Jersey joy for Devon family who win supreme champion at Dairy Show

It was a day of delight for Devon farmers who proved they were the cream of the crop at this year’s Dairy Show. The event at the Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet welcomed the top dairy farmers from across the South West on Wednesday, October 4.

Judges gave a near-perfect score to Jersey, Rivermead Minx Candy from Westcott Farm in Westleigh, Tiverton, who was named supreme champion. Previously, she had won her class at Dairy Day in 2022, and champion at Dairy Expo 2023 and calved three weeks ago with her third calf.

Mark Davis from Westcott Farm said: “We are blown away; this is the first time we’ve ever won it. In the Jersey class, we got champion, reserve and honourable mention; it’s amazing.

“Last year we had reserve breed champion, but we’ve never won champion, and to get a clean sweep and the supreme champion has just blown us all away.

“We’re all feeling very emotional, we came here as a family, and it means everything to us. Everybody plays a part: my kids, brothers, sisters, my mum and dad, and our herdsman Rich and his family. It’s a massive team effort, so we’re blown away.”

It is the 20th year of Westcott Farm breeding Jerseys. The farm has around 240 Jerseys with 450 cattle altogether.

“It makes our anniversary even more special,” he said. “It’s incredible to be here to celebrate with all the Davis family.

“It’s also the culmination of a huge amount of work. Firstly, it’s years of breeding; it’s taken us a few years to produce these cows here today. Then you have to have them in the right condition, preparing them, clipping them. Washing them and walking them.”

Next for the family is a sale, with the champion having a granddaughter and the reserve breed champion with a daughter in the sale.

Emily Davis, who spent her 22nd birthday showing the champion, added: “I’ve been on the farm with the Jerseys my entire life. We are a close family unit. We all work together. All the kids work at home, but each of us has our passions, which makes it work.

“Jerseys are great. They are friendly, full of character and easy cows to work with.”

Warren Ferguson, the Jersey judge, said: “It’s exactly the type of cow I’m looking for. I’ve enjoyed the day, and the standard of cow and my champion cow is what you want in a dairy cow. She’s so well balanced with her lovely mammary system; she’s a super cow.”

Reserve supreme champion was Holstein, Thuborough Freda.

Roland Ley, from Thuborough Barton, Sutcombe near Holsworthy, said: “She calved in March, giving 45l a day. We milk 270 Holsteins, and we average 11,000l. We have shown in Devon County, where she was breed and interbreed champion, and Royal Cornwall, where she was reserve interbreed and now breed champion this year in her third trip out.

“She’s got a really good udder, she’s very youthful, a fourth calver, but she looks young and has lovely balance.

“We are very pleased; it’s a good way to end the year. We’ve never won the breed championship at the show, so that’s a career highlight. We have won classes but never the breed.”

She said she liked the temperament of the Guernsey: “They’re quiet cows to work with, and easy to work with when mother and I get stuck on our own at home.”

Also winning their breed classes was Emma Greenslade from Ponchydown Dairy at Blackborough, near Cullompton, who won the Guernsey breed champion with Greensfield Dandy Dan Butterfly.

“It’s good to win and is a second celebration as she won two weeks ago at Dairy Day, so she’s done two shows in three weeks,” she said.

“I love coming here to the Dairy Show; I’ve been coming since I was a kid. It’s a great show to come and meet others, get inspiration, and find out what other bulls and such people are using. You also see people you haven’t seen in ages. We’re all like one big family.”

It’s nice to come here and showcase our work, as she’s homebred, and we bred the bull as well, so that’s quite an achievement.”

Another Devon farmer, Tracy Rockett from Bridestowe, Okehampton, won Any Other Dairy Breed class with her Greenway Solo Billie Jo. They also won the reserve champion with Greenway Bombardier Billie Jean.

Tracy said: “It’s brilliant to have won the champion breed, as this is her last show as I’ve decided to retire her. She’s been coming to all the shows since she was four months old, and she’s seven now.

“We’ve had our ups and downs in that time. Every year here, we get beaten by a Brown Swiss, so now we’re going out on a high, and it’s brilliant.”

The only two breed champions not won by Devon farmers were Shorthorn and Ayrshire.

From Churchroyd Farm in West Yorkshire, Wendy Young brought Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes, who won champion Shorthorn, and Churchroyd Fay took reserve champion.

“We first came down when the show had an anniversary show and have been coming ten years since then,” she said.

“We’ve enjoyed it and been made to feel very welcome. It’s a good show.”

She said they arrived at 3 p.m. on the Monday before the show, taking five and a half hours to travel.

“We’ve had a good show, won many classes, and champion Shorthorn, so it’s been well worth the trip and all the effort.”

W.R.c. & J.E. Christophers from Trenerry Farm, St Allen in Cornwall, won the Ayrshire breed champion with their cattle Rosehill Madison Jelly.