Scottish breeders might have been thin on the ground in the show ring at UK Dairy Day, but they still managed to come up with the goods, winning the top two awards amongst the Brown Swiss and an honourary reserve supreme overall champion of champions.

The event itself – the sixth UK Dairy Day at Telford – was thought to be the best yet despite the ongoing negativity in the media, financial pressures of milk prices and the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, with in excess of 9000 visitors in attendance.

And, while the trade stands provided a huge talking point with a lot of business done by all, it was the show of cattle that drew the biggest crowds.

Flying the flag for Scotland was Jonathan Lochhead's Kedar herd from Mouswald, Dumfries, which not only won the breed honours amongst the Brown Swiss, but also an honourary reserve overall. His show stopper was Kedar Rhapsody Ex93, a fourth calver by Vetsch's Nesta Calvin, out of the former top show winner, Kedar TD Reia which twice won the breed title at the UK Dairy Expo.

Calved in January and giving 45kg per day, this big cow was also winning the breed's national show. Notably, she is also the dam of Mr Lochhead's reserve champion, Kedar Rosa which bagged the same award here last year.

Kedar genetics were also behind the top two winners amongst the heifers, with ToiToi Genetics' Kedar Aurora winning the championship followed by Mr Lochhead's Kedar Norwin Snuggles in reserve.

A cracking show of Holsteins for the breed's national show saw the champion, Newbirks Jazz 1584, win her second inter-breed championship of the season, for Robert and Elaine Butterfield's Ingleview herd from Bentham. Their winner, a fourth calver by Comestar Lavanguard that has won numerous awards over the years and also scooped the supreme honours at the Royal Welsh in July, was bought privately from the Lawsons in 2015. She calved in March and is giving 57kg per day.

Reserve overall champion of champions was the breed leader amongst the Ayrshires which was also staging it's national show. Show stopper here was Evie Tomlinson's two-year-old heifer, Allstar Triclo Joybell from Loughborough.

Breed champion and inter-breed heifer at the Royal Welsh, this March-calved entry giving 38kg per day is by the home-bred sire, Sandyford Triclo.

Keeping it in the family, the Tomlinsons also bagged the reserve breed honours with Sandyford Provider Fragrance, a second-calved cow by Richaven Provider.

Runner-up in the black and whites was Evening Farms' Evening Stanleycup Jennifer from Carlisle. This Ex95 home-bred fourth calver is by Gilette Stanleycup and is giving 55kg a day having calved in November 2018. She was reserve Holstein at the Dairy Expo in Carlisle.

The Holstein breed also produced the inter-breed heifer with Riverdane Absolute Springsteen winning the tri-colour for Riverdane Holsteins, Middlewich. By Absolute Apples Red, she calved in April and is giving 45kg a day.

Bluegrass females bred by Barry and Jenny Daws but owned by AH Wilson and Son's, Cardigan, scooped the top two honours amongst the Jerseys with the supreme won by Bluegrass Sams Dreaming, a fifth calver by Bluegrass Lord Swinging Sam that stood second in her class at the Royal Welsh.

Reserve was the Royal Welsh Show champion, a third calver by Tower Vue Prime Tequila.

Holsteins won the inter-breed pairs with Jerseys in reserve.

Later that day, the Holstein UK Premier Exhibitor Award was presented to Evening Hill Farm while the Premier Breeder Award was won by Riverdane Holsteins

The New Product competition was won by DeLaval Evanza Milk Cluster, closely followed by Allflex' Youngstock Application. Special Mention awards were also presented to Alltech Navigate™ and Buitelaar High Health Unit.

LEADING awards

Inter-breed (Judge: P Ruttimann, Switzerland). Champion – R and E Butterfield's Holstein Newbirks Jazz 1584. Reserve – ET Tomlinson and Son's Ayrshire, Allstar Triclo Joybell.

Inter-breed heifer (Judge: P Ruttimann) Champion – Riverdane Holsteins' Holsteins, Riverdane Absolute Springsteen (Holstein). Reserve – ET Tomlinson and Son's Ayrshire, Allstar Triclo Joybell.

Holstein (Judge: P Ruttimann). Champion – R and E Butterfield's Newbirks Jazz 1584. Reserve – Evening Hill Farm's Evening Stanleycup Jennifer. Champion heifer – Riverdane Holsteins', Riverdane Absolute Springsteen. Reserve – A Lawson and Son's Newbirks Jazz 1800.

Jersey (Judge: M Pye, Lancashire). Champion – AH Wilson and Son's Bluegrass Sams Dreaming Reserve – AH Wilson and Son's Bluegrass Tequilas Blondette. Champion heifer – Davis family's Rivermead Impression Alexis.

Ayrshire (Judge: G Lawrie, Ayrshire). Champion and champion heifer – ET Tomlinson and Son's Sandyford Triclo Joybell. Reserve – ET Tomlinson and Son's Sandyford Provider Fragrance. Reserve heifer – M Windel's Wroughton Honeycombe.

Brown Swiss (Judge: R. Radel, Australia). Champion and reserve – T Lochhead and Sons', Kedar Rhapsody and Kedar Rosa. Champion heifer – ToiToi Genetics' Kedar Aurora. Reserve heifer – T Lochhead and Sons', Kedar Norwin Snuggles.

Guernsey (Judge: C Gleed, High Wycombe). Champion – C and M Moody's Latifa Princess Leia. Reserve and champion heifer – AD and RM Thomas' Lower Keigwin Crunch Starsky.

Red and White Holstein (Judge: P Ruttimann). Champion – Panda Holsteins' Panda Heart of Gold Red.

Dairy Shorthorn (Judge: S Thomas, Pembrokeshire). Champion – P Wyatt and Son's Twells Susie 69. Reserve – RD Kite and Son's Cotonhall Butternut Sapphire. Champion heifer – RD Kite and Son's Cotonhall Isor Samanta.