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Beltex take the double at Agrifest

Continental breeding took the spotlight in both the sheep and cattle rings at Agrifest South West. Ellie Layton reports.

clock • 4 min read
Beltex take the double at Agrifest
Winning the champion and reserve double in the sheep section were pairs of lambs from Robert Garth and Sarah Priestley, North Yorkshire.   

 

They were bred from their 60-head pedigree Beltex and Texel flocks, and all the lambs were by their pedigree Beltex stock ram, Todhall Freddie. It also sired their home-bred winter fair lambs last year, which won at Agri Expo and the English Winter Fair.  

 

The champion pair were pure Beltex, which won the purebred continental section before taking the overall title.   

 

Champion and reserve pairs

The overall reserve champions were winners of the butcher's weight section and weighed 80kg in total.   

 

Carmarthenshire farmer Caryl Howells, who is no stranger to the show ring herself, judged the sheep section.

 

She said: "The pairs were a full package; well turned out with a solid top and full in the leg." 

 

Reserve in the butchers weights section was A. Lockyer, Somerset, with a pair of Beltex lambs weighing 86kg.   

 

The champion native pair were a pair of Kerry Hill lambs, also exhibited by Garth and Priestley.   

 

Reserve went to a pair of Hampshire Downs from R.A. Rundle, Newquay. 

 

Beltex lambs also won the Young Farmers class, with a pair from Libby and Rosie Garth, North Yorkshire, and took first prize in the single lamb class for Garth and Priestley.

 

Fist Full of Dollars from J.M. and S.M. Rowlands

Katrina Donaldson, Carlisle, tapped out the steer winner as the champion in the baby beef section.   

 

This was the April-born calf, Fist Full Of Dollars; a 332kg Limousin cross calf bred by J.M. and S.M. Rowlands, Newtown.   

 

Reserve was Roan'a from James May, Bromsgrove. The 402kg heifer is a January-born Limousin, sired by his stock bull, Mystyle Rova. 

Handsfree from Michael Kirby

The supreme primestock championship saw Michael Kirby, Holsworthy, claim the highest honours with his home-bred British Blue cross heifer, Handsfree. The April 2022-born heifer weighed in at 556kg. This makes Mr Kirby the first exhibitor to win the cattle section at Agrifest three times.  

 

The reserve championship went to a Limousin cross, Gothi Tiktok, exhibited by Richard Wright, Somerton, who bought the 674kg, June 2022-born heifer from Dafydd Lewis, Carmarthen.   

 

Champion steer went to the winner of the bred and fed section, Under Pressure, a March 2022-born Limousin cross bred and exhibited by Paul and Lin Calcraft, Devon.  

 

A Speckle Park cross, Lionheart, bred by Columbpark and Saphire livestock, Crediton, won the native championship. The March 2023-born steer was shown by Jess Maynard. 

 

Overall pedigree calf, Starlight Uppercut

The pedigree section - judged by Millie Birch, Staffordshire - saw the continental champion, Starlight Uppercut, come out on top.   

 

The February-born Charolais bull calf by Brampton Rampage was bred and exhibited by Will Glover, Yeovil.   

Reserve went to the continental heifer champion, Arradfoot Udine; a January-born Limousin calf by Upperffyrydd Power, exhibited by Thor Atkinson, Cumbria.   

 

The native champion went to the March 2023-born Hereford bull calf, Allwood 1 Acrobat, by Dendor 1 Triple H and from F.J. Wood, Devon.   

 

Foxhill Diamond Mist, an Aberdeen-Angus heifer, took reserve in the native championship. Bred and exhibited by the Alford family, Cullompton, the January-born heifer is a daughter of the 13,000gns Weeton Diamond Mist M35.  

 

Nealford Twister was crowned Young Bull of the Year, bred and exhibited by the Neale family, Launceston. The Limousin is an April 2022-born son of Loosebeare Nelson. 

 

Reserve was a Hereford, Lanscombe 1 Dude; a May 2022-born bull from R.A. and V.A. Mitchell, Dorset.

 

Results 
Sheep 
Overall (C. Howells, Carmarthen) Supreme and reserve, R. Garth and S. Priestley (Beltex). 

 

Pedigree (C. Howells) Sup. and res., R. Garth and S. Priestley (Beltex); res., Bodily family (Blue Texel). 

 

Native (C. Howells) Sup. and res., R. Garth and S. Priestley (Kerry Hill); res., R.A. Rundle (Hampshire Down). 


Butchers (C. Howells) Sup., R. Garth and S. Priestley (Beltex); res., A. Lockyer. 

 

Single lamb (C. Howells) Sup., R. Garth and S. Priestley. 

 

Young Farmers (C. Howells) Sup., L. and R. Garth. 

 
Cattle 
Overall (K. Donaldson, Cumbria) Sup., M. Kirby, Handsfree (British Blue cross); res., R. Wright, Gothi Tiktok (Limousin cross). 

 

Native (K. Donaldson) Sup., Columbpark and Saphire livestock, Lionheart (Speckle Park).

 

Bred and fed (K. Donaldson) Sup., P. and L. Calcraft, Underpressure (Limousin); res., D. Cox, Itsadream (Limousin).
 
Baby beef (K. Donaldson) Sup., J.M. and S.M. Rowlands, First full of dollars (Limousin); res., J. May, Roan'a (Limousin). 

 
Calf show 
Overall (M. Birch, Stafford) Sup., W. Glover, Starlight Uppercut (Charolais); T. Atkinson, Arradfoot Udine (Limousin). 

 

Continental (M. Birch) Sup., W. Glover, Starlight Uppercut (Charolais); res., T. Atkinson, Arradfoot Udine (Limousin). 
 
Native (M. Birch) Sup., F.J. Wood, Allwood 1 Acrobat (Hereford); Alford family, Foxhill Diamond Mist (Aberdeen-Angus). 
 
Best Young bull (M. Birch) Sup., Nealford family, Nealford Twister (Limousin); res., R.A. and V.A. Mitchell, Lanscombe 1 Dude (Hereford). 
 

 

 
 

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