GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW: Ayrshires crowned champions of the dairy rings

From the Adamson family, Ayrshire, it was the fifth calver, Swaites Bracken 19, which was crowned inter-breed dairy champion.

The home-bred, October 2017-born champion was reserve breed champion at the Royal Highland Show in both 2022 and 2023 and reserve breed champion at this year's Borderway UK Dairy Expo.

Shown 100 days fresh and giving 65 litres daily, it was the first time exhibiting at the show for the Adamson family who milk 250 Ayrshires.  

With his champion stood before him, judge, Johny Lochhead, of the Kedar Brown Swiss herd, Mouswald said: "This is what I look for, such tremendous feet and legs, she tracks really well and she has got that style for the show ring." 

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Reserve

It was the Holstein champion, Clydeview Sidekick Matilda, from the partnership of Robbie and Margot Scott of Nethervalley Holsteins and Salvador Esquierdo, Ayr, which took the reserve championship.

The second calver which last calved in January, was shown nine weeks in-calf to Bullseye and giving 52 litres daily.  

Classified VG89 and projected to give 16,500 litres in its second lactation, the cow was bought privately in January after it was placed champion individual cow in the West of Scotland winter herd competition earlier this year.  

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Junior 

Junior inter-breed champion and reserve Ayrshire champion was another from the Adamson family, Swaites Bright Spark 11, a February 2022-born heifer in-milk.

Shown two months fresh and giving 30 litres daily the heifer was junior champion at the Royal Highland Show last year.  

Reserve junior inter-breed champion was the junior Jersey champion, Guillyhill Webcam Daisy, from the Jackson family, Dumfries.

Brought out by Katie Jackson, it was only the second time out for the heifer in-milk which was junior breed champion at this year's the Royal Highland Show and has claimed two inter-breed titles on the local show circuit. 

Holstein

Standing reserve in the Holstein section was Bailmoor BHC Crushabull B Abbiene from the Coates family, Baildon.

Brought out by Ben Coates, the third calver was Holstein champion at the show last year, with its dam supreme dairy champion in 2022.

Classified VG88 as a heifer and shown giving 55 litres daily, the cow resides with the Coates family's 80-cow Holstein herd, who exhibit at the Great Yorkshire Show each year.  

Jersey

The Jersey champion was Saxown Matt Cash 107 a third calver from Richard Saxby, Tiverton. Shown giving 35 litres daily having last calved in November, the home-bred cow was breed champion at UK Borderway Dairy Expo in March this year and reserve breed champion at the event in 2023.  

Reserve Jersey went to Kerry Scott, Cumbria, with Layward Divinely Victorious. The four-year-old, third calver was shown just a couple of weeks fresh and was shown giving 42 litres daily.

The cow placed second in its class at last year's UK Dairy Day and placed third in its class at the event as a heifer.  

Dairy Shorthorn

Champion in the Dairy Shorthorn section was Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 63, from the Collins family, Huddersfield.

The home-bred third calver was previously breed champion at the show in 2022 and is from the successful Wildeyes family which have secured multiple inter-breeds wins at the show.  

Paul Harrison, Northumberland, stood reserve with the second calver Breckney Goldie 39. Only its first time out, the home-bred junior cow gave 7,800 litres in its first lactation and was classified GP84 as a heifer.  

Results 

Inter-breed (Judge, J. Lochhead, Mouswald) Supreme, J. Adamson, Swaites Bracken 19 (Ayrshire); reserve, R. Scott and S. Esquierdo, Clydeview Sidekick Matilda (Holstein); junior sup., J. Adamson, Swaites Bright Spark 11 (Ayrshire); junior res., T.A.M.L. Jackson and Daughters, Guillyhill Webcam Dairy (Jersey).  

Ayrshire (M. Creek, Hagerstown) Sup., J. Adamson, Swaites Bracken 19; res.., J. Adamson, Swaites Bright Spark 11. 

Dairy Shorthorn (A. Lawson, Fife) Sup., I. Collins, Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 63; res., P. Harrison, Breckney Goldie 39.  

Holstein (W. Jones, Carmarthenshire) Sup., R. Scott and S. Esquierdo, Clydeview Sidekick Matilda; res., Coates family, Bailmoor BHC Crushabull B Abbiene.  

Jersey (J. Evans, Narbeth) Sup., R. Saxby, Saxown Matt Cash; res., K. Scott, Layward Divinely.