Scottish cattle breeders made their presence felt at last week’s highly successful UK Dairy Day, winning the top awards amongst the Brown Swiss and several lead tickets amongst the Holsteins.
The star performer was Jonnie Lochhead, whose Kedar Brown Swiss herd from Dumfries, not only won the champion and reserve honours but also an honourable mention. The Kedar team also bagged the award for the best-presented lines.
Taking all the plaudits here was Kedar Calvin Sanchia Maria, a rising 11-year-old bred from the 2013 National Brown Swiss champion, Old Mill Starbuck Spottie, and sired by Vetschs Nesta Calvin.
Champion at Northumberland in May, she was described by the judge, Brian Weatherup Jr., from Fife as being a strong powerful cow with plenty of styles with a foreudder attachment and venation being a credit.
Mr Lochhead’s second prize winner to the champion, Kedar Nescardo Snickerlicious, a six-year-old by Kalingen Nesta Nescardo, out of Kedar Snickerdee, was reserve overall.
Another Vetschs Nesta Calvin daughter, Kedar Carmen Eileen, the junior cow in milk scooped the honourable mention Brown Swiss award for Mr Lochhead.
Winning the National Holstein championship was James Wilson’s Evening Sidekick Jennifer, a VG89-classified rising five-year-old who gave 15,000kg as a heifer. Champion at AgriScot last year and at the Dairy Expo in March, she was paraded giving 40kg per day.
The imported French cow, Wilt Bailay, landed the reserve honours for Alister and Colin Laird’s Blyth Farms’ enterprise from Peebleshire. Their top performer, a daughter of De Oosterhof Willemswas, was the reserve winner here last year and at the Royal Highland.
Castle Douglas-based, Brian Yates and son Michael, East Logan, also made their presence felt by winning Holstein UK’s Premier Breeder and Exhibitor Banners.
Ed and Kelly Seaton’s Styche Armour Hilgonda, from Seaton Farms, by Ladys Manor Halo Armour was honourable mention having won several other top accolades to include champion cow in the Shropshire Herds competition.
Top Holstein heifer was the three-year-old Riverdane Tatoo Ambrosia, from Mark and Sue Nutsford, Cheshire. She is the daughter of the 2019 UK Dairy Expo winner, Sahara Sanchez Ambrosia 3.
Cornwall-based judge, Colin Christophers found his supreme Ayrshire in Evie Tomlinson’s heifer in milk, Allstar Ringer Joybell from Cardigan. She is a daughter of Allstar Supreme Joybell 2 which won the All Britain photographic event in the 6-12-month-old category in 2021.
Standing next to her to lift the reserve honours was the senior cow winner, Hunnington Wren 7 from LC Window, Halesowen. Third here in 2021, she is by Rosehill Prestige.
Suffolk-based breeder, Robert Crawford, landed the reserve Ayrshire heifer honours with Longwood Hawaiian Barbara, while honourable mention was GG Baynes’ Morwick Peggy 126.
The Collins family’s Churchroyd herd from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, dominated the Dairy Shorthorn lines winning the champion, reserve and honourable mention awards.
Their star performer was the junior cow in milk, Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 62, a rising five-year-old second calver by Churchroyd Wildcard out of Wildeyes 38. She is a twin sister to last year’s breed champion at the Great Yorkshire.
Another Wildeyes, Chruchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 54, a six-year-old by Landino Park Talent Imp, lifted the blue and white sash, with the honourable mention presented to the heifer in milk, Churchroyd Heather 134.
Top honours amongst the Jerseys were presented to the Davies family’s Rivermead Verdi Pixi, a daughter of Futuredreams Valentinos Verdi all the way from Tiverton, Devon. The same home also scooped the honourable mention with Rivermead Casino Sangria.
The reserve was a 2019 purchase from the Glanmor herd. This was Kevin and Sian Rickard’s Whitefire Dazzler Flamingo, a junior cow in milk from their herd based in Newport.
Outwith the competitive cattle lines, a busy day saw Semex UK win the New Product competition for its Methane Efficiency Index, followed by Kersia UK’s Octaklean System which was highly commended with the judges giving Sylgen Animal Health’s SlurryForSoil, a special mention.
Judges Lilia Kazemi-Egbunike and Danuta Radzio from IDEXX said: “We have chosen Semex Methane efficiency index as the winner as we see this product as something groundbreaking in the market that addresses the industry challenges with methane and this product ties in well to the net zero targets.
“Through ongoing education, the company can encourage UK farmers to see the benefits, with an additive effect over generations, but without comprising the desired traits. They presented very good data evidence and the 25-year goal for methane reduction is achievable. Ongoing research enables constant evolution and the product is very innovative, opening farmers to a long-term journey to the new era”.
Record numbers of trade and cattle exhibitors were forward for the event which incorporated the internal and external exhibition areas.
Trade stand awards were presented to Wroot Water for the best small trade stand; Easyfix for the best medium stand and DairyMaster won the best large stand. The best external trade stand was Hoofcount.
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