Breed Champion South Buckland Major, bred and exhibited by Mr P Davies
Bringing home the Royal Three Counties Traditional Hereford breed championship for the very first time was Dorset-based breeder Mr Peter Davies, Weymouth, whose homebred 2-year-old bull South Buckland Major took the top spot under judge Mr Keith Siddorn, Chester, on Friday 12 June. Born in February 2024 and praised on the day by the judge for having excellent locomotion and body traits, Major’s pedigree features a variety of well-known animals of the past, being sired by the 1991-born AI sire Llandinabo Pop and out of homebred cow South Buckland Hope, an AI daughter of the well-regarded 1962 MMB bull Ffostill Brigadier.
Reserve Breed Champion Poolhullock Amorous 9th, bred and exhibited by Mr J Helme
Standing in reserve was another February 2024-born animal, heifer Poolhullock Amorous 9th bred and exhibited by local breeder Mr Jeremy Helme, Hereford. Sired by Baytal Jeremy, this heifer impressed judge Mr Keith Siddorn with her functionality and overall appearance, with Keith commenting that she would be “the type of animal I’d very much like to put in my herd”.
Reserve Female Champion Albany Dowager 48th, bred and exhibited by Mr L Cook
Reserve Male Champion Albany Odyssey, bred and exhibited by Mr L Cook
The reserve female championship was awarded to junior heifer class winner Albany Dowager 48th from Mr Leslie Cook, Cambridge. Sired by the prolific Boresisle Richmond EX94, this heifer is one of fewer than 50 remaining pedigree registered females of the original Dowager female family, as recorded in the most recent THBC census. The reserve male champion was another from the same breeder – Albany Odyssey born in August 2024 – also sired by Boresisle Richmond EX94 and out of Albany Oyster Girl 19th VG89.
Success also continued at the show for the South Buckland herd on Sunday 14 June, when Mr Peter Davies’ South Buckland Major and South Buckland Hope were tapped forward as the Reserve Interbreed Pair in the RBST Watchlist Championship under judge Mr Bernard Llewellyn, Llandeilo.
Congratulations are given to all of the exhibitors on bringing out a bumper entry for this year’s show, which judge Mr Keith Siddorn described as being “a great honour and privilege to have been asked [to judge], and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. All of the cattle present were of great quality and were so very well presented; what a superb sight they were in the ring”. You can see more of Mr Siddorn’s post-judging comments in the video here.
Results – Traditional Hereford
Judge Mr Keith Siddorn, Cheshire
Class C291 Bull born in 2024
1st South Buckland Major, Mr P Davies
2nd Albany Odyssey, Mr L Cook
3rd Caebach X-Calibur, N & R Johnson
Class 292 Bull born in 2025
1st Rhydri Kaleb, Mr A & Mrs G Crow
Class C293 Cow in calf or milk born before 1 January 2023
1st South Buckland Hope, Mr P Davies
Class C294 Cow or Heifer in calf or milk born in 2023
1st Caebach Whitney Plum, N & R Johnson
Class C295 Heifer born in 2024
1st Poolhullock Amorous 9th, Mr J Helme
2nd Sunny Bella Sylvia 1st, Mr M Horton
3rd Albany Leopard, Mr L Cook
4th South Buckland Zara, Mr P Davies
5th South Buckland Gemma, Mr P Davies
Class C296 Heifer born in 2025
1st Albany Dowager 48th, Mr L Cook
2nd South Buckland Matilda, Mr P Davies
3rd Sunny Celeste Laura 1st, Mr M Horton
4th Langridge Squashie, Miss F Cook
5th Caebach Yamaha Amorous, N & R Johnson
6th Rhydri Kate Julia, Mr A & Mrs G Crow
Class C297 Bull or heifer calf, less than 8 months old on the day of the show
1st Snowy Laura, The Elms School
Class C298 Pair of animals, exhibitor bred (The Dowlman Cup presented by the Dowlman family for best exhibitor bred pair)
1st Albany, Mr L Cook
2nd Caebach, N & R Johnson
3rd Rhydri, Mr A & Mrs G Crow
4th South Buckland, Mr P Davies
Junior male champion Rhydri Kaleb, Mr A & Mrs G Crow
Male champion South Buckland Major, Mr P Davies
Reserve male champion Albany Odyssey, Mr L Cook
Senior female champion South Buckland Hope, Mr P Davies
Reserve senior female champion Caebach Whitney Plum, N & R Johnson
Junior female champion Poolhullock Amorous 9th, Mr J Helme
Reserve junior female champion Albany Dowager 48th, Mr L Cook
Female champion Poolhullock Amorous 9th, Mr J Helme
Reserve female champion Albany Dowager 48th, Mr L Cook
Junior champion Poolhullock Amorous 9th, Mr J Helme
Reserve junior champion Albany Dowager 48th, Mr L Cook
Breed champion South Buckland Major, Mr P Davies
Reserve breed champion Poolhullock Amorous 9th, Mr J Helme
Words: Sarah Cook
Photos: Hutchinson Photography