A CRACKING show of cattle and sheep forward for the English Winter Fair, staged at the Staffordshire County Showground, saw a red Limousin heifer crowned supreme and sell for £7500.

The heifer, Queen B, from Debighshire producers, Edwards Bros and JM Rowlands, Corwen, was tapped out by joint judges, Mrs Wendy Pickard, Gaddesby, Leicester and Dai Thomas, Llanwen, Lampeter.

"The heifer came into the ring showing real class, with a level top and demonstrating a huge degree of style. She is a worthy winner amid a strong cohort of exhibits,” said Mr Thomas.

Bred by the Bowen family Penthryn, Welshpool, this April 2016-born heifer boasts several top accolades, lifting the baby beef championship at her first outing at Borderway Agri-Expo, in 2016 and the reserve baby beef title at the Welsh Winter Fair, the same year. She is by Liscon Bigshow, the main herd sire for the Bowen family, which has bred numerous show cattle over the years.

Queen B later sold for £7500 to Joseph Morris Butchers, a Midlands-based family business now in its third-generation.

Adding to the Limousin celebrations, the reserve supreme champion was the pedigree Limousin champion, Dolderwen Mercedes, a similarly aged heifer from Phil and Sharon Sellers, Linconshire.

This heifer, bred by G Jones and Co, Builth Wells, is by the Saphir son, Lodge Hamlet and out of the Fieldson Alfy daughter, Dolderwen Indulgence. Mercedes was purchased at the Brecon sale of show potential cattle in February for 3100gns.

Steer champion was Jimmy, a May 2016-born Limousin steer by Keskadale Fame from Mark Harryman and Sarah Warriner, Pickering. Bred from a Limousin cross cow bred by Messrs Richardson of Gatesgarth, Cumbria, that was purchased at Cockermouth Market, Jimmy arrived at Stafford on the back of winning the reserve honours at both the Agri-Expo in Carlisle and Countryside Live event in Harrogate.

Orkney breeder, Balfour Baillie, Tankerness, bred the reserve steer. This was Highland Lad, a February 2016-born Limousin shown by Lin Calcraft, Devon.

There was more success to come for the Limmy breed in the baby beef classes judged by J Courts, Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

Heifer and supreme baby beef was Babes, from W Morgan, Powys. Bred by G Lewis, this April 2017-born heifer, is another by the AI bull Lodge Hamlet.

Following her all the way to lift the reserve was the runner-up heifer, Miss Lady G, another Limousin cross this time exhibited by by BL and JE Griffiths, Powys. Similarly aged, she was bred by MB Nash.

And, the Royal Smithfield Club's National Festival of Meat Competition, the champion beef rib came from a Limousin heifer. It was consigned by IR and AD Wildgoose and Sons, Skarcliffe Hall Farm, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

Beltex-sired lambs and carcases dominated the proceedings in the sheep section winning the majority of the top awards to include the champion and reserve overall.

Supreme here for the second year in succession, was a pair of Beltex cross wedder lambs scaling 81.4kg in total, from Robert Garth and Sarah Priestley, from Bentham. No strangers to the top awards, the couple, who recently won the same award at Agrifest, Exeter and the reserve at Agri Expo, Carlisle, saw their winning duo, by a Dean Brow-bred ram, later sell for £550 per head to the judge, Jonathan Maycock, Matlock.

A pair of pure Beltex ewe lambs lifted the reserve supreme for H and E Willaims from Llanddeusant, Anglesey.

The carcase championship was won by a 27kg Beltex cross lamb that graded E3H from B Blandford and Sons, Hereford, with Richard Lancaster from Clitheroe winning the single lamb championship.

And, Messrs Madders and Johnson from Stafford took the live/dead championship with Beltex cross lambs making it a clean sweep for the Beltex breed at the event.