THE DAIRY SHOW 2006
George Davis was our Judge and had some very competitive Classes to place with 40 cows forward from 12 exhibitors.
The quality of the cows and heifers was if possible better than last year, which I wrote at the time was first class, and having just looked back at the report of last years show, I was surprised to see just how many of the same cows have been involved again.
The Guernsey is often said to lack "fertility" but when the Champion is at the show for the third year in a row, as was the winner of the Intermediate class (third calvers) as well as several other cows who filled the lower placings, then that is "fertility" in practice.
I commented last year on the presence of 9 Guernsey calves competing Interbreed and on the quality and enthusiasm of the FGB members, this year we had 8 calves and 7 FGB handlers but there are 36 different calves and an additional 24 FGB handlers competing at the weekend at the All Breeds All Britain Calf show.
Defra movement regulations introduced in 2001 complicate participation at both events and it is possibly correct that the Dairy Show provides a first step on the ladder to the AB AB, and it was good to see 5 of our younger handlers competing here and Chloe Paull was placed in the highest position for the Junior Group and this petite young lady has great confidence which she was able to transmit to a fairly large calf, whilst Beth, Elissa, Joanna and Jenny all worked very hard with calves that have grown tremendously over the summer.
In the Senior group we had two FGB contestants and one of these Emma Greenslade was showing a Holstein calf that she has shown at local events in Devon and was placed second in her Class and Reserve Supreme Handler behind another entry from Devon, meanwhile Laura Sales showing a Guernsey was placed as the highest Coloured Breed Calf which given the difference in experience was a good effort.
The Dry cows provided the first class of the day for George Davis and 8 fine Individuals were forward and the Mann family from Zennor making their debut at this show had the winner here with Boskenna Lorelei 2nd this NF Goliath Luke daughter is due to calve with her 4th calf shortly, she is the Grandaughter of Boskenna June and the dam of Trewey Surprise who is due to go to the AI centre shortly for the GGBP.
In second place was Tredinney Yettes Anne 7thwith Bickfield Dot 56thin third place as she was last year. All of these 3 had their supporters on the ringside and each of them would have been a worthy winner of the class.
The Progeny pairs provided a win for Tredinney with Royal Highness daughters with Bickfield in second place with a pair of Bickfield Stellas Ivan daughters and in third place with a WL Daphnes Ambionic pair.
The 12 in milk heifers made a tremendous impression, with real quality on display and again the ringside including a large number of "present and past masters" would have been happy with any of the top three as winner.
However George chose White Ladies Pauline 58thwho is still giving more than 20 kgs a day despite having been in milk since April 2005 as his winner and Heifer Champion, repeating her wins of 2005 with Bickfield Valerie 20ththe JG Hawk daughter in second place as she had been at the Dairy Event with Tredinney Highness Excess 2ndin third place with Graylands Meadowsweet 59thin fourth. Bickfield Jonquil 4th was placed fifth, a B Stellas Ivan daughter and she may yet develop into the best cow in this group.
The second calf class again had the ringside agog as there were 5 cows in contention and again any of the 5 could have won the class, but in practice it was the "baby" of the group Cracker Duchess from Blacknor but owned by Ian Crouch that won the class, this Shalford Teak daughter was placed over a tremendous framed Sunninghill Park Royal Oak daughter Trewernevas Jasmine who despite her size will improve with another calving, and in third place was a Tredinney Royal Highness daughter a Tredinney Highness Brenda 3rdand it is gratifying to see daughters of the first GGBP bulls on top of the line.The cows in fourth and fifth places were both in season which just them left off the pace on the day but both of these cows have tremendous qualities with Trewarnevas Sweet William getting the decision over Hurdlebrook Kitty, this super uddered Glacier has an unlucky season but made such an impression on Morris Grose at Stoneleigh where she was unfortunately lame that he made a significant offer for her and after much deliberation it was accepted by David and Rosie Paull and she has travelled down to Trewarnevas .
The Intermediate Cow (third calvers) found Tredinney Thomas Milkmaid 7th winning the Class of six fine cows, she had been Heifer Champion in 2004 and James and his team of Shelley and Matt Senior had done a real good job on presenting her in such good form that she was perhaps the easiest winner of the day. Trewarnevas Day 2nd who had been second to the Champion in 2005, was again second and this Trewarnevas Fayette Ideal daughter is another cow that has many likeable qualities with a Graylands Hugette 10th in third place and Trewey Yorkie 9th in fourth place.
The Senior cows all of whom had had more than 4 calves found 2 cows who had been first and second in 2005 joined by 2 cows both of whom were competing for the first time at the Dairy Show and these four currently average 92.5 points.
Again any of these four could have won the class and it was Laity Farm Primrose 96th the 2004 Champion and Reserve Champion in 2005 who returned to win again, this EX 94 Luxury calved in Feb 2006 and was looking as well as ever,her first son T Landons Premium has just completed Semen collection for the GGBP scheme and she has a Yogibear son for GGBP in 2007. In second place as she was last year was Blacknor Snowhite Ex 91 and she had been Reserve Champion here in 2004, she exhibits tremendous dairy quality in her fifth lactation and this perhaps gave her the edge over the Ex 93 Trewey Juno 38 who had been Conference Show Champion and Royal Champion in 2004. She has a tremendous frame and high wide rear udder attachment and calved again in July and it was this freshness which placed her over Luckley Ivy 22 Ex 92 the 2006 Stithians Champion and Ivy is due to calve again in November and Nicola did a tremendous job in presenting her in such form.
A wonderful class of cows that exhibit all of the qualities that are making such an impression on our competitors.
The Championship ring contained 5 outstanding animals and had time allowed should perhaps have contained the second prise winners as well, but George Davis made Primrose his Champion to add to her glittering record of 6 Championships and 4 Reserve Championships in 14 outings over the last three years whilst averaging over 8000 kilos and it is some time since the Royal Show Champion has also been Dairy Show Champion.
The Reserve Champion was White Ladies Pauline 58 and she also has an impressive record having won 6 of her 8 outings , she is in calf to My Day Bliss Banger and will calve again for the 2007 season which promises to be one to look forward too, as the established performers will hopefully be back again, joined by the next crop of GGBP daughters which are causing such excitement in the Calf classes.
With just the Welsh Dairy Show to come 2006 has been a vintage year with more competition from more exhibitors with better cattle. Normally on the night before the show there is a "consensus" as to where the Champion will be but on Tuesday night there were 5 teams that had contenders and in some cases more than 1, which is not something that I can remember before.
The Dairy Show is now our "National Show" and the organisers from the RB& W show are to be congratulated in the quality of all breeds forward and with an audience of 8000 dairy farmers is a most important shop window for the Guernsey breed. The showground is accessible to all areas of Great Britain and if the Welsh , Midland and Southern regions were to enter their best it would raise the standards even higher.
