Charolais takes all at Yorkshire

WITH the Charolais breed holding its National Show at the Great Yorkshire it was rather fitting that one of the white continental breed was crowned beef inter-breed champion on Tuesday.
Of the 15 breeds forward for the overall, judge Vicky Smith picked a short leet of six including three natives, the Highland, Lincoln Red and Hereford winners, as well as three continentals, the Charolais, Limousin and British Blue. 
Going all the way to the top was Charlie Boden’s Sportsmans Maisie, a two-year-old by the 70,000gns former breed record-holder and Royal Welsh champion, Barnsford Ferny, which was brought out by wife Stephanie, son Tom and daughter Rosie while Charlie was judging the Texel section earlier in the day. 
“She just oozes breed character and while she’s a big heifer for her age she’s still very feminine and moves very well” said Mrs Smith, who runs the Columbpark herd of Limousins down in Devon. 
Mrs Smith added it was very close between her champion and reserve, but the Charolais just clinched it over the Limousin champion, Grahams Melody from Robert and Jean Graham together with brother and sister stockman duo, Drew and Jennifer Hyslop. Another two-year-old, the Ampertaine Elgin-sired Melody is out of the triple Balmoral Show champion, Millbrook Ginger Spice. 
With continentals heading up the overall beef championship it was the turn of the natives to shine in the junior section, which was judged by Donald Biggar, an Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn breeder from Castle Douglas. 
His choice of champion was Heather Whittaker’s Hereford bull, Coley 1 Pilot, which won the breed championship both here and at the Royal Highland a fortnight previously. This 18-month-old is by Coley 1 Maverick and out of the Scottish-bred Romany 1 Ishbel. 
Reserve here was Manor Lane Logic, a Salers bull by Bonus from Carolyn Fox. 
Mr Biggar also judged the Blythewood beef pairs competition and with the winners announced in the main ring during the grand parade, it was quite the spectacle for the thousands of visitors watching on. Topping the native section was the Shorthorn duo, Tracey Severn’s breed champion, Highlee Kinder Rose, and Gerald Turton’s King David of Upsall. 
Two Lincoln Reds, R Mawer’s champion, Foulness Ultra, and Ms E Benge’s Auchmacoy Grace, were reserve. 
Charolais cattle continued to star when Michelle Hanson’s Silvermere Narnia and Jonathan Watson’s Tweeddale Napoleon claimed the continental pairs title ahead of the Salers duo – Carolyn Fox’s Manor Lane Logic and Bacardi Lola from Roy and Adam Crockett. 
Limousins dominated the groups section when a group of four stood ahead of the Beef Shorthorn team, and a junior group also edged the lead of the Simmentals in the junior competition.