As NHC members missed out in 2020 on their annual showcase that is the National Hereford Show at Tenbury Wells, previously scheduled to have been held on Saturday 1st August but unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19, the National Hereford Club were delighted to hold a virtual competition which received over 200 class entries!
Deciding the placings within the 14 classes was no mean feat, requiring an international panel of expert judges. Kindly taking on the task were Robert Clarke of the Shadwell Estate (England), Brent & Anna Fisher of the Silverstream Hereford Stud (New Zealand) and Gary McKiernan of Corlismore Herefords (Republic of Ireland).
Their placings were tallied and the class winners announced, with the judges then asked to assess the first-placed animals once more alongside a public vote to decide the Female and Male Championships. Each of the three judges' choices contributed 25% to the final placings with the final 25% decided by the public vote - and here are the final results!
The Female Champion, winning a Moocall calving sensor, was Pulham Pansy 15th from Philip and Laura Vincent, Diss, Norfolk. The Vincent’s heifer is no stranger to the National Hereford Show, having been Junior Female and Reserve Female Champion in 2018. In Gary McKeirnan’s words: “Pulham Pansy 15th is a lovely sweet feminine heifer, who is well marked with nice width. She has a good udder, lovely head and stands to attention”. The Fishers were “super impressed with this productive and strong female”. 'Pansy' is out of Clipston Pansy R2 and by the Irish-bred and successfully shown bull Moyclare Malcom. The Westaway’s Clipston cattle have had a strong influence on the Vincents' Pulham herd which was established in 2007.
Female Champion Pulham Pansy 15th
The Vincents had a clean sweep in the female section with their 5 year old cow, Pulham Dowager 2nd, being awarded the Reserve Female spot. Robert Clarke was particularly impressed with 'Dowager' who has everything he would want to see in a Hereford cow; “she is feminine, has great balance and character with a fantastic udder, a worthy champion in any show”.
Reserve Female Champion Pulham Dowager 2nd
The Male Championship winners were the Lewis family, Haven Herefords, who take home a Manor Farm Feeds feed voucher. This well-known herd based in Dilwyn, Herefordshire was established in 1822 and is currently run by father and son Edward and Ben Lewis, making it the oldest family-run Hereford herd in the world. Their senior stock bull, Haven Lamborghini, was a firm favourite in the Male section of the Show, winning the Championship - a step up from 2019 where he was awarded Senior Male Champion at the Tenbury based show. The Fishers said: “There is so much to like about him. Lamborghini has class, presence and x-factor! He has tremendous length, a superb top line and a wonderful depth of rib”. Robert Clarke was in complete agreement, saying: “he is as long as a train, clean through his body and has a great presence about him.” Haven Lamborghini is out of Haven Splendour 25th and sired by Haven Cavalier, who was Senior Male Champion at the National Hereford Show in 2010.
Male Champion Haven Lamborghini
Philip and Laura Vincent had further success with their young stock bull Shiloh-Farm Elite being awarded the Reserve Male Championship. Bred by Hugh Murray and his daughter Sarah, the Vincents made 'Elite' their champion when judging Longford Show in Ireland in 2018 and subsequently purchased him. His first few calves are on the ground, including the calf at foot to the female Champion Pulham Pansy 15th. In Gary McKeirnan’s eyes, 'Elite' is "very powerful and long, with good bone and backend. He has a great top and stands up very smartly”.
Reserve Male Champion Shiloh-Farm Elite
CLASS 1A
CLASS 1B
CLASS 2
CLASS 3
CLASS 4A
CLASS 4B
CLASS 5A
CLASS 5B
CLASS 6
CLASS 7
CLASS 8
CLASS 9
CLASS 10A
CLASS 10B
In summing up their judging experience, Brent and Anna Fisher said: “The breeders should be really proud of their cattle. It is really heartening to see such great Herefords and it excites us as Hereford breeders to know there are still many tremendous animals out there”.
Congratulations to all who took part in what turned out to be a very hotly contested event and with so many excellent cattle to choose from, the judges certainly had plenty to think about when making their decisions. Thanks also go to everyone who voted, the team of organisers at the National Hereford Club who put the event together and promoted it, as well as the judges who gave up their time and did such a professional job of meticulously sorting through some very large classes.
Final thanks go to our Championship sponsors; Moocall who donated a calving sensor awarded to the exhibitor of the Female Champion, and Manor Farm Feeds who donated a £150 feed voucher awarded to the exhibitor of the Male Champion.