Suffolk Show’s dairy cattle contests on Day 1 praised for top quality of exhibits
Dairy champions, left to right, John, Louise and Christine Smith. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
The quality of the entries in the dairy section of the Suffolk Show cattle contests has been praised by the judge after a top-notch display of animals.
Suffolk Show cattle competitors Peter Prior and daughter Charlie Moody, with Easthaugh Audrey 70, who was crowned Holstein breed champion at the show. The cow is the product of a joint effort by Designer Holsteins of Ingatestone in Essex and Norfolk farmer Eddie Brigham. - Credit: Archant
Glyn Lucas, who judged all the dairy entries, said: 'It's my first time at the Suffolk Show and I would just like to congratulate all the exhibitors because it has been a really high quality show.'
It was a good day for two Essex farming families with a host of wins for St Osyth dairy farmer John Smith and more accolades for small-scale breeder Peter Prior, who farms near Writtle, with a Holstein cow which continues to go from strength to strength.
Mr Lucas praised Holstein breed winner Easthaugh Audrey 70 for her 'exceptional udder' and said she excelled in all the Holstein Friesian traits. 'She was just a close to perfect young cow really,' he said.
'It's one of the best-made cows I have seen in 2017 and I would expect to see her competing at national level later on in the year.'
Suffolk Show cattle competitor Christine Smith, of St Osyth with her winning Jersey breed champion, Kinder Amity Primrose. - Credit: Archant
The animal, jointly owned by Peter and by Eddie Brigham of Norfolk, is last year's inter-breed winner at the Suffolk and Royal Norfolk and is part of a small herd of 35 cattle kept by Peter in Essex, who has four daughters, all keen on livestock rearing.
'We just do it as an interest. We have always had cattle and we like showing,' he said. 'It's the fifth show she's done - she's unbeaten. She's producing over 70 litres of milk per day - probably the highest-yielding cow we have ever had. Eddie Brigham bred her. It's just years of breeding that's gone into it.'
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Easthaugh Audrey already has one daughter, but when her show days are over, she is destined to go on to embryo transfer work. However, winning at shows was not a foregone conclusion, said Peter. 'We are always hopeful but you just never know. they'll be other people with good animals and it depends how they come out on the day.'
It was also a good day for the Smith family, which celebrated wins across the board for its entries.
John Smith's Ayrshire cow, Longwood Crown Margot, took the Any Other Breed top title. Meanwhile, his mother, Christine's Kinder Amity Primrose scooped the champion Jersey title.
'I'm over the moon about it - it's absolutely fantastic,' said Christine, who added that the dairy farm was 'holding its own'.
