The Wood family, Popes Farm, Preston, claimed the supreme at the Simmental English National Show, staged this year at the Royal Norfolk.
Their winner was the six-year-old cow, Popes Princess Immie, which was paraded with her bull calf at foot, Popes Premier. Immie is by the 20,000gns stock bull, Kilbride Farm Comber and is out of Popes Princess Cleo Ex95. Her January-born bull calf at foot is by Popes Lethal Weapon.
Show judge, John Moore of the Omorga herd, Omagh, Co Tyrone said: “She is a very modern Simmental cow, being a super easy fleshing female with a lovely second thigh, is full of milk, and is a working Simmental mum rearing a really good calf at foot.”
The same home produced the junior champion, Popes Princess Noor, an April 2022-born ET calf by the Team Celtic and bred from Popes Princess Cleo.
Taking home the tri colour for the reserve overall was the senior cow, Sterling Celia’s Fifi which is jointly owned by Paul and Sharrie Cade of the Cade herd, Paddock Farm, Buckden; Jimmy McMillan of the Brandane herd, Bradwell Ash, Bury St Edmunds; and GD Key and Sons, of the Key herd, Loddon, Norwich.
This nine-year-old cow stood second in her class to the champion, is bred by Boddington Estates having been bought for 22,000gns at the Boddington Estate herd dispersal sale. She is a daughter of Sterling Cotswold, out of Sterling Delores Celia and was paraded with her February-born heifer calf, Cades Fifi’s Patience.
Chris and Zara Curson of the Hollybrook herd, Hollybrook, Dereham, lifted the male championship with their February 2022-born bull, Cade Nugget, which was purchased privately in March from Paul and Sharrie Cade, Paddock. He is by Sacombe Jameson, and out of Brandane Kathleen, a Blackford Hurricane daughter.
Following the male champion to take the reserve male honours was the February 2022-born, Grangewood Nobel from Andrew and Yvonne Leedham, and son Callum, from Rowan Farm, Pickering, North Yorkshire. A son of Ranfurly Impeccable, he is out of Grangewood Polly’s Girl from the herd’s Grangewood Polly female line.
The same home produced the best pair bred by exhibitor, when Nobel teamed up with the September 2021-born heifer, Grangewood Tollie’s Millie.
Young breeder, Finlay Soutter won the overall championship for young handlers and was presented with his prize by William, Prince of Wales.
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