The Dairy Show 2009
There have been some remarkable results over the years at the Dairy Show at Shepton Mallet but the 2009 Show will be one of the most memorable for the exhibitor and breeder of the Show Champion. I guess that all of us who take the trouble to prepare and exhibit cows at shows dream of winning the Championship, but it is not often that the Champion is a homebred daughter of the “house” cow.
Numbers of cows were slightly down and for the first time for several years there were no cows from Cornwall, but 9 exhibitors had 23 animals forward. There had been 14 calves competing the night before.
Three in calf cows started the day and Graylands Meadowsweet 59 was Morris Grose’s choice as winner, in second place was Greensfield Heros Kaki from Jon White with the Durbin’s Bickfield Trudy 59 in third place.
The Pairs class was contested by two Bickfield progeny pairs and the Yogibears B Olivia 27 and B Golden Arza 6 were placed in first place with a pair of Hawks B Olivia 26 and B After Dark 3 in second place.
Five in milk heifers made a good class and Greensfield Icy Lady was placed first with Wiltown Lynne in second place with Chettle Farms Bickfield Rainbow 51 in third place. She had been calved for 10 months , in fourth place was Bickfield After Dark 4 with Graylands Beauty 26 in fifth place.
Six second calvers were perhaps the best class of the day and Emma Dow was delighted to win with her homebred Froxfield Millie and in second place was Chettle Farms Blacknor Snowhite 12 with a pair of Yogibears from Bickfield in third and fourth with B Olivia 27 in front of B Golden Arza 6.
The Intermediate Cows having had three calves again had six forward and a pair of Hawks from Bickfield filled the first two spots with B Olivia 26 in first and B After Dark 3 in second in third place was Graylands Meadowsweet 60.
The senior cows found four forward with three of them having won many Championships previously and Bickfield Dot 56 was the winner with a sixth calf Glacier Hurdlebrook Andrea 2 in second place from Olive Farm, with Greensfield Pink Lady in third place.
The Championship was awarded to Froxfield Millie whose dam Hampton Lily 447 was purchased as a “house” cow by Emma Dow with Blacknor Snowhite 12 as Reserve Champion.