Popes herd sweep the board at Winter Fair
IT was a day to remember for Jimmy and Vikki Wood’s Popes herd from Popes Farm, Clitheroe Road, Preston, when they landed both overall championships for a second consecutive year, as well as the reserve title at the Simmental National Pedigree Calf Show held within the English Winter Fair at Bingley Hall, Staffs, last week.
Taking control of the judging ring was Danny Wyllie, Burton on Trent, Staffs who found his supreme in the form of the April 2022born heifer, Popes Weikels Nadine.
Sired by the Irish-bred Clonagh Latin Lover which was bought for €6500 – out of Clonagh Darling Eyes which stood Simmental Miss World in 2018 and overall Irish Simmental of the Year in 2017 and 2018 – she is out of Popes Weikels Gracie VG85.
Commenting on their success, Vikki Wood stated: “As a family we are delighted to win this championship again and at the same time to help put on a good promotion of the British Simmental breed along with our fellow exhibitors.”
Taking the overall reserve and overall reserve female title was Popes Diamonds Nella. Another April 2022born calf and by Clonagh Latin Lover, Nella is out of Popes Diamonds IO which is a Popes Fearless daughter.
In the bull calves the championship honours went to the family’s April-born Popes Nexus which will be forward for sale at the October 2023 Stirling Bull Sales. Another by Latin Lover, he is out of Popes Nellys Illia – a Swingletree Emporor daughter which goes back to Tintoside Nellys Wonder.
Callum Croft, Pontarddulais, Swansea, took the reserve male championship with the January 2022-born Fforest Napoleon. This calf is by the AI sire Auchorachan Napoleon, and is out of Gwili Emma – which produced this year’s Simmental overall supreme at the Royal Welsh Show in the form of Gwili Melody 2.
Winning the senior bull calf class was Wroxall Megga Mountaine (P) from first time exhibitors CH Evans and Son, Abbey Farm, Wroxall, Warwick.
The victor came in the form of a October 2021-born son of Coose Gambler (P) – which stood Irish National Ploughing Match junior champion bull in 2016 and reserve champion of Europe in the World Simmental Championship online competition in 2020 – and he is out of the homozygous polled Wroxall Jazz Superior (PP).
Junior bull calf born between Jan 1 and June 30, 2022 – 1 and champion bull calf, JH and VG Wood’s Popes Nexus, by Clonagh Latin Lover; 2, Croft Livestock’s Fforest Napoleon, by Auchorachan Hercules; 3, JH and VG Wood’s Popes Northstar, by Clonagh Latin Lover.
Senior heifer calf born between Oct 1 and Dec 31, 2021 – 1, S White’s Tirley Ella 3rd, by Rathnastian Lobster Pot.
Junior heifer calf born between Jan 1 and June 30, 2022 – 1, champion heifer and supreme overall, JH and VG Wood’s Popes Weikels Nadine, by Clonagh Latin Lover; 2, reserve heifer calf and reserve overall champion, JH and VG Wood’s Popes Diamond Nella, by Clonagh Latin Lover; 3, JH and VG Wood’s Popes Nellys Neva, by Clonagh Latin Lover.