In this article, we take a look at the final three members of the judging panel at this year’s Borderway Agri Expo.
Harrison & Hetherington has unveiled details of its judging panel for 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.
Read this article on Price and Duff.
Aberdeen Angus
Judging this year’s Aberdeen Angus classes is Andrew Hodge of Rulesmains Farm near Duns in the Scottish Borders.
Andrew, with his wife Jill and daughter Emma,run a a 1500-acre family farming enterprise which is in the main arable, along with a 135-head suckler herd of cattle which includes the noted Ruelsmains herd of Aberdeen Angus.
The herd was established in 2008, and today comprises 110 pedigree Aberdeen Angus.
Andrew is no stranger to Borderway Agri Expo, having attended the event every year and with many rosettes, having returned from Borderway to Rulesmains.
Andrew said he will be seeking: “cattle which have character and presence in the ring, of course, along with shape and growth”.
“Agri Expo is an important event for the young calves, and it is always great to see the high calibre of stock which is put forward and I am looking forward to judging them.”
Hereford
Hereford Calf Show judge, Twm Jones, farms with his parents and brother at Gwastadgoed Farm in Wales, running their pedigree herd of Herefords and a flock of commercial sheep.
Home to the Dendor Herefords since the herd’s formation by Twm’s grandparents in the early 1960s, the family switched to Poll Herefords in the 1970s with the introduction of stock bull Wayland 1 Harrow.
Today, the aim of the Dendor Herd is to continue to focus on cattle that are “capable of producing offspring for either the pedigree or commercial herd that meet the current market requirements”.
Now aged 26, Twm has been around Herefords all his life. He has shown cattle across the UK and is no stranger to showing at Agri Expo.
Earlier this year, he judged at the Royal Norfolk Show and in advance of his presence at Borderway, he said:
“I am very excited to have been invited to judge, it is an honour to be asked.”
“Being from Wales, I am looking forward to seeing cattle from other areas of the country.”
“When I am judging, I will be looking for all the traditional values of the Hereford, along with meeting the modern demands of today’s farmers and consumers.”
British Blues
Meanwhile, Barney Morgan from the Almeley Herd in Herefordshire will be judging the British Blues.
Set up by his father Graham Morgan, the noted Almeley Blues Herd today comprises 35 breeding cows.
The Morgan’s regularly sell in the region of 15 bulls across the spring and autumn sales at Carlisle and in recent years, have topped sales at Carlisle.
Barney has always been involved in the family farming enterprise, running 700 feeding cattle alongside their pedigree Blues, and having helped show cattle from a young age, it is Barney who now does the showing.
Aged 25, he is already well respected within the British Blue Cattle Society and has judged at a number of local shows.
Although regularly attending Borderway as both a purchaser and vendor, this is his first attendance at Borderway Agri Expo:
“It is a real privilege to be invited to judge at such a prestigious event.”
“It will be a challenge, but in judging I will be looking for correctness, mobility wide tops and an all-round animal with a sweet head combined with power and a beast that will help the breed move forward.”
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