The Dairy Event (as it is still known) despite two name changes in recent years moved to “pastures new” this year and was staged at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) at Birmingham which is within walking distance of both the Airport and the Railway station as well as being linked to the M42 and M6 motorways. The new venue has allowed a reorganisation of the various sections of the show and “feedback” from various traders was that they had had two busy days.
The cattle, sheep and pigs were housed in a semi-permanent structure adjacent to the Exhibition halls and the exhibitors were “happy” with the environment for the cows, if less so for the provisions made for the Stockmen. The new structure will allow the cattle side to grow, where as lack of space at Stoneleigh had restricted numbers and had led to the threat of cancellation of a breed section if minimum numbers were not entered as happenned to the Guernsey classes in 2008 and 2009.
There were top quality classes for Holstein (32 herds represented), Jerseys (15 herds ), Ayrshires (11 herds), Shorthorns (8 herds), a much improved section for Brown Swiss (9 herds) and 3 herds of British Friesians and 3 herds of Guernseys.
The Guernsey exhibitors were Chettle Farms, Colin and Hilary Evans and Jason and Katherine Salisbury and six of the nine animals catalogued were forward. This meant that only one class was competed for and that was the heifer in milk with four animals forward and Andrew Hope from Tiresford found his winner in the form of Blacknor Tania, who had won at the National All Breeds in February and again at the Bath and West in May. She had the advantage in the udder over Hamps Valley Mo 11, bought as an in calf heifer by Colin Evans from Don and Kath Salt in Staffordshire, the heifer in third place Sharnford Violet had won at the Norfolk show in June but was stale and she like Tanya traces to the Woodbury herd in Dorset. The fourth heifer Cracker Glacier Duchess had been Champion Calf at the 2009 All Britain All Breeds show, but has not grown on and appeared short of milk and given the “legendary” skills of the owner was a dissapointment on the day.
Colin Evans had the only Junior Cow forward in Lodor Valerie 3 and this Aaron daughter is the third daughter of Aaron to go Excellent in the UK and traces back through Oakdean to Bickfield.
Jason Salibury had the only senior cow forward with Sharnford Marigold, but she had been calved less than a week and had not really come to herself and will look better at Shepton Mallett in October.
Andrew Hope who throughout the day gave concise, positive and accurate comments had no hesitation in making Blacknor Tania his Champion and made Lodor Valerie the Reserve Champion.
It was good to have Guernseys back at the show but we do need more of them, there were several Irish farmers at the show and two firm orders from Eire, one for Pedro semen and another for 10 in calf heifers were placed at the show, but there are a few “hurdles” to jump first. Orders for Pembrokeshire and the Lleyn penisula, Hampshire, Shropshire and Kent should be easier to complete.
The best news for me though was to hear that one of the “founder” members of the FGB Amy Jasper had persuaded her dad to add 20 Guernsey heifers to his black and white herd and has two heifer calves she wants to register, but much more importantly has insisted that her boyfriend should have a Guernsey as well.
Richard Miller whose Woodbury herd had bred the dams of the first and third placed heifers has recently been promoted within NMR and now has responsiblity for the South West region and thus for approx 60% of the recorded Guernseys and hopefully will get to grips with the numbers of “pedigree” cows that are misidentified and do not appear in the dataset at CDI.