A Hereford bull from south of the border was crowned the overall supreme beef interbreed champion at the 176th Royal Highland Show on Saturday.
Two-year-old Normanton 1 Laertes was put forward by father-and-son duo Tim and William Livesey from Normanton Le Heath, Leicestershire.
This polled home-bred son of Romany 1 Distiller out of Normanton 1 Jews Ear, earned the Liveseys their first ever interbreed champion win at the Highland. Back in 2011 they took the reserve title with a maternal half brother to Saturday’s champion.
Prior to the Highland, Laertes stood male champion at Shropshire and champion at the national calf show in 2014. Championship judge Gerald Smith, who runs a herd of pedigree Simmental cattle at Drumsleed, Fordoun, Laurencekirk, said the bull was one of the best animals he had ever seen.
“He has good character and length and he is very good on his legs. I have never seen a Hereford with a back end looking like that. He is not fat, he is perfect,” said Mr Smith.
He paid tribute to the all the stockmen and women who had prepared animals at the show and said the stock on offer were testament to their hard work.
His choice for reserve was the Limousin breed champion – a five-year-old cow and calf outfit from Messrs Jenkinson, Clifton, Penrith.
Their entry – Whinfellpark Glittered – was on her second ever outing with her heifer calf Whinfellpark Misschief, by Foxhill Farm Jasper.
Glittered, which is by the 50,000gn Wilodge Cerberus is out of a home-bred cow Grange Orleans, stood champion of champions at the Cumberland Show earlier this month.
Mr Smith described her as a “tremendous cow” with a “lovely udder for the young calf”.
Meanwhile, an “outstanding team” of British Blue cattle lifted the beef cattle interbreed team champion title.
This one was also judged by Gerald Smith who said the Blues had walked well as a team and had “outstanding back ends”.
The winning team comprised entries from: Mr E C Haste, Stoneleigh Farm, Devon; Sam Martin, Ashvale Farm, Newtownards, County Down; and Kevin Watret, Annan, Dumfries-shire.
Standing reserve was a team of Beef Shorthorn cattle with entries put forward by Sarah Wilkins, Rumsden Farm, East Sussex, and James Porter, Ballinderry, Lisburn, Antrim.
