Delight for West farmers at Dorset County Show
WESTCOUNTRY exhibitors went home with the lion’s share of the interbreed honours at the Dorset County Show.
Staged in Dorchester last weekend, thousands gathered to enjoy the very best of what the county has to offer, from ferret racing to actionpacked main ring displays.
After taking the interbreed beef title here as a heifer in 2018, Wilodge Larimar successfully defended her crown for delighted owners Nick and Lisa Hill, from Cheddar.
Returning this time with her own heifer calf at foot, Quaish OMG, the November 2015-born daughter of Powerful Irish has had a tremendous season - scoring nine consecutive championships.
Ably assisting their father were 17-year-old twins, Archie and Lottie Hill, with the former also leading the Limousin cross heifer, Bootylicious, to stand commercial champion.
Reserve interbreed beef went to the Red Ruby Devon champion, Rocknell Quarrylad, owned by Graham Summerhayes from Tiverton and shown by Hattie Tucker.
Taking the interbreed group of three were the British Blues, consisting of two animals from Wellingtonbased NewPole Livestock and one from John and Yvonne Hopkins, from Bridgwater. The NewPole herd also went away with the British Blue breed championship for their bull, NewPole Lomu.
Aptly-named exhibitors Derek and
Judith Galloway, from South Molton, won the traditional and rare breeds championship with their Belted Galloway.
Eighteen-year-old Josie Dowding, from Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil, was over the moon to take the interbreed dairy title with her Jersey cow, Josie’s Excitation Stevie.
In the sheep pens, Gerald Burrough from Dunkeswell, near Honiton, claimed the interbreed championship with his homebred Charollais shearling ewe.
Reserve went to the hill, health and upland champion, a Portland ewe owned by George Poulton and Millie Godfrey from Langport.
The interbreed pig championship went to the Newth family, from Shepton Mallet, for their Pietrain gilt.
Show secretary, Will Hyde, said: “I am so proud to be part of a team that works relentlessly hard each year to grow our county’s leading agricultural show and champion the best of Dorset’s agricultural scene.
“It takes a driving force of 300 volunteers to build the show and without them we wouldn’t be able to come back year-on-year to deliver the diverse range of attractions that people come to expect at Dorset County Show.
“Thank you to everyone who continues to support the show, and the new people that came along to find out about more about the event. Through the community’s support we’re able to evolve our offering and are already planning a bigger and better show ahead of our 180th anniversary next year.”