Coley 1 Duchess 609 from Heather Whittaker, Halifax strode into the supreme champion spot at the Royal Norfolk Show having also won the junior and female championships and 2021-born heifer class, as judged by Dendor Herefords’ Twm Jones. Already winning the reserve female and junior champion at the Highland this summer, it started the 2022 show season at the foot of its mother Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 916, taking the reserve supreme title at the 2022 Royal Highland Show. Now shown in its own right, it stood champion at the 2022 Agri Expo and is the current reserve poll female of the year. It was reserve grand female and overall junior champion at last year’s Poll Show and won its junior heifer class at the Great Yorkshire last year.

Coley 1 Duchess 609 from H Whittaker

The show also yielded great interbreed success for the Hereford breed and was judged by Mary Cormack, Herefordshire. The interbreed pair was won by Coley 1 Vincent from L Jackson-Carr, Carle Coates, Sheffield alongside Coley 1 Duchess 609 from Heather Whittaker, with Spartan 1 Oyster Gem SP166 from SC and GL Hartwright, Abingdon, Oxfordshire joining the duo to make the winning interbreed group of three. With Luke Murphy at the helm, SC and GL Hartwright also won the exhibitor-bred interbreed group of three. The trio was made up of Spartan 1 Voyager SP V138, Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret and Spartan 1 Oyster Gem SP166. The team of five stood reserve interbreed champions.

Reserve champion interbreed group of five

Standing next to what was its stable mate until very recently, Coley 1 Vincent, now owned by Liam Jackson-Carr of JC Herefords, Carle Coates, Sheffield, took the reserve supreme and reserve male titles after winning the senior bull class. It was Carolyn Fletcher’s supreme champion at last week’s Highland Show, and has also been male champion at Northumberland County Show this year. Vincent previously stood reserve supreme and junior bull champion at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2021 before being named reserve junior male champion at Moreton. A Fabb 1 Northern Star son, it is out of Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 591, a daughter of the Canadian-bred Remitall Super Duty 42S.

Coley 1 Vincent from L Jackson-Carr

Solpoll 1 Sympa exhibited by PRJ and LR Vincent, Pulham Market, Norfolk was named reserve male champion. Born in March 2019, it is by Panmure 1 Henry and out of a Solpoll 1 Dynamite sired Starlet female. Sympa was also best junior bull in the 2021 Midlands and East Anglia herd competition.

Solpoll 1 Sympa from PRJ and LR Vincent

Reserve female champion was Newtoncroft 1 Patience 452 from Leicestershire’s Newtoncroft Farms, shown by Ryan Coates. March 2021-born, it is by Maxstoke 1 Rambler and out of Baybridge 1 Leo daughter, Hawkesbury 1 Patience.

Newtoncroft 1 Patience 452 from Newtoncroft Farms

The classes began with the junior heifers which saw Twm hand his first rosette to Jonathan Wells and partner, Costessey, Norfolk with Wellhart 1 Peach-Willow. April 2022-born, it is by the Australian AI sire Wirruna Katnook K74 and out of Classic 1 Galaxy daughter, Wellhart 1 Willow.

Wellhart 1 Peach-Willow from Jonathan Wells and partner

Next in the ring were the January to March 2022-born heifers, which saw Causeway Blossom 13th from Granger Harrison, Lakenheath, Suffolk win first prize before success as reserve junior champion. Born in March 2022, it is by the previous UK sire of the year SMH King Size 87K and out of a home-bred female which goes back to the Badlingham Blossom line.

Causeway Blossom 13th from Granger Harrison

The senior female class was won by Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret from SC and GL Hartwright. Reserve supreme and grand female champion at the recent Royal Highland Show. By UK sire of the year Solpoll 1 Perfection, this September 2020-born female is out of Cleland 1 Glissade 26th this female also won its class at the Highland last year and stood reserve supreme at Shropshire last month.

Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret from SC and GL Hartwright

Newtoncroft 1 Whole Lot-Of-Fun from Newtowncroft Farms led the January to February 2022 bull class which also won a red ticket at the most recent English Winter Fair. By Hawkesbury 1 Swift and out of Dendor 1 Honeysuckle 19th.

Newtoncroft 1 Whole Lot-Of-Fun from Newtowncroft Farms

The intermediate bull class saw more success for young Liam Jackson-Carr, this time with home-bred JC 1 Wilbur 002. April 2022-born it is by the Danish sire Solbakkens Patrik and out of Solbakkens Marrigold.

JC 1 Wilbur 002 from L Jackson-Carr

In the young handlers section, Finlay Soutter of Normanton Herefords, Leicestershire won the overall championship and was congratulated by The Prince of Wales.