Young dairy enthusiasts were pleased to be back in the ring again at the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show, held once again at the East of England Showground, Peterborough.
Holstein judge, Ben Yates, described his champion calf as being ‘a bit special' when tapping out Wolfa Doorman Celicia 2 as his overall winner in the culmination of judging of the National Holstein calf championships at the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show.
The December 2020-born calf was exhibited by William Horsley, of Border and Lakeland Holstein Young Breeders (HYB), who bought the calf privately from breeders, the Armstrong family, Penrith, this summer.
The calf is by Val-Bisson Doorman and out of Wolfa Design Celicia. It was her first time out, and William said he was looking forward to working with the calf again at shows next year.
The reserve champion, Absolute Doorman Shes a Belter, stood second to the champion in the class judging earlier in the day and is by the same sire.
This January-born calf, shown by Natasha Kirby of Lancashire HYB, had been out at local shows this year where she had been unbeaten. Her dam is Absolute Unix Suzette, a VG89-scored second-calver, which has also been shown successfully in the past.
Fresh from heifer championship success at the Dairy Show, Rivermead Bubba Lexi, from the Davis family, Tiverton, Devon, took the title in the Jersey judging. This one is a June 2020-born daughter of Pine-Tree Disco Bubba.
Reserve in the Jerseys, and from the same class, was Moonshine Engineer Lady, a Enniskillen Engineer daughter from Ben Etteridge, Suffolk.
Winner in the Ayrshire section was a September 2020-born calf, Knowe B-King Dainty Lass 2, owned jointly by Salvador Esquirdo and Andrew Struthers, Ayrshire, and kept by Andrew, who has 30 Ayrshires alongside 70
Holsteins.
This one was bought for 5,000gns by the pair from the Templeton family, Knowe Farm, Ayrshire, at their production sale in July. The calf has previously taken honourable mention for the Templetons in the coloured breed section at the Royal Highland Showcase.
Runner-up Ayrshire was Brieryside Magic Sea Baby from G. Lawrie and Sons, Ayrshire. This one is by Brieryside Magic.
Rob Kite, Stafford, took the Dairy Shorthorn title after five from his entry of seven calves made it into the final championship line-up.
The overall winner was Cotonhall Montagna Moonlight, a Riversleigh Alston Montagna daughter. Moonlight's dam was a show winner, and the cow family has done well, with a daughter of this calf's maternal sister winning this year's National Show at Stafford County Show.
Runner-up Dairy Shorthorn was Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 71, a Churchroyd Koala daughter, from I.R.G. Collins and Partners, Yorkshire.
Polly Whetham and Richard Norman took the championship and reserve in the Guernsey judging with calves from their 20-strong herd, kept near Yeovil.
The winner was Emma Eve Excalibur Rosie, an April 2020-born calf by Beechgroves Excalibur. This one was Guernsey heifer champion at the recent Dairy Show and was led in the ring by Jasmine Wells.
Reserve was Emma Eve TBC Rosie 2, a Beechgroves Spitfire daughter, led out by Rosa Brown.
The Brown Swiss judging was dominated by cattle from Messrs Williamson's Blackrack herd, Penrith. The winner was Blackrack Glenwood Mandy, a Kalingen Calvin Glenwood daughter, and the reserve was Blackrack Dynamite Fantastic, a calf by La Rainbow B Fly Dynamite.
The British Friesian section was led by Aintree Holsteins, Wrexham, with Aintree Jingle Pauline 2, a March-born calf by Lakemead Jingle and out of Aintree Chad Pauline 4.
Reserve was Gemini Ben Rosie Red from T. Barrell and A. Malt.
Louise Hartley Award
The Louise Hartley Award, in memory of the Lancashire Holstein Young Breeders (HYB) member and Farmers Guardian livestock reporter who died in 2016, was presented to Jodi Nutsford from the Western club.
The award recognises the outstanding contribution made by a HYB member, aged 18-22 years old.
Showmanship classes
Elsewhere in the Holstein Young Breeders competitions, the showmanship championship was won by 20-year-old Rosie Dennison from the Lancashire club.
Rosie is no stranger to success at the event, having won the same title back in 2017, and taking honourable mention when the show was last held in 2019.
She has been showing calves since she was little and now works on the family's farm, where 400 Holsteins are milked.
Runner-up in the Holstein showmanship was Neil Sloan, Scotland. He won the mature showman class, before taking to the ring in the final judging.
In the coloured breeds showmanship classes, Harry Collins, Yorkshire, retained his 2019 title in the Dairy Shorthorn section.
The Ayrshire section was won by Enfys Wheeler, Pembrokeshire, and the Jersey category by Jessica Ravenhill-White, Devon.
Abi Marshall, Devon, took the top honours in the British Friesian ring, and Mark Guthrie was the overall
Results
Showmanship
Holstein (Judge, B. Weatherup, Fife) Supreme, Rosie Dennison (Lancashire); reserve, Neil Sloan (Scotland).
Dairy Shorthorn (S. Williams, Pembrokeshire) Sup., Harry Collins; res., Georgia Bowman.
Ayrshire (S. Williams) Sup., Enfys Wheeler; res., Alison Hunter.
Jersey (S. Williams) Jessica Ravenhill-White; res., Chloe Braithwaite.
British Friesian (S. Williams) Sup., Abi Marshall; res., Ruaridh Lawson.
Brown Swiss (S. Williams) Sup., Mark Guthrie; res., Hattie Hassall.
Guernsey (S. Williams) Sup., Margaret Thomas; res., Micheal Dawes.
Calves
Holstein (B. Yates, Somerset) Sup., W. Horsley, Wolfa Doorman Celicia 2; res., Absolute Genetics, Absolute Doorman Shes a Belter.
Jersey (I. Morgan, Carmarthenshire) Sup., Davis family, Rivermead Bubba Lexi; res., B. Etteridge, Moonshine Engineer Lady.
Ayrshire (J. Lawrie, Kinross) Sup., S. Esquirdo and A. Struthers, Knowe B-King Dainty Lass 2; res., G. Lawrie and Sons, Brieryside Magic Sea Baby.
Dairy Shorthorn (B. Tomlinson) Sup, R. Kite, Cotonhall Montagna Moonlight; res., I.R.G. Collins and Partners, Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 71.
Guernsey (I. Thomas, Neath) Sup., P. Whetham and R. Norman, Emma Eve Excalibur Rosie; res., P. Whetham and R. Norman, Emma Eve TBC Rosie 2.
Brown Swiss (D. Wright, Cumbria) Sup., Messrs Williamson, Blackrock Glenwood Mandy; res., Messrs Williamson, Blackrack Dynamite Fantastic.
British Friesian (B. Miller, Bridgwater) Sup., Aintree Jingle Pauline 2; res., T. Barrell and A. Malt, Gemini Ben Rosie Red.
Holstein Young Breeders
Overall champion team, Sup., Border and Lakeland; res., Scotland.
Best calf team, Sup., Scotland.
Showmanship team, Sup, Border and Lakeland and Lancashire.
Tidy lines, Sup., Border and Lakeland; res. South East.
Best presented small stand, Sup., North East; res., East Midlands.
Best presented large stand, Sup., Derbyshire; res., Border and Lakeland.
Overall best presented stand, Sup., North East; res., Derbyshire.
Overall stand, Sup., Border and Lakeland; res., Derbyshire.
Dick Stapleton Award, Zoe Clear.
Littlestar Award, Rory Scott (Scotland).
