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Local Devon and Cornwall Closewool breeders, the Darke family, Kingsbridge, Devon, came back with a bang after last year's show season with their yearling ram which was unbeaten last season.

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The Kithill-bred ram is part of their 80-ewe flock and was ably shown with assistance from their son, Jack who also won champion young handler at the show.

In the next few weeks, they will be heading to both the Bath and West and Royal Cornwall shows. 

Poll Dorset

It was the Poll Dorset champion, a yearling ewe from R. D. Rossiter, Kingsbridge, which took reserve. The family runs a 700-head flock of Dorsets and this ewe is out of the Groormana Australian line they are breeding from. It marked a pleasant return to the showring for the family after a five-year break and they will also attend the Royal Cornwall Show in a few weeks' time.  

After completing his judging tasks, John Scott, Inverness, said: "I have seen sheep of the highest calibre today and it is great to see so many local breeds on display. My champion was correct, fit and showed itself well both on and off the halter. It had the X factor and its feet and legs were excellent. While my reserve had a great character and femininity."  

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Charollais

In the Charollais section, father and son team, Matthew and Jamie Collard, Taunton, swept up the prizes, where they took female and male champion. Their breed champion was a stock ewe from their 30-head Fairoaks flock. They continued their success by winning the inter-breed group of three and pairs with fellow Charollais breeder Tom Newth, Shepton Mallet.  

North Country Cheviot

The North Country Cheviot champion came from local breeder Sam Pedrick, Dartmoor, with an aged ram, Humbleheugh EasyRider from his Brimley flock. He also took the reserve spot with a home-bred ewe out of Humbleheugh Billionaire.  

Cattle

Over in the cattle ring, the Alford family's Foxhillfarm herd picked up the inter-breed championship ticket.  

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Retaining the winning spot for another year, this time with the Aberdeen-Angus heifer, Foxhill Princess Caroline A265. This January 2024-bred home-bred heifer is out of Blelack Princess Caroline and a daughter of Kilmaluagh Eriskay. In the winter it was reserve junior champion at the Borderway Agri-Expo and junior native inter-breed champion at Stars of the Future. This heifer was also champion Devon-bred animal. 

While the champion Limousin, the heifer, Calogale Umbria, stepped into the reserve position for H.G. Perkins, Bath. The January 2023-born heifer is no stranger to the showring having picked up second at last year's Great Yorkshire Show and first place at the Bath and West show 2024. The Trueman Jagger daughter out of Trueman Florance and was bought from the 2023 Limousin Red Ladies sale.  

Reserve native went to the Devon champion, Stonegrove Invincible, an April 2023-born bull by Bollowal Invincible out of a home-bred cow from Stonegrove Livestock, Worcester. 

The Alford family also took the Charolais championship with their bull, Holywell Unclebob, a son of 9,000gns Nuthampstead Judas, which they bought in October from Stirling for 14,000gns from J.S. Middleton, Fraserburgh.   

This year's commercial championship saw heated competition between two Devonshire breeders, with Lin and Paul Calcraft, Devon, receiving the winning tap out for their heifer Volez Vous, by the British Blue bull, Dragonblues Firefly, which they bought from Carlisle in March as a weaned heifer from breeder James May, Worcester.   

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While the reserve ticket also stayed in the county with Jess Maynard and Vicky Smith, Cullompton, with Queen Of Me, a March 2024-born heifer out of a Speckle Park cross cow which is a daughter of Limousin bull, Poole Randy. 

Pigs

This year's pig section saw modern and traditional breeds battle it out for the champion title. Yorkshire-based judge, Mark Horsley, presented the overall champion prize to the Hampshire, from Henrietta Barker, who travelled from Leeds. Her October 2024-born gilt, Fulneck Anna is a Balsam First Turn daughter out of a Raisinhall sow.  

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While reserve went to the modern section champion, a Peitrain boar, Prestcombe Wadrif from Alice Newth, Devon. Home-bred on both sides, sired by Prestcombe Wadrif 2 and out of last year's supreme pig champion at the show, Prestcombe Paperasse 17.  

A stronger dairy entry was seen this year, judged by Andrew Thomas, Torrington who chose the Holstein from Oliver and Becky Reed, Exeter, as his champion. Their home-bred cow, Beaconhill Cheif Harriet was the winning junior cow before going on to be breed champion and part of the winning inter-breed pairs. 

Mr Thomas said: "This cow was a fantastic example of the breed, which excellent legs and feet which was met with tremendous balance.  

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The Davis family, Exeter, took reserve with their six-year-old Jersey, Rivermead Verdi Pixie, which won the inter-breed at the 2024 Royal Cornwall Show and the championship at UK Dairy Day. A daughter of Futuredreams Valentines Verdi, it is out of a  home-bred cow.  

The Brown Swiss champion from Thuborough Farms, Holsworthy, with the April 2021-born home-bred cow, Culverden Udoro Honeysuckle. 

Results 

Sheep 

Inter-breed (Judge, J. Scott, Inverness) Supreme, Darke family (Devon and Cornwall Longwool); reserve, R. D. Rossiter (Exmoor Horn).
Badger Face Texel (N. Smith, Gloucester) Sup., A. Carter; res., L. Winsor
Beltex (R. Garth, Yorkshire) Sup., A. Hill; res., L. Calcraft  
Bluefaced Leicester (A. Garthwaite, Devon) Sup., and res., H. Havill
Blue Texel (J. Kimber, Wiltshire) Sup., G. Renfree; res., A. Lockye
Border Leicester (A. Lyons, Somerset) Sup. and res., M. J. and V. M. Pile
British Berrichon (P. Wood, Talgarth) Sup., and res., M. Brice
British Charollais (G. Probert, Worcester) Sup., M. and J. Collard and res., T. Newth
Devon and Cornwall Longwool (L. Perrett, Devon) Sup. and res., M. S. Darke
Devon Closewool (S. Blade, Devon) Sup., P. Abel; res., G. Atkins
Dorset Down (T. Ward, Powys) Sup., A. Carter; C. Lockyer
Dutch Spotted (L. Nash, Pembroke) Sup., A. Carter; C. Lockyer
Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset (F. Fooks, Dorset) Sup. and res., R. D. Rossiter
Exmoor Horn (S. Routley, Devon) Sup. and res., C. G. Snell
Greyfaced Dartmoor (S. Champion, Somerset) Sup., C. Rush; res., R. Mortimore
Hampshire Down (H. Middleditch, Suffolk) Sup. and res., R. A. Rundle
Jacob (G. A. Jones, Hampshire) Sup. and res.
Kerry Hill (A. Brimble, Bristol) Sup. and res., H. Coad
Lleyn (B. Baker, Abergavenny) Sup. and res., S. Pedrick
North Country Cheviot (I. Graham, Lockerbie) Sup., W.J. Jordan; res., J. Williams
Rouge (O. Phillips, Hereford) Sup., A. Carter; res., R. Rundle
Roussin (G. Hutchings, Cornwall) Sup. and res., D. Prouse
Scotch Black Face (M. Heard, Devon) Sup. and res., W.J. Jordan
Suffolk (R. Pedrick, Devon) Sup. And res., R. Lawrence
Texel (J. Davies, Carmarthen) Sup., T. Prew; res., A. Carter
Valais Blacknose (J. Wood, Northampton) Sup., C. Slee; res.,A. Coombes
Whitefaced Dartmoor (H. Bond-Harding, Devon) Sup. And res., P. Abel
Zwartbles (A. Francis, Carmarthen) Sup., G. Browne; and res., M. Northmore  

Beef

Inter-breed (J. McMillan, Buckingham) Sup., Messrs Alford, Foxhill Princess Caroline A265 (Aberdeen Angus); res., H. G. Perkins, Calogale Umbria (Limousin)
Devon (N. Barbery, Cornwall) Sup., Stonegrove Livestock, Stonegrove Invincible; res., J. May, Priorton Yeoman
South Devon (D. Sandbach, Cornwall) Sup., Grove Farms, Grove Primrose 88; res.,  
Aberdeen-Angus (R. Bishop, Berkhire) Sup., Messrs Alford, Foxhill Princess Caroline A265; res., Messrs Alford, Foxhill Princess Carina Z178
Beef Shorthorn (J. Scott, Tain) Sup., C. N. Ruby, Muiresk Tartan Army; res., M. Cormack, Millerston Irania Rainbow
Hereford (L. Murphy, Oxford) Sup., T. D. Harrison, Bawnlea Fighter Fury; res., F. J. Wood, Sky High 1Miss Mademmoiselle
British Blonde (J. Lyons, Bourne) Sup., T. Atkinson, Newland Tanza; res.,  
British Blue (R. Bartle, Hereford) Sup., Newpole Livestock, Newpole Saracen; res., 
British Charolais (T. Corbett, Powys) Sup., M. M. Alford, Hollywell UncleBob; res., M. M. Alford, Foxhillfarm Victorious
British Limousin (R. Bartle) Sup., H. G. Perkins, Calogale Umbria; res.,
British Simmental (R. Bishop, Berkshire) Sup., S. Hooper, Tregnether Nellie; S. Gummow, Killiworgie Hannahs Niamh, Tregnether Nellie
Commercial (J. Lyons, Thurlby) Sup.,L. Calcraft, Volez Vou; res., J. Maynard and V. Smith, Queen of Me

Dairy

Inter-breed (A. Thomas, Devon) Sup., O. B. Reed, Beaconhill Cheif Harriet (Holstein); res., M. Davis, Rivermead Verdi Pixie (Jersey)
Guernsey (A. Thomass) Sup., J. Bottom, Trewarnevas Victor Lily; res.,
Holstein (H. Wilson, Carmarthen) Sup.,O. B. Reed, Beaconhill Cheif Harriet; res., O. B. Reed, Beaconhill Sidekick Rae 2
Jersey (H. Wilson) Sup., M. Davis, Rivermead Verdi Pixie; res., M. Davies, Rivermead Ferdinand Candy 2
Ayrshire (D. Hunter, Hertfordshire) Sup., T. Rockett, Greenway Ross Great Jubilee; res., T. Rockett, Greenway Thea
Any Other Breed (D. Hunter) Sup, Thurough Farms, Culverdeen Honeysuckle (Brown Swiss); res.,  

Pigs