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www.beltex.co.uk
Beltex Sheep SocietyShepherds View,
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Summer Shows 2011 Judges Profilessome information about Judges at the major summer shows BALMORAL (11th – 13th May)
Andrew Bishop from Pitfield Farm, Eldersfield, Gloucestershire is sure to provide exhibitors at Balmoral with top quality judging experience having been involved with the Beltex breed from the start, with his many notable successes at primestock shows he has helped the Beltex breed become established since it was first imported into the UK. After Andrew judged at The Royal Highland last year, for the second time, many people commented what an outstanding job he had done judging the large classes of Beltex. Having won numerous primestock and carcass shows and being an accomplished pedigree breeder Andrew will want his prize winners to be a traditional double muscled Beltex with a good loin, shoulders and head and correct mouth and legs – his champion will be a sheep that he would use in his own flock and have the traditional Beltex attributes. Andrew has 800 Beltex Ewes, 300 hill ewes put to the Bluefaced Leicester with a 100 crossbred ewes, he also farms 70 suckler cows with a herd of pedigree British Blues and small herds of Limousin and Charolais. Favourite Beltex Moment – Winning the grand slam of butchers lamb championships and the major winter primestock shows in 2009 – also winning the Beltex Championship and Interbreed at the Great Yorkshire Show with a ewe lamb and selling her for 4000 gns after winning at the Lanark Sale Favourite Music - Rihanna Favourite Food – a real good steak Favourite Sport – Rugby and Horse Racing – Andrew’s son Charlie Bishop is quickly establishing himself as a flat jockey, based at Mick Channons stable
THREE COUNTIES SHOW (17th – 19th June)
David Findlay’s first visit to the Three Counties will be to judge the “English National Beltex Show”. Exhibitors will be expertly judged by a long serving and top quality Beltex breeder. David from Birdridding Farm, Leyburn is one of the original breeders who purchased Beltex from the first imports into the UK and has enthusiastically flown the Beltex flag by selling his finished lambs in Yorkshire Marts with considerable success. His criteria for his prize winners is that he will be looking for sheep that are muscled true type Beltex, with good skins, fine boned and are correct with style and class. David farms 200 pedigree Beltex with 300 commercial sheep and 200 Cheviots, he also has 70 suckler cows and 25 Red Deer hinds. He is enthusiastic about his Cheviot ewes crossed with a Rouge Tup to breed ewe lamb replacements which are then put back to the Beltex to breed exceptional prime lambs. Favourite Beltex Moment – Winning the Overall Championship at the Royal Welsh Show 2008 Favourite Music – U2 Favourite Food – clotted cream on any pudding – enjoys cooking Favourite Sport – Cricket
ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW (23rd – 26th June)
Kevin Buckle of Buckles Farm, Kirkby Stephen considers being chosen to judge the Royal Highland as a real honour and is looking forward to the challenge of judging the Beltex on offer. Exhibitors at The Royal Highland will have Kevin’s highly acclaimed judging expertise sorting through large classes of quality sheep. Having had considerable success at both the Great Yorkshire and the Royal Highland and the Beltex Premier sale, Kevin’s criteria for his prize winners will be based on his past achievements. He will be looking for sheep with lots of muscle a good loin and shoulder; he will also be looking for a Beltex with a good head and lots of character. Kevin farms 600 acres plus fell rights with 500 Swaledales, 500 crossbred, 200 Cheviot and 80 Beltex Ewes at Buckles Farm, Kirkby Stephen and also finishes cattle at the recently acquired Broxty Farm Favourite Beltex Moment – breeding and showing Buckles Masterpiece – winning at the Royal Highland as a lamb and aged tup and the Great Yorkshire as a shearling tup and aged tup. Favourite Music – Irish Music and Norah Jones Favourite Food – Fois Gras – with Fish as a main course and a glass of Rioja – Kevin also enjoys cooking and growing vegetables for exhibiting at local horticultural shows. Favourite Sport – National Hunt Racing, with Cheltenham as his favourite racecourse (lambing at Buckles Farm is planned to fit around the dates of the Cheltenham Festival)
GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW (12th -14th July)
John Barclay (Beachy) is looking forward to his judging on his first visit to the Great Yorkshire show. He will not confirm if he will be wearing a traditional Scottish kilt in the ring, but this may be a possibility. Exhibitors can be sure of receiving the full attention of an enthusiastic successful Scottish Beltex breeder, “Beachy” has been a strong supporter of the qualities of Beltex Sheep in Scotland and is known to be an excellent judge within the breed. He said “I will be looking for sheep with good muscle, loin, size and length with a correct mouth and legs” – but his final choice will need to be a Beltex with plenty of character and spark. He farms at Midbrockloch Farm, Maybole, Ayrshire where he runs 75 pedigree Beltex Ewes, 150 Suffolk Ewes (of which half are crossed to the Beltex) also 60 dairy cows and buys in store cattle for finishing. Favourite Beltex Moment – “was being awarded the championship at the Carlisle sale in August 2010, but winning the female championship and reserve overall at the Royal Highland comes a close second.” Favourite Music – traditional Scottish (Beachy is an accomplished accordion player) Favourite Food – prawn cocktail, followed by a good steak Favourite Sport – Rugby, he follows his local side Ayr and Beachy
is also a keen golfer, playing off a creditable 6 handicap – although
the golf has been put on hold since the arrival of twin boys last November.
ROYAL WELSH SHOW (18th – 21st July)
Graham Burke of Cairndrum Farm Cottage, Edzell, Brechin, is really looking forward to his first visit to the Royal Welsh and the enthusiastic welsh breeders can be sure of a top quality judge placing the prize winners. As past chairman of the society and a director of Lawrie and Symington managing Forfar Mart and also a top Beltex Breeder, Graham has all the top qualities to judge the impressive classes of Beltex that will be before him at the Welsh event. He will be looking for sheep with traditional breed qualities and that shows real character and spark, also a correct mouth and legs. Graham’s choice for his overall winner will in his words “need to be the complete Beltex” and would be a sheep he would use in his own highly acclaimed Beltex flock. Graham’s enthusiasm for the breed stems from selling and viewing the qualities of numerous Beltex prime lambs passing through the ring at Forfar Mart and receiving the positive feedback from the buyers of the lambs they purchased. Favourite Beltex Moment – Selling his Tup Lamb Pentland Hero to the Conningswick flock for 6,800 gns at Carlisle in 2004 Favourite Music – Take That – Graham is going to see them in concert this year. Favourite Food – a real hot curry Favourite Sport – having played for Biggar Graham is a keen Rugby enthusiast. Another fact - Graham also has a large collection of model farm machinery - with more than 500 tractors. |
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