Northern Ireland Limousin breeders the Crawford Brothers celebrated on Monday 6th March 2007 when their five-year old bull Sauvignon took the Male Championship title at the SIMA/SIMAGENA Show held in Paris. As well as winning his class and standing Male Champion, Sauvignon also took the Champion Carcase Bull award. British Limousins were truly centre stage as the judging honours were undertaken by Mr Colin Soutter, Herd Manager of Whinfell Park Limousins, Clifton Moor, Penrith, Cumbria.

Sauvignon with Raymond and Stephen Crawford

There was a truly international flavour to the Show, with exhibitors from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and of course France making up the 130+ Limousin entries vying for the judge’s attention. Richard Beale of Stanford Livestock and former Chairman of the British Limousin Cattle Society commented: “Colin did a super job and the exhibitors really appreciated the comments he gave after each class.” He further paid tribute to the professionalism of Raymond and Stephen Crawford and handler Paul Walker for the exceptional way they presented Sauvignon.

The Crawford Brothers run the Rathkeeland & Newlittlemount herds in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and Sauvignon has already been in the news recently as the first Limousin bull in the world to have sexed semen made available through Cogent. Commenting on his Champion, Colin Soutter said: “Sauvignon is a long, powerful bull, very clean through the middle. He has a very modern shape with a tremendous back end and a worthy winner.”

Sauvignon came through the Senior Bull class in the preliminary judging to go head to head with the other class winners later that afternoon. A September 2001 born bull, he is by the sire Mexicain and out of the dam Manon and was bred by M Le Bourg, La Ferrandiere, 23800 Maison Feyne, France. Another Mexicain son, namely Achile, also bred by M Le Bourg won the Junior Championship and was Reserve Male. Overall Champion was Ugarda, a four-year old Rayonnant daughter exhibited by Camus & Son, 87160 Arnac La Poste, France who had previously placed first at both Paris and Limoges in 2006.

Sexed Limousin Semen - A World First!
Charolais Bulls sell to 7,000gns in Dungannon
Limousin Cattle Society Sales Exceed £4.5 Million In 2006