The biggest entry in the dairy ring at the Royal Welsh show proved to be the most successful, with the Holstein breed claiming top spot in the supreme championship. The Morgan family’s Nobold Windbrook Joan proved her worth when she caught the eye of judge John Gribbon to be tapped forward as the supreme dairy interbreed champion.

Joan is no stranger to the Welsh show, having picked up the heifer championship there last year, and she did one better this year as a second-calver. Classified top marks for a heifer at VG89, she calved mid-April and is currently giving 58kg.

The Morgan family didn’t stop there, with their Jersey champion securing the second top position available as reserve interbreed champion. Bred by the family, Erie Baywatch Grove sees homebred genetics on both sides of the pedigree. Classifying EX95, Grove calved in June and is currently giving 30kg.

ADVERTISEMENT

Commercial cattle

Nearly 120 animals were paraded in front of judge Hugh Dunlop, Ayrshire, in the commercial beef cattle ring at this year’s show, but it was Limousin-bred stock which secured all the major honours.

Rising to top in the senior championship and eventually tapped forward as overall champion was Ellis Lloyd’s Beca. The 14-month-old heifer was bred by exhibitor and is sired by a Limousin stock bull run on-farm while the dam is a Charolais cross. The supreme championship win marks a very successful start to the heifer’s show career, with the Welsh being only her first day out.

Having come runner-up in the senior section, yearling steer “Tip Top” was going to follow the champion all the way to the end to claim the reserve overall sash. Exhibited by Mr E Layton the steer was originally bought at the Brecon show potential sale earlier in the year. This is the first major outing for the young Limousin sired animal whose dam is also a Limousin cross.

In the baby beef section Mr D Thomas came up trumps with his August 2015-born Annabell. Having secured third in the Beef Expo earlier in the year, the Limousin-sired calf did one better to claim top spot in under-425kg liveweight class and beat off the stiff competition in the equivalent steer class to be crowned Baby Beef champion.