This years All Britains All Breeds Calf Show at Stoneleigh Park found 10 young handlers competing on Saturday in the Showmanship Classes in the Coloured breed classes with more than 20 competitors in most of the age groups.
The under 12’s were split into two classes as 29 were forward and Shannon Dawes did well to stand in 7th position in section 1 whilst Michael Dawes was 11th in section 2.
Class 2 for 13 to 15 year olds had three showmen two competing for the first time and these two did very well with Andrew Thomas and Sam Fallows both qualifying for the Guernsey Championship.
Class 3 for 16 to 20 year olds again had three Guernsey competitors and Laura Sales our most experienced competitor finished in 7th place with Jonathon Hosken and Martyn Dean in lower positions.
The mature class for 20 to 26 year olds saw two competitors and George Wainwright, on his debut did well to stand above Kirsten Bavis.
The Championship was awarded to Laura Sales, with Andrew Thomas as Reserve and George Wainwright as Hon Mention.
The Inspection classes on Sunday saw 19 calves from 12 exhibitors five of whom were showing Guernseys for the first time and unfortunately 7 calves that had been catalogued were absent.
Please click on the highlighted names to be taken to CDI animal information.
Class 1 for Calves born after 1st March 2010 had only 2 of the four entered forward and Paul Miller of Shanael Holsteins had no hesitation in placing Sam Fallows in first place with Eavesford Grumpys Cowslip with Shannon Dawes in second place with Summerhill Dido 26.
Class 2 for Calves born between 1st December 2009 and 28th Feb 2010 had four of six forward (the absentees were from Suffolk Farmhouse Cheese and unfortunately Ben Etteridge who was bringing the Guernseys and his Jerseys had an accident this week) The winning calf Blacknor Cracker Banger Margaret was from Norman & Crouch with the Warren family’s Tredinney Yogis Excellance 8 in second place with Hamps Valley Patience 5 in third place, she is bred and owned by Don and Kath Salt, but was brought to the show and prepared by Elsie and Sam Fallows, in fourth place was Summerhill Fortune 23 and with Joe Cole now working away from home, the two calves were delivered by Robert Cole and prepared by Laura Sales.
Class 3 for Calves born between 1st September and 30th November 2009 saw 5 of the 6 entered and was the best class of the day and provided a win on his debut for 14 year old Andrew Thomas from Lutterworth with Watling Fragrants Geranium and she is one of 20 Guernseys in what is a high class Holstein herd and it was good to see all the family there to support him (younger brother George had qualified a Holstein calf for the East Midlands). In second place was Jessica Hassall from Cheshire with Elanbee Pacifics Frosty, and Michael Dawes was third with Summerhill Holly 29.
Class 4 for Calves born between 1st May and 31st August 2009 saw three good heifers forward and the Warren’s Tredinney Yogis Bunty 8 was placed first, she had won the South West All Breeds class, with Tredinney Yogis Gabrielle 5, the full sister to the Dairy Show Champion and now owned in partnership by the Warrens and Helen Cox, who has a fabulous herd of Jerseys in West Wales with Aber Showtime Dancer 5 in third place.
Class 5 for Calves born between 1st January and 31st March 2009 had five forward and Richard Norman and Catherine Mills had first and second with two well grown heifers Cadbury Hawks Poppy 73 first and Cadbury Royal Deltas Victoria 2 second, in third place was Greensfield May King Ears who was sold in the first week of September at Bristol for 820 gns but is now owned by Crouch and Miss E Greenslade, in fourth place was Thornton Imogen 2 owned by George Wainwright from Shropshire a young man who we are fortunate to have recruited. Martyn Dean was placed fifth with Hoppickers Lilys Flame and I was impressed to see that earlier in the day he had stepped in and taken control of a Jersey that had “boiled”over and had proved too much for two other handlers.
The Championship had 10 good modern calves forward and Blacknor Cracker Banger Margaret was made Champion with Eavesford Grumpys Cowslip in Reserve and Tredinney Yogis Excellance 8 as Honorable Mention.
Once again a wonderful weekend to see so many young people competing at such a high level and with such high standards and with such good sportsmanship, it is a shame that the dairy industry does not do more to support the “future” of the industry.