Six months on from taking the supreme primestock championship at Agrifest South West, Koojan Sugarbabe returned to Westpoint to land the interbreed beef title at this year’s Devon County Show.
The British Limousin in-calf heifer, bred and exhibited by Michael Kirby, sparkled under the watchful eye of Carmarthenshire judge Bernard Lewelyn to take the supreme at the event last Friday (May 19), having already been named continental and local champion.
A daughter of Trueman Idol and out of Koojan Foxylady, February 2021-born Koojan Sugarbabe hails from Milton Damerel, Holsworthy and was previously judged pure bred champion at the English Winter Fair in Staffordshire last November.
This success comes as Michael and his wife Lizzy’s Blackberry Farm Shop was recently crowned the South West’s best Local Food and Drink business in the Countryside Alliance Awards 2023.
Taking reserve was the native champion, Ailbhe Of Marrick Park, a March 2020-born Highland heifer exhibited by Milly Bradley from Witheridge.
Meanwhile Aberdeen Angus breeders Robert Venner, from Cullompton and Oakmoor Angus, from Haxby in York, joined forces to win the champion beef pair with Mr Venner’s February 2021-born heifer, Woodington Pinky Glamour X615 and Oakmoor Angus’ April 2022-born bull, Oakmoor Boss Y637.
In the Devon versus South Devon bull interbreed, the former reigned supreme in the shape of Minehead-based Angela Poad’s April 2018-born breed champion, Exmoor Captain. Reserve went to Tim Eustice from Crantock with his homebred Trevowah Philip, a March 2018-born son of Juniper Nostalgia.
Dairy interbreed judge Malcolm Huxtable was moved to tears when summing up his winning choice, Roland Ley’s Thuborough Freda 610. The Holstein champion, hailing from Sutcombe near Holsworthy, is a fourth calver and currently giving 55 litres per day.
Mr Huxtable, from Crediton, described his supreme champion as a “wonderful dairy cow”, adding: “I had no hesitation once I saw this cow come into the ring. The most important part of the cow is her udder and the incredible network of veins you can see gives her so much energy to produce milk.”
A powerful daughter of Stantons Adorable and out of Thuborough Freda 560, this one was interbreed dairy champion at the Okehampton and Holsworthy & Stratton one-day shows last summer.
Reserve went the way of the Jersey breed champion, Barnowl Matt Vicki VG89, owned by Charles and Francis Reader who travelled down from Brackley in Northamptonshire.
Pig farmers have faced multiple pressures over the past two years, including abattoir labour shortages and rising costs of production, but this hadn’t impacted the level of quality on display at Devon County, with a healthy crowd gathering around the judging ring as J J Barber selected his overall champions.
Claiming the supreme interbreed title was Martin Snell for his stylish Large Black, Socks Doreen 4479. The August 2022-born gilt, by Addison Malcolm 5, also went on to win the British Pig Association (BPA) Pig of the Year championship, earning a coveted place in the final at the Great Yorkshire Show in July.
Mr Snell, who has been showing pigs since he was two years old, keeps around 12 pedigree Large Black and British Lop sows at home near Yeovil, Somerset.
Reserve went to Mike Brown with his delightful British Saddleback sow, Whitecross Silverwings 14. Born in July 2021 and in-pig with her third litter, this Sevenacres Consort daughter is one of around 12 British Saddleback, Landrace, Welsh and Large White breeding sows kept by the handler near Newquay.
In the neighbouring sheep lines, Michael and Melanie Alford from Blackborough near Cullompton took the interbreed championship with their Texel shearling ram. The Alford’s also teamed up with Samuel White from Taunton and his Texel shearling ewe to take the pairs title.
Devon handlers dominated in the final supreme as Robert Jordan from Gidleigh, Chagford stood reserve with his North Country Cheviot aged ram. The Jordan family’s Cheviots had earlier claimed the interbreed group of three and reserve in the pairs.
Having travelled to Westpoint from East Sussex, Elizabeth Sargent won the ram lamb interbreed with a Southdown; ahead of Lucy Heywood and Tom Land from Watchet in Somerset with a Hampshire Down.
