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Heifers lead the way at Beef Expo claiming champion and reserve

There was a strong turnout of cattle at the National Beef Association's Beef Expo held at Melton Mowbray market

Angela Calvert
Head of Livestock, Shows and Sales
clock • 3 min read
Supreme champion from the Lyon family
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Supreme champion from the Lyon family

It was the champion and reserve from the heifer section which went on to take the supreme title and reserve. Claiming the top spot was Suzie, a March 2025-born British Blue-sired heifer out of a pedigree Limousin cow from the Lyon family, Bourne. Weighing in at 590kg, it was bought from breeders, D. and R. Burns, Leicestershire, in October. It will next head to Lincolnshire and Royal Norfolk shows and will then be retained for breeding.

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Reserve overall champion Sugar Tits

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Reserve overall and reserve heifer was Sugar Tits, a 510kg April 2025-born heifer from the Ludgate family, Leighton Buzzard.
Bought from breeder, James May, Worcestershire, at Carlisle earlier in the year, and by his Limousin stock bull, Ronick Thunderbird and out of a Craig Robertson bred cow, it was champion at the Bedford Young Farmers Rally and commercial and inter-breed champion at Hertfordshire County Show and will go to the Royal Highland Show next.

The judge, Glyn Howatson, Denbigh, said his champion was ‘a tremendous heifer which was very stylish, very correct and had good locomotion.'

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Steer championship

Claiming the steer championship was Brian, a July 2025-born 515kg Limousin cross steer from Ifan Phillips, Newcastle Emlyn. By a Parciau bull, it was bought privately in February from the Bailea herd and will next go to the Royal Welsh and then to the main winter fairs.

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Steer champion Brian

The reserve steer title went to Fireball, an April-2025 born Beef Shorthorn cross owned by four-year-old Charlie Hargreaves and exhibited by his sister, Ellie, and Rose Foster, Preston. By Dinmore Kingfisher out of a British Blue cow, it was bought privately at six months old and will be heading to the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire Shows.

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Baby beef winners

In the baby beef section the championship went to the winning steer, July 2025-born John Boy, a Limousin cross from Taylor Charlton, Penrith, which weighed in at 405kg. It is home-bred by Lodge Hamlet, and was a winner at Agri Expo last year and will be going to the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire shows.

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Baby beef champion John Boy


In reserve was the winning heifer, Seisiog Annie, an October 2025-born home-bred bred pedigree Limousin from Tecwyn Jones, Anglesey. By Seigog Rio, which was the sire of Mr Jones' Royal Welsh and Welsh Winter Fair champions, it was making its show ring debut and will be going to the Royal Welsh Show.

The judge, Tracey Jones, Builth Wells said her champion caught her eye as soon as it came into the ring and was very correct and very balanced.

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Baby beef reserve champion Seisiog Annie

ÌýResults

Commercial cattle (Judge, G. Howatson, Denbigh) Supreme and female, T.A. Lyon, Suzie; reserve and reserve female, W. Ludgate, Sugar Tits; male, I. Phillips, Brian; res. male, Hargreaves and Foster, Fireball.
Baby beef (T. Jones, Builth Wells) Sup. and male, T. Charlton, John Boy; res. and fem., T. Jones, Seisiog Annie.


Coton herd reigns supreme in the South Devon Performance Championships

The event also hosted the South Devon performance championships which are judged on a combination of visual assessment alongside performance data (Quality Beef Index for bulls and Suckler Replacement Index for females). Ìý
The judge, Ashley Rowe, Liskeard, awarded the overall championship to the winning bull, two-year-old Coton Horizon 2 by Lumbylaw Horizon out of Coton Saucy Sue from Chris Page, Banbury.

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Coton Horizon 2

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Reserve supreme was the female champion, Coton Dora 4, a two-year-old heifer by the same sire out of Coton Dora. It was also exhibited by Mr Page, who also had the reserve champion male, Coton Horizon 4, a February 2024-born bull, also by Lumbylaw Horizon.
Reserve female was Knightcote Bryony 39, a February 2024-born heifer by Ewefields Dazzler 6 out of Knightcote Bryony 29 from J.R. Hadley, Leamington Spa.

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