Breed Champion Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz from S & H O’Kane
With a packed ringside and classes streamed live from the Royal Welsh Showground at Llanelwedd on Monday 20 July, all eyes were on the Hereford Breed Championship as decided by judge Mr Colin Soutter, Leicestershire. Winning the overall top spot was senior bull Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz, exhibited by S & H O’Kane. Colin said: “I was delighted to award my Overall Championship to the Male Champion Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz, a powerful, big-framed bull that demanded your attention from the moment he entered the ring. His presence was exceptional, carrying himself with real style and confidence. He combined tremendous stature with impressive volume and capacity.”
The O’Kane family win Royal Welsh Breed Championship with Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz
Originally secured as a calf at foot to his dam Dendor 1 Greta 29th from the Santa Maria herd dispersal of Mr T Vasami in 2023, and by the Irish AI sire Goudingpoll 1 Stockman, three-year-old Alcatraz takes this prominent win for owners Steven and Helen O’Kane of Keadyview Livestock, Newtown, Powys.
Reserve Breed Champion Dendor 1 Cruzcampo, bred and exhibited by DE, ED & AL Jones
Picking up a number of breed and interbreed awards at the show was the Reserve Overall Champion Dendor 1 Cruzcampo from DE, ED & AL Jones, Caersws. Described by the judge as having “real nice lines and presence”, Colin also commented that “this bull just lacked the maturity [of the senior male] but had loads of character and style.” Born in March 2025, this young bull is sired by Solpoll 1 Vanquish and out of Dendor 1 Echo 36th EX90.
Dendor 1 Cruzcampo wins Native and Reserve Overall Junior Bull Interbreeds
First taking home the Dendor Perpetual Challenge Trophy for Junior Male Champion and picking up both the Reserve Male and Reserve Breed Championships in the Hereford classes, Cruzcampo then went on to win both the Elite Junior Bull Championship on Tuesday as judged by Mr Andrew Hodge, Berwickshire, followed by the Native and Reserve Overall Junior Bull Interbreed on Thursday, judged by Mr Geoffrey Rodgers, Co Down.
Female Champion Bowendu 1 Jennefer 2nd, exhibited by Wilcourt Herefords
The Female Championship in the Hereford section was awarded to Bowendu 1 Jennefer 2nd, owned by first-time Royal Welsh Show exhibitor Mr Lloyd Williams of Wilcourt Herefords, Bridgend. Bred by Bowen Farms, Mid Glamorgan, this January 2025-born heifer is sired by Havenfield 1 Wilf and out of Bowendu 1 Little Mo. Judge Colin Soutter commented: “As soon as [this heifer] walked into to the ring she said, ‘look at me’, and she paraded around with style and presence. This heifer has size and width with a lovely dark coat and has the future to become a good cow.”
Wilcourt and Keadyview herds team up to win RWAS Native Breed Team of Three Championship
The awards for newcomers Wilcourt Herefords didn’t end there though, as their two heifer entries – Bowendu 1 Jennefer 2nd and Bowendu 1 Ruby 11th – teamed up with young bull Keadyview 1 Casino from S & H O’Kane to take the RWAS Native Breed Team of Three Championship on Thursday under judge Mr Daniel Rowbottom, Strathardle.
Reserve Female Champion Moralee Curly CI288, bred and exhibited by T & D Harrison
Back to the Hereford section on Monday, the Reserve Female Championship went to the homebred October 2022-born cow Moralee Curly CI288 from Tom & Diane Harrison, Northumberland. Described by the judge as “a good working cow with a great bag of milk”, he also said: “she is thick, well-fleshed, and doing her heifer calf very well.” Moralee Curly CI288 was awarded the HCS Horned Female of the Year trophy as a heifer in both 2023 and 2024, and is an ET daughter of the renowned AI sire Parkhill Pompeii, and dam Auckvale Curly 1831S by Auckvale King-Maker.
Mr Colin Soutter assesses the Hereford breed classes
On the conclusion of his day’s judging in the Hereford section, judge Mr Colin Soutter said: “The quality of cattle on display were a credit to every breeder. The top end was strong, but it’s so good to see the bottom ones keep getting better. As breeders we need to keep improving and competing with the other breeds, and the exhibitors at the Royal Welsh put on a fantastic display of cattle to promote our breed. Thank you to every breeder that exhibited cattle in front of me and thanks to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society for asking me to judge.”
The Hereford Cattle Society is grateful to Colin Soutter for his expert assessment of the classes, and to all the exhibitors and supporters who visited the Society stand and helped make another excellent Royal Welsh week.
Words: Sarah Cook
Breed classes photography: Sam Hutchinson
Interbreed winners’ photography: Cerys Jenkins and William Awan
Results
Class 441 Bull, born on or before 31 Dec 2024
1st Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz, S & H O’Kane
2nd Adzor Curiosity, DJ Makin
3rd Thornysure 1 Chuckles, AD & EE Richards 4th Spartan 1 Captain, David Powell
Class 442 Bull, born on or between 01 Jan 2025 and 30 Apr 2025
1st Dendor 1 Cruzcampo, DE, ED & AL Jones
2nd Keadyview 1 Casino, S & H O’Kane
3rd Studdolph 1 Keenan, TG, EI & EN Thorne
4th Pepperstock 1 Callum, C Codd & R Lewis
5th Roughmoor 1 Crackerjack, T & M Goodwin & C Powell
Class 443 Bull, born on or after 01 May 2025
1st Roughmoor 1 Cookie, T & M & C Goodwin & Powell
2nd Celynen 1 Elwyn, AD & EE Richards
3rd Celynen 1 Jerry, AD & EE Richards
The Dendor Perpetual Challenge Trophy
Junior Male Champion Dendor 1 Cruzcampo, DE, ED & AL Jones
Reserve Junior Male Champion Keadyview 1 Casino, S & H O’Kane
The Wenlock Challenge Cup
Male Champion Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz, S & H O’Kane
Reserve Male Champion Dendor 1 Cruzcampo, DE, ED & AL Jones
Class 446 Cow, in calf or with calf at foot, born on or before 31 Dec 2023
1st Moralee Curly CI288, T & D Harrison
2nd Creuddyn 1 Barbie, Creuddyn Herefords
3rd Spartan 1 Duchess W175, Luke Powell
Class 447 Heifer, in calf or with calf at foot, born on or between 01 Jan 2024 and 31 Aug 2024
1st Mairwen 1 Oyster Lass 4th, Nigel Owens
Class 448 Heifer, born on or between 01 Sep 2024 and 31 Dec 2024
1st Pulham 1 Lucy 7th, SJ & H Smith
2nd Furzy 1 Jane, C Codd & R Lewis
Class 449 Heifer, born on or between 01 Jan 2025 and 31 Mar 2025
1st Bowendu 1 Jennefer 2nd, Wilcourt Herefords
2nd Cathedral 1 Valerie 254, HM Scarterfield Ltd
3rd Pepperstock 1 Blossom C1144, SJ & H Smith
4th Brynside Electric Lady 4th, J Lawrence & Son
5th Ashnan 1 Angel, Ashlee Hughes
6th Upper House 1 Dowager 470, T & M Goodwin & C Powell
7th Bosbury 1 Rosa, Jack Heath
8th Mairwen 1 Jenny SR 4th, Nigel Owens
Class 550 Heifer, born on or after 01 April 2025
1st Bowendu 1 Ruby 11th, Wilcourt Herefords
2nd Dendor 1 Holly 15th, DE, ED & AL Jones
3rd Celynen 1 Foxglove 5th, AD & EE Richards
4th Ashnan 1 Shakira, Shirley Gethin
5th Celynen 1 Griffola 6th, AD & EE Richards
6th Hafotty 1 Keepsake Cadiqueenie, Sian Wyn Jones
7th Sancler 1 Mink 3rd, Robert Morgan
Glyn Jones Challenge Cup
Female Champion Bowendu 1 Jennefer 2nd, Wilcourt Herefords
Reserve Female Champion Moralee Curly CI288, T & D Harrison
Class S453 Best group of three animals, at least one male and one female, the property of the same exhibitor
1st AD & EE Richards
Class S454 Highest placed animal bred by the exhibitor
Dendor 1 Cruzcampo, DE, ED & AL Jones
Breed Champion Santa Maria 1 Alcatraz, S & H O’Kane
Reserve Breed Champion Dendor 1 Cruzcampo, DE, ED & AL Jones