UK Dairy Day 2021: Results from the showring
© Tim Scrivener Altogether 7,000 farmers flocked to UK Dairy Day at Telford on 15 September, the first big dairy show of the calendar for 2021. Numbers were back on the 9,000 footfall recorded in 2019, but organisers said that was to be expected with people still nervous about Covid.
See also: Advice on feeding silage this winter
Four national breed shows, including Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, Guernsey and Holstein, were hosted on the day.
Brown Swiss
Brown Swiss champion Shut Up and Dance With Me © Tim Scrivener
Taking their championship tally to five and winning the double for the third time at UK Dairy Day was the Lochhead family, from Beyond the Burn, near Dumfries, with the second-calver Kedar Shut Up And Dance With Me, VG89.
She last calved in February and is currently giving 35kg and is back in-calf with her third to Hilltop Acres Biver Martini, due in December. Sired by Voelkers TD Carter, she is out of Kedar Spots Shenanigans and her great grand dam is the legendary Snickerdoodle. Snickerdoodle is the only cow in history to have won breed champion six times at Dairy Expo, Madison.
It was her first outing in-milk, but she’s no stranger to the show ring, having been placed second at All Britain as a calf.
In reserve was another relation of Snickerdoodle, this time her great granddaughter and the sixth-calver, Kedar Calvin Sanchia Maria, which last calved in February and is giving 36kg. In her last lactation, she gave 11,483kg of milk at 4.4% butterfat and 3.83% protein. She is the first Brown Swiss to score Ex97 in the UK.
Jersey
Jersey champion Bluegrass Sams Dream Ex9 © Tim Scrivener
Showring stalwart Hefin Wilson, Tregibby, Cardigan, returned to the ring with his seventh-calver Bluegrass Sams Dream Ex96 to hold on to their breed championship title from 2019.
Sired by Bluegrass Lord Singing Sam, she is out of Bluegrass Bobs Dream (VG86) and last calved in June. She is giving 35 litres at 5.63% butterfat and 3.8% protein. She was bought as a calf from Bluegrass Jerseys, Hertford, and has proved to be an excellent investment for the Wilson family, winning numerous accolades, including breed champion at the Welsh Dairy Show in 2019.
She gave 8,884kg at 5.03% butterfat and 3.93% protein in her sixth lactation.
Kevin Davis, from Westcott Farm, Tiverton, Devon, did his best yet, winning the reserve championship silverware on his first outing with his heifer Rivermead Minx Candy VG89.
She calved with her first in December and is giving 21kg daily. Sired by Stonyrun Aus T’Bone Minx, she is out of Rivermead Joel Candy Ex94 and gave 5,582kg in her first lactation at 5.95% butterfat and 3.73% protein. She is back in-calf to Lightening Ridge Ferdinand, due in December.
Guernsey
Guernsey champion Tredinney Echo Alicia Ex91 © Tim Scrivener
Scooping the double in the Guernsey breed championship and National Guernsey Show and making his eight-and-a-half-hour journey from Penzance, Cornwall, worthwhile was first-time exhibitor at the show, James Warren, from Tredinney Farm.
Winning the red rosette was the third-calver Tredinney Echo Alicia Ex91, sired by Tredinney Grumpys Echo and out of T Lynndell Alicia 23. She last calved on 28 January and is giving 33kg. She gave 7,741kg in her second lactation at 5.71% butterfat and 3.6% protein and is due with her fourth on 4 January 2022 to Trewey Junos Beau.
She beat her stablemate, Tredinney Harrys Lilian 10 Ex92 into reserve. Sired by Bourton Erics Harry, Lilian is out of Tredinney Yogis Lilian 6 Ex91. She calved with her fourth in April and is back in-calf to the home-bred bull Tredinney Bounty, due in March. She is currently producing 26kg of milk daily and gave 7,559kg in her third lactation at 5.57% butterfat and 3.84% protein. She won the heifer in milk class at the National Guernsey Show at its previous location at Shepton Mallett three years ago and received honourable mention in 2019 as a junior cow in milk. Â
Mr Warren milks 320 Holsteins, Jerseys and Guernseys with his mother Rosemary, wife Shelley and daughter Sophia.
Ayrshire
Ayrshire champion Troutbeck Skyfall Peony Rose Ex93 © Tim Scrivener
Brothers Philip and James Mattinson from Troutbeck Ayrshires in Wigton, Cumbria, also clinched the double in the Ayrshire ring, taking home both top accolades of champion and reserve.
The champion sash went to their home-bred fourth-calver Troutbeck Skyfall Peony Rose Ex93, which last calved in May and is currently giving 50kg of milk daily. This Troutbeck Skyfall daughter is out of T Bookmarker Penny Rose GP81 and is back in-calf to Halmyre Urr Lieutenant.
Second in the line-up was their seventh-lactation cow Troutbeck Burdette Jess 3 Ex96 by Palmyra Tri-Star Burdette. She last calved in April and is giving 40 litres. She is back in-calf to Ardmore Crown Napier.
Dairy Shorthorn
Dairy Shorthorn champion Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 51 Ex93 © Tim Scrivener
Making it the third championship win at UK Dairy Day for IRG Collins and Partners, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 51 (Ex93).
Sired by Treeton Pingerly, she is out of Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 39 (Ex93). She calved with her third in April and is currently giving 45 litres at 4.2% butterfat and 3.3% protein. She won breed champion and interbreed at the Great Yorkshire Show in July.
In reserve was Cotonhall Butternut Sapphire (Ex92), sired by Blackwood Park Butternut and out of Cotonhall Sapphire 6th (Ex93). She calved in August and gave 7,580kg at 5.08% butterfat and 3.94% protein in her third lactation.
Holstein
Holstein champion Riverdane Absolute Springsteen © Tim Scrivener
Mark Knutsford has won many showing titles in his career, but it was the first time he managed to take home the grand champion title at Telford. Making this possible was his home-bred third-calver Riverdane Absolute Springsteen by Apples Absolute Red.
She previously won champion heifer at UK Dairy Expo, Carlisle, back in 2019 and returned to take the reserve champion at the same show in 2020.
She calved four months ago and is currently giving 65kg back at home at Middlewich, Cheshire. Mark has high hopes that she will go to next year’s European Show.
In reserve was Aliann Atwood Roxette, owned in a three-way split between Claire and Dave Jones, Wiltor, Nick and Louisa Sercombe, Shambles, and Rob Kirk, Leedham.
This fifth-calver last calved on 1 November and is on course to produce 15,000 litres of milk this lactation, at 3.8% butterfat and 3.3% protein. She is next due to calve early March, having been served with sexed semen to Stantons Chief.
She was purchased from the Holgate family at their Aliann production sale, Settle, for £6,000. She has been shown once before and was awarded honourable mention at Dairy Expo last year. She next heads to the Royal Welsh Show.