Royal Show - Millington Davina wins the Supreme Champion
MILLINGTON DAVINA TAKES OVERALL LIMOUSIN CHAMPIONSHIP AT 2009 ROYAL SHOW
Millington Davina Junior Interbreed Champion & Reserve Overall Interbreed Champion
Limousins win Champion and Reserve in Commercial Championship
Millington Davina, a sixteen-month-old maiden heifer from Millington Grange Estate, Cold Skin Farm, East Yorkshire, secured the prestigious Overall Limousin Supreme Championship at the 2009 Royal Show at Stoneleigh on Tuesday 7th July. With the Royal Show discontinuing in its present format, the Limousin exhibitors were giving their all to secure what is still regarded by many as the Blue Riband title of the pedigree showing circuit. Not untypically of recent years, the day proved to be a mixture of heavy, squally showers punctuated in parts by bright sunshine. Judge on this poignant and nostalgic day was Mr Jim Gammie who runs the Westpit herd at Drumforber, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, Aberdeenshire. Presented to him were approximately fifty-five head of quality Limousin cattle from exhibitors ranging from Aberdeenshire to Devon.
The Champion exhibitor, John Weatherill of Millington Grange Estate, was naturally delighted and at a packed Limousin prizegiving said that: “it was an honour and a dream come true to join the roll call of famous champions at the Royal Show.” The win also meant the Millington herd completed the triple crown of mainland ‘Royal’ Championships with wins in previous years having been secured at both the Royal Highland and Royal Welsh Shows respectively.
A very stylish heifer, Millington Davina had come out of the day’s second heifer class. In the face of strong competition she pipped Wilodge Diamante from the Wilodge herd of Miss Christine Williams, Lodge Hill Farm, Park Lane, Shifnal to win the Junior Female Championship. In the Overall Female Championship she prevailed from a strong line-up of first prize-winners from the Emslies, Dynamite, Sundale, Ironstone and Rosecroft herds respectively. Beyond the Limousin judging day Millington Davina went on to secure the Junior Interbreed Championship before standing as Overall Reserve Supreme in the Individual Interbreed.
Millington Davina is by the French AI sire, Mas Du Clos, who was also the sire of the 10,000gns Millington Choice who was the Limousin Red Ladies Derby Champion in December 2008 at Carlisle. At previous 2009 shows she had stood Interbreed Champion and Group of Three Winner at Lincolnshire Show. On her first show outing, she had been Champion at the Northern Limousin Extravaganza held at Skipton in May. She now heads for home territory in the form of the Great Yorkshire Show. Millington Davina’s dam is Brockhurst Option who is by Ronick Matador and out of the noted Ronick McAinsi. Brockhurst Option was bought 8 years ago at an on-farm sale from the Buckinghamshire based herd of WJ & M Mash. The increasingly prolific Millington Herd, at both show and sale, comprises presently of approximately 60 pedigree cows and is looked after day-to-day by stockman Tim Specks.
The final Royal Show saw a Limousin ladies Championship one-two when Newstart Cinderella from the Dynamite herd of Cormack McDowell Partners Sunnyside Farm, Billesden, Leicestershire, followed the Champion through to take Overall Reserve Female and Overall Reserve Supreme Champion honours. January 2007 born, Newstart Cinderella is by Woodhouse Pugh and is out of Rachels Stella. Newstart Cinderella was purchased for 10,000gns at the Newstart Herd dispersale sale held at Carlisle.
It was a good showing day all round for the Wilodge herd of Miss C Williams T/A DA Williams. Wilodge Diamante stood as the Junior Female Reserve Champion to the eventual Overall Supreme. This May 2008 born heifer is by the noted sire, Wilodge Vantastic, and is out of Wilodge Amethyst who shares maternal blood lines with the 50,000gns Wilodge Cerberus. This young heifer came to the Royal Show on the back of having won the Pedigree and Continental Championships at this year’s Beef Expo held at Malvern in May.
Moving into the bulls and it was again youth that prevailed with another young bull, Wilodge Dublinflyer, again from the Wilodge herd taking the Overall Male Championship. June 2008 born, Wilodge Dublinflyer is by the Mas Du Clo sired Irish bred bull Milbrook Tanko. He is out of Wilodge Soblahdi, a daughter of Oxygene. His prize haul on the day included the Overall Male Championship, Junior Male Championship, Overall Reserve Junior Champion and Best Bull Bred by Exhibitor. Earlier this year, Wilodge Dublinflyer had stood as the Beefbreeder Champion at the Royal Bath & West where he had also claimed the Reserve Male Championship. Other honours in 2009 have included Male Champion, Best Continental Male & Reserve Overall at the East of England, with this year’s Royal being the bull’s third show outing. Just thirteen months old, Wilodge Dublinflyer will now be aimed at the Limousin Society’s October 2009 Carlisle Sale. In 2002 the Wilodge Herd etched its name on the Royal Show Championship roll call when winning with Wilodge Ritzy.
Standing Overall Reserve Male was WJ & M Mash, Torrington Farm, Grove Lane, Chesham, Bucks with Brockhurst Columbus. Entirely homebred, Brockhurst Columbus is by Brockhurst Venture and is out of Brockhurst Rouge. A prolific showman and supporter of the Royal Show, WJ & M Mash are also previous winners of the Royal Show having secured the title with Ronick McAinsi in 2004.
Messrs JM & SP Cooper, Hill Top Farm, Dacre, North Yorks took the Reserve Male Junior Championship with the March 2008 born Tomschoice Dreadnought. Dreadnought is by the Sultan sired Brontemoor Aceofspades and is out of the Rake Terence sired Tomschoice Unity.
Other highlights of the show included a terrific performance by the 15 breeding female strong Rosecroft herd of South West breeder Mr DK Wheeler, Kentisbeare, Nr Cullompton, Devon. Their show haul included a first prize, three seconds and a fourth in the classes along with the Group of Three title by the same sire (Grahams Unbeatable). This consistent performance earned the herd the Keith Low Memorial Perpetual Trophy to the exhibitor gaining most points in the Limousin classes. The Rosecroft herd also stood third in the Interbreed Beefbreeder with the January 2008 born Rydeale Paragon son, Rosecroft Dynamite.
Grahams Unbeatable was purchased for 35,000gns at the ILC World Limousin Congress Sale held in 2004. His sons have subsequently sold up to 10,500gns whilst his first daughter sold at auction for 6,600gns. To cap a super show for the herd, stockman Richard Martin was presented with the Bill Callion Trophy for having kept the tidiest Limousin lines through the show.
In the commercial cattle section judged by Hugh Dunlop, Cumnock, Ayrshire there was a Limousin one-two as Limousin sired animals took the Championship and Reserve tickets. Champion animal was the well-known show heifer, Mamma Mia, brought forward by first-time Royal Show exhibitor Jennifer Hyslop, Balluskie, Girvan and owned jointly with Andrew Richardson, Low Bank End, Appleby. April 2008 born, this Limousin cross heifer is sired by Shire Apollo and out of a Limousin-cross cow having been bred by John Smith Jackson. Mamma Mia already had seven Championship titles to her name including Champion at Ayr, Interbreed Champion at Dalry, Champion at Nerwmilns, first in class at the Royal Highland, Champion at Stirling and New Cumnock, Baby Beef Champion at the East of England and Reserve Baby Beef at the 2008 Scottish Winter Fair. 16 year old Jennifer commented: “It’s great to win here at the last ever Royal and this is the best honour to date after 5 years of showing.” In Reserve spot was SE Sellers’ Limousin cross steer, Priceless. Bred by A&J Powell, this one is June 2008 born, sired by Greavepark Nulan and out of a Limousin-cross cow.