Digby Gribble

Cheshire Show report 

Mike Cox has supplied a report of his day at Cheshire Show and Jessica Hassal has supplied a picture of the Champion.

I had the greatest of honours on Tuesday 21st June to be invited to judge the Guernsey classes at the Cheshire show. After a number of years of no Guernsey presence at the show in a Holstein dominated county the word from them that know was Andrew Hope had really done the second mile to gather interested parties and get some sexy ladies for me to look at.

Trying to get off the island the day before typically proved to be harder than hoped for but if you live on a rock in the channel you get used to fog rolling in and out at any time.

There are a few families who “promote” the Guernsey to the consumer and whose efforts go largely unrecognised as they have entered the “commercial” arena and as such that is considered to be sufficient reward.

The rest of us should be grateful for without their efforts our cow would be invisible, the summer shows that were once considered to be the shop window are struggling to get entries with the honourable exception of the Royal Cornwall. The Norfolk show classes were cancelled for the first time this year, there have been no Competitive Guernsey classes at the Three Counties for probably the last 10 years and of course the Royal Show has disappeared completely.

The 2011 RCS proved to be very competitive with 38 Guernseys from 11 exhibitors creating some demanding classes for Robin Jamouneau from Guernsey Island to decide.

His first class of the day found 14 calves in the ring, and the classification here would be better if amended to allow for calves of up to 9 months, rather than 12 months and the subsequent maiden heifer class altered to allow for 9-18 month maiden heifers. There was quite a range within the calves and the handlers and I was delighted to see “Grandpa” Grose back in the showring in a supervisory role, but once the calf was in the ring his services were soon dispensed with.

5 Exhibitors presented 16 Guernseys for Mr W Luff to place at this years show, with TB restrictions keeping two regular exhibitors away and two others opting for Royal Cornwall next week. However the Jersey and Holstein classes were also attracting only two or three animals each and the shows do need to realise that “dairy” cattle will disappear from public view unless prize money rises to reflect the costs of being away from home for four days at what is often peak silage/hay time.

Kivells are to be thanked for organising a Gold Top Sale at Exeter Livestock Centre, and the Four Guernsey vendors should be thanked for bringing animals forward and once again “quality and depth of pedigree” earned a Premium.

Jason and Katherine Salisbury entered 6 cows from their Sharnford herd in Suffolk and four of them sold for more than £1000 with Lot 19 Sharnford Orange topping the sale at 1220 and purchased by Colin Evans for the Hilcol herd in Carmarthen. Lot 18 Sharnford Maisy sold for 1200, Lot 22 Upgate Wesley Savannah also at 1200 and Lot 23 Meadow Court Holidays Melody who made 1000 were all purchased by Andrew Lewis for the Hartland View herd at Barnstable. Andrew also purchased two of the three Rosewood cows from Rita and Mark Dunn that were forward Rosewood PedroDiamond Lot 24 for 1000 and Lot 26 Rosewood Red Oaks Steffi for 1100.