds.

With the re-opening of export markets and the ending of the OTMS, the event was surrounded by a renewed optimism for the beef industry among both suppliers and producers against a background of “Seeking Solutions” – Expo’s theme this year.

As well as featuring the suckled calf show there was a continuous working demonstration of TMR diet feeders and straw choppers, more than 100 trade stands and young farmers and open stock judging competitions.

Three beef units in the area were open for farm visits on Thursday. They were Brendan and Brian Atkinson, of Scratchmere Scar, Plumpton, Penrith, Robin and Peter Edmondson, of Walloway, Penruddock and Messrs Timperon, of Barrockside, Carleton, Carlisle.

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