Ayrshire takes the ArgiScot interbreed title

New owners Ann Laird and her grandfather, Colin, paid 7,000gns for the Horizon Ranger Red daughter and plan to flush her and use her as the foundations of a new venture to be run alongside the family’s Blythbridge herd of Holsteins.

Bred by A. and A. Kirkpatrick of Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, the cow already has a string of show success to her name; these include All-Britain maiden heifer, reserve All-Britain heifer in-milk in 2004, best individual cow in the Dumfriesshire herds competition 2005 and reserve All-Britain senior cow in-milk in 2006.

Tapping out his winner the judge David Mayo from New South Wales, Australia, said: “Anyone who milks cows would like to milk her. She’s not overly tall but shows tremendous balance.” He went on to praise her for her openness of frame and the excellent height and width of rear udder, which he commented was ‘excellent for a fifth calver’.

She calved in April and is giving 37 litres with a current lifetime yield of around 45,000 litres. When sold she was the first EX95 Ayrshire to be sold in the UK and is back in-calf with her sixth due in April to West Mossgiel Class Talent.

There was no overall reserve ticket awarded but a strong line-up of winners were put forward in each of the breeds.

In the Holsteins section the champion was the winner from a strong junior cow class - Saxelby Goldwyn Rose – an EX90 second calver from Robert and Elaine Butterfield of Bentham, Lancaster.

The Red and White cow title went to Cheviotview Beckham Kitty Red, a Baileys CD Beckham Red daughter, exhibited by Brieryside and Sandyford Farms of Prestwick, Ayrshire.

Julian Whiteoaks Flower, the Dairy Event overall reserve champion, took the Jersey title with Emma Murray of S. and S. Murray Farms of Pattingham, Staffordshire, on the halter.

Earlier in the day judging concentrated on the heifers and the ‘super heifer’ title went to the Holstein breed in the form of Drointon Jordan Brenda.

This heifer is jointly owned by Quim Serrabbasa from Spain, Erica Rijnetddweft from the Netherlands and Harrison and Hetherington auctioneer Glyn Lucas who was on the halter. Brenda is by Roylane Jordan and out of the All Britain nominated cow – Drointon Leduc Brenda. She was bought by the partnership for 4,000gns at the Black and White sale at Carlisle in 2007 and is housed and looked after by her breeder – Andrew Mackellar of Drointon Holsteins, Staffordshire.

The judge, David Mayo from New South Wales, Australia, praised the heifer for her ‘tremendous depth of body and fore rib and beautiful mammary system’.

Being shown for the first time she is giving 45kg. Her owners plan to flush her and hope to sell a first choice heifer off her at a sale in Italy next September.

In other breeds the champion heifer in the Ayrshire judging went to John Adamson and Son of Pettinian, Lanark, with the home-bred Swaites Felicity 6. Praised for her ‘tremendous frame and depth and openness of rib’ this November 2006-born heifer is out of the VG87 Swaites Felicity 2 and by West Spittal Regiment Red. She calved in September 2009 and gave 1,067kg in her first lactation.

In the Jersey section the champion was Trecanda Vindication Lily, a Vindication daughter, from Emma Murray. Lily was heifer champion at this year’s Dairy Event.

The Red and White heifer title went to Alexander Gray and Son of Kirkfieldbank, Lanark, with Langside Cactus 8, a Humeston Golden Bolt daughter, which had calved just three weeks before the show.

Have your say

Please do not complete the following form field for security reasons.

Name

E-mail

Comment

Post as

Anonymously

Display name