DUKE OF NORFOLK FIRST FOR BRITISH BLUES AT ENGLISH WINTER FAIR
British Blue Duke of Norfolk Champions pictured with Smithfield Deputy President Geoff Burgess (L) and William Bedell (Smithfield Chairman) with his son Freddie
In what is thought to be a first for the breed, a team of British Blues won the coveted Royal Smithfield Club’s Duke of Norfolk Perpetual Trophy which made a welcome return to the winter fair circuit when presented for the first time at the English Winter Fair, Stafford, 16-17 November 2019. Regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious primestock trophies, it is awarded for the best group of three purebred beef animals.
Great line-up centrestage at Bingley Hall, Stafford
The winning Blue team comprised Kevin Watret’s Solwayview Niko together with two animals from HC Jewitt – Sunnybank O My Gosh & Sunnybank One In A Million. Reserve was the Angus trio from Temple Farm with Temple Janey Erica, Temple Rosebud & Temple Jenevieve Erica with third place going to the Limousins.
The competition is open to pure bred bulls/steers and heifers that are entered in either the English Winter Fair pedigree classes or the National Pedigree Calf Show with each Breed Society invited to select a group, consisting of three males or females or a mixture of both sexes, to represent their breed. The competition was judged by Mr Jim Courts, Yorkshire, and Mr Stuart Clatworthy, Somerset and proved a real show-stopper with a large crowd watching the spectacle afforded by the seven teams.
The trophy was first awarded at the Smithfield Show in 1951; the first winner was the Galloway Cattle Society. For thirty years the award was shared between three breeds – Angus, Beef Shorthorn & Galloway. Continental cattle made their mark from 1987 with the first Charolais win although South Devons won three titles through the 1980s. Dominating through the 1990s and 2000s were the Limousins. In recent years, natives have once again won their fair share of trophies with Lincoln Reds winning in 2014 and again in 2016, having first won in 1982. Welsh Blacks, Angus & Hereford have all featured strongly since 2004 with native breeds winning 8 out of the last 12 times.
RABI Single Butchers Lamb winner Sarah Priestley & Robert Garth
The Royal Smithfield RABI Single Butchers Lamb competition where exhibitors are invited to bring a single lamb to the show for this special class to support RABI, saw the trophy won for the third year in succession by Robert Garth & Sarah Priestley, Bentham, Lancs with their homebred Beltex.
Notes on Duke of Norfolk Trophy:
The winners, by year, are:
1951 Galloway
1952, 53 & 54 Aberdeen Angus
1955 Beef Shorthorn
1956, 57 Aberdeen Angus
1958 Beef Shorthorn
1959 Aberdeen Angus
1960 classes cancelled
1961, 62 Aberdeen Angus
1963, 64 Galloway
1965 Aberdeen Angus
1966 Galloway
1967 classes cancelled
1968 Aberdeen Angus
1969 Beef Shorthorn
1970, 71 Galloway
1972, 73, 74 Aberdeen Angus
1975 Galloway
1976, 77, 78 Aberdeen Angus
1979 Galloway
1980 Aberdeen Angus
1981 Galloway
1982 Lincoln Red
1983 South Devon
1984 Aberdeen Angus
1985 South Devon
1986 Aberdeen Angus
1987 Charolais
1988 South Devon
1989 Charolais
1990 South Devon
1991 Charolais
1992, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, 2000, 2002 Limousin
2004, 2006 Aberdeen Angus
2008 Welsh Black
2009 Aberdeen Angus
2010, 2011 Limousin
2012 Aberdeen Angus
2013 Limousin
2014 Lincoln Red
2015 Hereford
2016 Lincoln Red
2019 British Blue
(There was no competition – or at least no recorded winner - in the years 1960, 1967, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2017 and 2018). The last London Smithfield Show was held at Earls Court in 2004 with Smithfield events staged at Bath & West, Stoneleigh (2009) and East of England in recent years. )