Great Yorkshire Show 2015: Beef interbreed

Brian Redhead, his nephew Jonathan Watson and his wife Jayne, from Northumberland, beat off stiff competition to win their first ever interbreed title with their homebred, in-calf heifer Tweeddale Hawkeye.

Interbreed judge Christine Williams, from the renown Wilodge herd, Shifnal, Shropshire, had the unenviable task of picking a winner from a strong line up of 16 breed champions.

After much deliberation Ms Williams, who runs 50 Limousin breeding females, tapped out the British Blue. Commenting on her pick she said the winner was “very stylish” and well put together, adding: “She moves tremendously for her muscling and has phenomenal length.”

Hawkeye is no stranger to the spotlight, having won breed champion at the Great Yorkshire last year and the reserve breed championship at the Royal Highland Show three weeks ago. She is sired by Tweeddale Ebony, which won breed champion at the Royal Welsh four years ago before being bought by Cogent, and her dam is Tweeddale Estelle.

She now heads to the Royal Welsh to contest her title before being sold along with the rest of the 90-head herd at the Tweeddale dispersal, Borderway Mart, Carlilse, on 21 August.

In reserve, was the August 2012-born Lincoln Red bull St Fort Rolex, exhibited by Christopher Page and his 24-year-old daughter Melissa, from Brough, East Yorkshire.

Bred by Andrew Mylius, St Fort Farm, Fife, Rolex was purchased by Mr Page in 2014 at Newark for 6,500gns.

He actually beat his sire, Wragby Minstrel which was exhibited by Mr Mylius, earlier in the day to claim the breed championship.

Commenting on her reserve pick Ms Williams said he was an “exceptional example of the breed”, adding that he was well fleshed and a good mover.