The Royal Norfolk provided the platform for the 2023 Simmental English National Show on Wednesday 28th June, where almost 60 pedigree Simmentals put on a spectacle.
After some strong competition across the classes, it was the six-year-old cow Popes Princess Immie, with her bull calf at foot Popes Premier, who took the Overall Supreme Championship title, and Champion Female title, for Jimmy and Vikki Wood, Popes Farm, Preston, Lancashire.
This highly decorated show cow was also the dam of last year’s English National Show Champion, Popes Princess Lumi, and the dam of Popes Princess Hettie, the mother of the 2023 Junior Champion at the English National Show, Popes Princess Noor. For good measure, Popes Princess Immie’s bull calf at foot, the January-born Popes Premier by Popes Lethal Weapon, went on to win the prize for the Best Simmental Calf at Foot.
Commenting on the Championship win, Mr and Mrs Wood said: “It’s really fantastic, and a great honour, to win the Simmental English National Show. A lot of hard work and dedication goes into the cattle by all in the Popes team and days like this continue to make it all so worthwhile. There have been some tremendous Simmental cattle on show this summer and today very much continued that trend. The local breeders in the East Anglian area are producing some great cattle and the quality of Simmental stock across the show was of a really high standard. We’ll continue to be very loyal to both the Simmental breed and to the English National Show as we feel it’s a terrific shop window.”
Event judge, John Moore, said: “Popes Princess Immie is just a very modern Simmental cow. She’s a super easy fleshing female with a lovely second thigh, is full of milk, and is a working Simmental mum rearing a really good calf at foot. Across the classes there’s been a terrific show of Simmentals, particularly the females, and the standard is a great credit to all of the exhibitors who I warmly congratulate.”
Lifting the Reserve Overall Supreme, and the Female Overall Reserve, was the senior cow Sterling Celia’s Fifi who is ‘multiply owned’ by the Cade herd of Paul and Sharrie Cade, Paddock Farm, Buckden; the Brandane herd of Jimmy McMillan, Bradwell Ash, Bury St Edmunds; and the Key herd of GD Key & Sons, Loddon, Norwich.
It was a major show debut to remember for local breeders Chris & Zara Curson of the Hollybrook herd, based some ten minutes from the showground, at Hollybrook Farm, Dereham, who lifted the Overall Male Championship, and Junior Male Championship with their February 2022 born bull Cade Nugget. Purchased privately in March this year from Paul and Sharrie Cade, Paddock Farm, Buckden, this bull is by Sacombe Jameson, and out of Brandane Kathleen, a Blackford Hurricane daughter.
Mr Curson said: “Living just ten minutes away, this is a show I grew up with and have been to over many years. To now meet with this success is truly amazing and just a tremendous honour. With the English National on our doorstep we really wanted to support the show. There’s some great Simmental cattle in this area as we’ve seen today from a number of breeders and the show was really competitive but in such a friendly environment amongst supportive exhibitors.”
Following the Male Champion through from his class to take the Reserve Overall Male, and Reserve Junior Male, was the February 2022 born Grangewood Nobel from the Leedham team of Andrew and Yvonne, and their son Callum, from Rowan Farm, Pickering, North Yorkshire. Later in the day, the Leedhams met with further success when winning the Best Pair bred by exhibitor. Grangewood Nobel teamed up to win this section with the second prize heifer Grangewood Tollie’s Millie. Rounding off a successful day for the herd, Grangewood Tollie’s Natasha took the red rosette in the strong second heifer class of the day.
Back in the females and taking the Senior Heifer title was Denizes Eve’s Beauty 7th from the Wacton herd of another local breeder RE & SHW Steggles, Fieldings, Honingham, Norfolk. The 2023 Simmental English National Show proved to be a hugely successful one with the Wacton herd perhaps most noticeably winning the Imex Plate, for the breeder and herd winning the award for the most points in the classes.
Speaking afterwards, Sam Steggles said: “Norfolk is our home show and we could just about walk the cows here. With it being combined with the Simmental English National Show, and to meet with the success we’ve had, has been a truly mind-blowing experience and is now a very high bar to exceed. To win the ‘most points’ award with the esteemed breeders and enthusiasts that were here is amazing and an emotional phone call has been shared with my grandmother!”
Congratulations were also awarded to young breeder Finlay Soutter whose outstanding heifer, Brandane Millie, stood second in another high-quality class to Denizes Eve’s Beauty 7th. On the second day, Finlay swept all before him when he won the prestigious Overall Championship for Young Handlers and was presented with his prize by William, Prince of Wales.
