Our main line summer show season ended at Builth Wells for the Royal Welsh with our successful bull Foxhillfarm Jasper winning his yearling bull class before taking the reserve male championship under judge Steven Priestley.
Of the females in our team, Foghillfarm Ivy stood second in the two year old class, while Foxhillfarm Isla stood sixth in the same class. Meanwhile, in the yearling heifer classes Foxhillfarm Joselyn stood third in the yearling class, while Foxhillfarm Justthejob came fifth.
Jasper then carried on his winning form by teaming up with Ivy to win the interbreed pairs and they were then joined by Isla to win the team of three’s. Ivy and Isla were then part of the winning interbreed group of five, while Jasper won the interbreed junior championship and Beef Performance championship. To top things off, Foxhill were then aware the overall championship for the cattle lines competition.
Today was yet another great day in the show ring for the Foxhill team, but reigning supreme today under Mark Quick was Foxhillfarm Ivy, our two year old heifer by Vantastic out of Bankdale Alice.
She was previously female and reserve overall champion at the Royal Highland and stood female champion and reserve overall at Bath and West and Royal Cornwall.
Meanwhile, her full brother and highly successful Foxhillfarm Jasper won his class and then went on to take the male championship, as well as reserve junior championship. Jasper has stood breed champion at the Highland, interbreed and Burke Trophy champion at the Royal Cornwall and breed champion at Bath and West.
Also in the team was Foghillfarm Isla, another full sister to Ivy, who stood second to her and Foghillfarm Joslyn and Foghillfarm Just The One, who were fourth and fifth, respectively in the yearling heifer class.
Meanwhile we then won the pairs and group of three classes.
Charlotte’s Highland heifer Ebony of Alanfern was fourth in a strong class.
We were absolutely delighted to win overall champion and reserve at the Royal Highland having stood male and female champion with home bred cattle.
Foxhillfarm Jasper took overall honours having won his class, junior championship and male championship.
This Loosebeare Fantastic son is out of Bankdale Alice. He has already stood interbreed champion at Royal Cornwall and Devon County as well as breed champion at Bath and West, together with Ivy they have been interbreed pairs champion at Devon County, Bath and West and Royal Cornwall, including the Burke Trophy.
In the Limousin section Jasper and Ivy stood top of the pairs class, they were then joined by Joslyn to win the group of three class.
Alice’s daughter Foxhillfarm Ivy stood female champion and reserve overall. This two year old heifer is by Vantastic and stood female champion and reserve overall at Bath and West and Royal Cornwall.
In the interbreed championships Bankdale Elizabeth and Foxhillfarm Ivy were part of the reserve group of four with Brockhurst Elvis and Glenrock Jewel.
Ivy’s 2009-born full sister Bankdale Elizabeth stood second in the in-calf cow class.
Foxhillfarm Isla stood second to Ivy in the two year old heifer class, she is a full sister to Ivy being by Vantastic and out of Alice.
Our yearling heifers stood third and fifth with Foxhillfarm Joslyn standing third then her full sister Foxhillfarm Justtheone in fifth. They are both by Loosebeare Fantastic and out of Alice making them full sisters to Jasper.
Click here to watch a video of our cattle during judging.
The team will next be heading to the Great Yorkshire Show then the Royal Welsh.
Foxhillfarm Limousins were in the limelight once again at Royal Cornwall when Princess Alexandra presented the Burke Trophy to Foxhillfarm Jasper and Foxhillfarm Ivy.
It was certainly another dream come true to win the coveted Burke Trophy with a home bred pair. The pair have now completed a hat trick of interbreed pairs championships having already won at Devon County and Bath and West.
Foxhillfarm Jasper continues to dominate the Limousin section and individual interbreed championships. Sired by Loosebeare Fantastic he is out of the prolific brood cow Bankdale Alice. Limousin judge Paul Sykes tapped out Jasper as male and overall breed champion before he went on to take the recorded bull interbreed, junior interbreed and overall interbreed titles under judge David Leggat.
Standing reserve breed champion to him was his maternal sister Foxhillfarm Ivy, a Vantastic daughter. She came through as female champion and also enjoyed interbreed pairs success with Jasper.
In the other classes Bankdale Elizabeth stood second in the cow class.
While Foxhillfarm Isla stood second behind Ivy and Foxhillfarm Izzy stood third. Then in the yearling class it was Foxhillfarm Joslyn that lead the way ahead of Foxhillfarm Jodie in second and Foxhillfarm Josie in third.
Next stop now for the Limousins in the Royal Highland Show, but first Charlotte’s Highland heifer will head to Three Counties.
Foxhillfarm Limousins were once again rubbing shoulders with celebrities at Bath and West Show when Jasper was congratulated in the parade by Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Enviroment, Food and Rural Affairs and Lord Fellows, director of Downton Abbey.
Foxhillfarm Jasper shone again taking the male and overall championship honours under judge Jonathan Aiken. Following his interbreed success the previous week at Devon County, he went on to be interbreed bull champion and overall junior interbreed champion.
Standing reserve overall champion to him was his maternal sister Foxhillfarm Ivy, having come through the breed classes as female champion.
Together Jasper and Ivy won the interbreed pairs championship under judge David Barker with Foghillfarm Isla joining them to be group of three interbreed champion. We also had cattle out in the interbreed winning group of four.
Standing behind Ivy in the two year old heifer class in second was Foxhillfarm Isla, while in third was Foxhillfarm Izzy. Meanwhile, our senior cow, Bankdale Elizabeth stood second in the cow class.
In the yearling heifer class Foxhillfarm Joslyn stood first, followed by Foxhillfarm Justtheone and Foxhillfarm Josie in third. Next stop for us is Royal Cornwall, followed by Royal Three Counties…
The first outing of the season was certainly a successful one for our show team with the added highlight of meeting Princess Anne on Thursday. She was interested in the ET work we do at Foxhill and also the breeding of our Limousin line up.
Star of the show was Foxhillfarm Jasper who won junior Limousin champion, male champion and overall breed champion. He then went on to be junior interbreed champion, interbreed continental champion and overall interbreed champion.
He paired with his maternal sister Foxhillfarm Ivy to win the Limousin and interbreed pairs and Isla joined them to take the honours in the Limousin and interbreed group of three.
In the Limousin judging Foxhillfarm Ivy won the two year old class, by Vantastic she is out of Bankdale Alice. Ivy stood reserve female champion and also won the interbreed local beef championship. In the class she was followed by full sisters Foxhillfarm Isla and Izzy in second and third.
Bankdale Elizabeth had her first show outing and stood top of the cow class. Born 2009 she is also by Vantastic and out of Alice and was purchased for 35,000gns at the Bankdale dispersal.
It was a one, two, three, placing in the yearling heifer class with Foxhillfarm Joslyn standing top followed by Foxhillfarm Justtheone in second. They are full sisters by Fantastic and out of Alice, making them full sisters to Jasper. In third was Foxhillfarm Josie, she is by Objat and is out of Bankdale Elizabeth.
Standing second in the calf class was Foxhillfarm Jurassic, a July 2014-born Vantastic son out of Alice.
Charlotte’s own two year old Highland heifer Ebony of Allanfearn stood second in the any other breed class. Sired by Angus Dubh of Allanfearn she is out of Ruby of Allanfearn.
The team is now settled in at Shepton Mallet ready for Bath and West Show.
What a day’s trade for us in Carlisle, our four ET-bred bulls by Loosebeare Fantastic out of our foundation female Bankdale Alice have done us proud, topping at 35,000gns, grossing £101,850 and averaging £25,462.50.
Sale leader for us was our junior and overall champion, Foxhillfarm Jasper. Born January 2014, Jasper has been shown as a calf being part of the Duke of Norfolk team at the East of England Smithfield Festival, as well as standing third at the National Calf Show in November last year at the English Winter Fair. With a beef value of +47, he was sold for 35,000gns to Messrs Jenkinson, Whinfellpark.
In what is perhaps a first within the breed, Foxhillfarm Jasper is the third supreme champion at Carlisle out of the same cow, Bankdale Alice, and follows previous winners Foxhillfarm Impecabull and Bankdale Exfactor respectively. Of course, she is also the mother of our highly successful show heifer Foxhillfarm Gracie.
Jasper has returned to Foxhole where he will be shown in our summer team and will head to the Royal Highland, Great Yorkshire, and Royal Welsh Shows before going to Whinfellpark. Describing his champion judge Eric Norman said: “This is a real breeders’ bull and was a clear champion on the day. He’s a very correct bull, full of breed character and modern in type. He has tremendous width, a real balance of natural power and shape without being extreme, and has excellent locomotion.”
Next best for us, selling for 29,000gns, was our reserve junior champion, Foxhillfarm Jupiter. This boy was second at the South West Calf Show in Cornwall last year, second at the East of England Smithfield Festival and reserve champion at the National Calf Show. His beef value of +37 and muscle depth of +4.9 rank him in the top 10% of the breed. Securing him was Stuart Fotheringham for his Ballinloan herd.
Meanwhile, the second placed Foxhillfarm Jackflash went for 19,000ngs to commercial producers Messrs E A Davies, Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Carrying a beef value of +34, he’s been previously un-shown.
Then wrapping up proceedings for us with a call of 14,000gns was the second placed Foxhillfarm Justthejob who found a new home with Albert Howie for his Knock herd.
This one was first and reserve champion at the South West Calf Show and Limousin and interbreed champion calf at the National Calf Show, before going on to be Limousin champion at the East of England Smithfield Festival Calf Show. We’d like to wish all our helpers, supporters and most importantly buyers for a fantastic two days in Carlisle. We’d also like to wish the buyers the very best with our bulls and look forward to hearing how they perform in the future.
Michael had the pleasure of judging the first Young Butcher’s challenge at the National Young Show Stars event at Malvern. He was very impressed with the incredibly high standard of the competitors and would be happy to employ either of them. The overall winner and securing one week work placement was 17-year old Ben Greenfield from Leicestershire. He works on the family farm where they run 1000 Texel cross ewes as well as running an on farm butchery operation. It was a very close competition with both Ben and the runner up having different areas of expertise but on the day Ben’s quality of display set him apart as the winner. We look forward to welcoming Ben to Stillmans and hope he enjoys his week.