HAVING waited years to win their first breed title in 2017, the good luck continued for the Savage family when their stylish Limousin heifer secured the Trueman team their second inter-breed title in a row at Balmoral Show. 

Their Trueman Noreen is a true poster girl for the breed as she could be seen on large posters by the thousands of visitors to the show, and followed up her breed win with the junior inter-breed championship before being tapped out at the top of the beef lines by Scotland's own Liz Vance, of Bridgehouse, Whithorn. Paraded by Jack O'Brien, 13-month-old Noreen boasts the best of breeding too, being by the 45th anniversary National Show champion and breed record holder, the 160,000gns Trueman Jagger, and out of the 40th National Show champion, Trueman Euphorium. 

"She's so stylish and correct and it's all there for her age - you can just imagine what she's going to turn out like when she's older," said Liz of her champion, adding that Noreen and the reserve, the commercial winner from Dermot and Gareth Small, were just her type of heifers. 

The Smalls' ET-bred Flo-Jo is home bred out of Chanel, a heifer which went virtually unbeaten and won all there was to win in the Republic, while her sire is Trueman Idol. Having shown here for nine years, the father and son team have stood reserve six times but this was their first championship when shown by Steph Dick, and 10-month-old Flo-Jo also stood reserve to Trueman Noreen in the junior championship. 

In honourable mention spot was the Charolais winner, Brendan Feeney's Drumshane Mademoiselle, a 26-month-old Inverlochy Gurkha daughter that stood junior champion at last year's Royal Highland Show. Brought out by Nick Griffiths, she is out of Drumshane Freesia and was shown in calf to the 70,000gns Barnsford Ferny. 

In the junior championship, it was a best result ever for the Blonde breed when Geoff and Lizzie Rodgers' yearling heifer, Hillhead Nadia, stood second reserve. She is by the Alloacott Herbert bull that has bred a number of champions for the herd, while her dam is Hillhead Jodie. 

In the performance recorded championships it was David and Johnny Hazelton's Simmental champion, Ranfurly Impeccable, which won the bull title with John, William and Andrew McMordie's Hereford, Solpoll 1 Perfection, in reserve. 

In the heifer section it was David Duncan McDowell's Shorthorn, Castlemount Matrix Zippy, that stood ahead of Trueman Noreen. 

See the May 26 issue of The Scottish Farmer for a full round-up of Balmoral Show, including photos and details of breed champions.