Agri Expo Breed Society Shows
Harrison & Hetherington has unveiled details of its judging panel for the five national breed shows that it will host at this year’s Borderway Agri Expo.
Earlier this year, organisers announced that renowned Co Donegal-based cattle breeder, Pearse McNamee, will be among this year’s cattle judges, as reported by www.thatsfarming.com in this news article.
He will be joined by Gwyn Edwards and John Sinnett, and the following breeding society show judges:
- Aberdeen Angus Winter National Show – Andrew Hodge;
- Northwest Simmental Club Youngstock Show – Heather Duff;
- Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society Open Calf Show – Esyllt Price;
- Twm Jones – Hereford Calf Show;
- Border British Blue Club Open Calf Show – Barney Morgan.
Borderway Agri Expo has established a reputation for attracting “the highest calibre of entries” across the national breed shows.
Taking place on Friday, October 27th, this year, the event will once again be live-streamed to an audience of thousands across the world.
Millar comments
Borderway Agri Expo’s event organiser, Laura Millar, said:
“These five major breed society national shows are a wonderful highlight at Agri Expo.”
“It is a privilege to welcome the best of these superb pedigree breeds to Borderway, and we have the very best of experts to judge them for us.”
“It is particularly interesting to be able to give a younger generation of breeders the challenge of judging these exceptionally high-quality classes.”
“I am hugely grateful to all our judges, exhibitors and breed societies for helping to make Agri Expo such a success yet again this year,” Millar added.
Across two articles on www.thatsfarming.com, we will tell you more about each of the judges, starting with Heather Duff and Esyllt Price.
Simmental
Simmental judge, Heather Duff, and her parents, Arthur, and Jennifer, established their Pedigree Simmental enterprise in 2010 at Pitmudie Farm near Dundee.
Heather farms part-time at home, helping to build their pedigree Simmental herd up to 50 calving cows alongside a 110-strong commercial herd.
Having started showing cattle about 10 years ago, the family have become successful regulars on the Scottish showing circuit, winning female, and reserve overall Simmental, at the Highland Show in 2018 and taking Champion of Champions at Fettercairn and Interbreed Cattle Champion at Kirriemuir Show this season.
Heather, who has never been to Borderway Agri Expo before, has exceptional breeding and showing experience to guide her decisions.
“This is a great honour. I am delighted to have been invited to judge the Simmentals at such a noted event.”
“When judging I will be looking for well-balanced animals with good locomotion, and I will also be looking for character.”
Beef Shorthorn
The Beef Shorthorn classes are to be judged by Esyllt Price of Llanilar, Aberystwyth in Wales.
In partnership with her husband and parents, Esyllt farms 550 acres at Llanilar, where the Price family established their Llwynhywel pedigree herd seven years ago.
Today, they calve 90 pedigree Beef Shorthorn breeding females, including 70 pure cows, alongside 60 commercial cows.
The farm’s sheep enterprise includes 850 ewes and its noted equine enterprise is home to 15 Welsh cob mares.
Esyllt first accompanied her father showing commercial cattle at the Welsh Winter Fair aged 10.
Much more recently, the Price family secured the 2019 Royal Welsh Male and Overall Reserve Championship.
Esyllt showed their female champion and reserve overall champion Shorthorn at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2022 when the world congress show of the Beef Shorthorn took place.
Esyylt has judged Beef Shorthorn at shows in Darlington, and some local shows in Wales, but this will be her first visit to Agri Expo.
“I am absolutely delighted to have been asked to judge,” she said ahead of the event.
“It is a real honour, and I am looking forward to seeing what I know will be some exceptional quality cattle.”
“I will be looking for a smart, stylish, eye-catching, powerful animal, that has plenty of length and width with good growth potential,” Price concluded.
See more farming news on www.thatsfarming.com
