Tuesday 30 May 2023
Taking the interbreed accolade at Shropshire County Show was Solpoll 1 Trailblazer from L and L Bowen who had made the trip north from their Glamorgan home having already stood native, supreme and male champion that day after leading the senior bull class. Purchased from Northern Ireland’s John and William McMordie at £10,000, it is a son of Solpoll 1 Promoter, which was imported from Canada as an embryo. Its dam is Solitude 1 Duchess bred by Andrew McMordie and goes back to the Duchess line at Dorepoll. Trailblazer also went on to stand interbreed champion pair with stablemate Bowendu 1 Ruby 2nd.
Interbreed, supreme and male champion – Solpoll 1 Trailblazer from L and L Bowen
Standing next to Trailblazer in the supreme championship was Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret, taking the reserve position. Bred and exhibited by SC and GL Hartwright, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the current UK show herd of the year, it too is heavily influenced by Solpoll breeding, being a son of the 8,000gns UK sire of the year Solpoll 1 Perfection. Last year, this September 2020-born female took red tickets in its class at Shropshire and at the Royal Highland.
Reserve supreme and female champion – Spartan 1 Victoria’s Secret from SC and GL Hartwright
Hallwood 1 Lady Jewel from R and RI Shaw, Wirral stood reserve female champion having won the July 2020 to 30 June 2021 heifer class. By AI sire Fabb 1 Northern Star it is out Hallwood Jewel, a daughter of Canadian embryo import, Hallwood 1 Nibbs.
Reserve female champion – Halwood 1 Lady Jewel from R and RI Shaw
The reserve male champion title also headed to Oxfordshire with Spartan 1 Voyager SP V138 from SC and GL Hartwright coming to the fore. Born in March 2021, it is another by Solpoll 1 Perfection which has done so well for the breeders. It is out of Panmure 1 Plum K19, a daughter of Hawkesbury 1 Volcano and stood reserve intermediate champion at the National Poll Show as well as reserve male champion at the Royal Norfolk.
Reserve male champion – Spartan 1 Voyager SP V138 from SC and GL Hartwright
The July to December 2021 bull class was led by M and C Shaw, Ilmington, Warwickshire with Thornysure 1 Willy Wonka. Out of Solpoll 1 Ferrari daughter Kinaston 1 Neala, it is by Fisher 1 Monarch, a superior carcase sire purchased at the 2017 spring show and sale for 6,000gns.
Thornysure 1 Willy Wonka
The most junior bull class forward saw success for January 2022-born Hallwood 1 Apollo. By yet another Canadian embryo import, this time Dorepoll 1 93N Nationwide, it is out of a home-bred dam.
Hallwood 1 Apollo
In the females, the senior class was led by locals G Llewellyn and D Sharman, Weston Heath, Shropshire with Harvest 1 Alice and its calf at-foot. By Hollyvalle 1 Neville purchased at the 2017 autumn show and sale for 3,000gns where it also stood grand male champion, it is out of Shraden 1 Alice R863 which was bought out of Shrewsbury in 2019 for 2,200gns.
Harvest 1 Alice
The July to December 2021 heifer class was won by young members A and N Hughes, Llanwyddelan, Powys with the October 2021-born Ashnan 1 Fancy Kicks, a Moralee 1 Rebel Kicks son. Also with Moralee breeding on its maternal side, it is out of Moralee 1 Dainty 1st.
Ashnan 1 Fancy Kicks
A previous Christmas calf show junior champion, Bowendu 1 Ruby 2nd from L and L Bowen attracted the red ticket in the January to March heifer class. January-born, it is a daughter of the day’s supreme champion Solpoll 1 Trailblazer and out of Dendor 1 Ruby 23rd which was third place female of the year in both 2019 and 2017. On the show scene, it took reserve supreme champion at the 2019 Royal Cornwall Show, supreme at the Royal Bath and West, Devon County and Pembroke Shows.
Bowendu 1 Ruby 2nd
The junior heifer class saw RJ and PS Windsor, Sound, Cheshire come to the fore with Sound’s Villa 1 Fasion 2nd. With its maternal line going back to Costhorpe breeding, it is by Australian AI sire Wirruna Peace P198.
Sound’s Villa 1 Fasion 2nd
The pairs class was won by SC and GL Hartwright as well as the group of three.
Group of three