ROYAL SMITHFIELD CLUB SUCCESSES AT AGRIFEST 2018
GF & PJ Warne win Beef Ribs Competition
Lamb Saddle Championship to L Gillbard & Son
Messrs Morgan & Jones’ Cattle Champion takes home Royal Cornwall Perpetual Trophy
Royal Smithfield trophy for Best Pair of Lambs awarded to Robert Garth & Sarah Priestley
A well-attended Agrifest South West organised by the National Beef Association and held at Westpoint, Exeter, on 7 November 2018 saw the Royal Smithfield Club’s competitions take centre stage at the event.
With the support of sponsor Kepak St Merryn, the Club held its noted Beef Ribs and Saddle of Lamb competitions under Judge and butcher Malcolm Pyne of Pynes of Somerset based at Sedgemoor. Winning the Beef Ribs section were George & Pauline Warne, Emmett Farm, Umberleigh, Devon with a British Blue-cross dairy-bred heifer aged 26m18d with a carcase weight of 371kg grading R4L. Standing Reserve was Sidney Foss with an Aberdeen Angus-cross steer weighing in at 356kg aged 27m22d grading -U4L.
Champion Saddle of Lamb went to L Gillbard & Son, Hele Barton, Black Dog, Crediton, Devon with a Texel-cross wether out of a Cheviot-bred Mule purchased from Longtown, Cumbria. With a carcase weight of 19.9kg, this one graded E3L. Second were AW Selley & Son, East Welland Farm, South Molton with a Poll Dorset Mule sired by a Charollais-Texel tup. This wether graded E3L with a carcase weight of 21kg.
In the live classes, winning the Primestock Cattle Championship and with it the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association perpetual trophy presented by the Royal Smithfield Club was an August 2017-born Limousin-sired heifer from Messrs JEL & CS Morgan & Jones, Llysnewydd, Cilycwm, Llandovery. Presenting the trophy was Robert Sloman, Hon Treasurer of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association. Reserve was another Lim-sired heifer this time from Messrs P & L Calcraft, Honiton.
Taking home the Royal Smithfield Club trophy under Judge Chris Wright, Boston for the Best Pair of Lambs was the Beltex duo from Robert Garth & Sarah Priestley, Bentham, Lancs who successfully defended their 2017 crown. Reserve was another pair of Beltex from R Dafydd Lewis, Carms.
Grateful thanks are extended to the NBA organising committee and to Kepak St Merryn for their generous support.