A beef cattle farmer celebrated a double victory at the Tendring Show as his beasts took the two top spots in the inter-breed commercial beef cattle finals at the Tendring Show.
Bob Manning, of New Farm, Cornard Tye, near Sudbury, scooped the supreme champion and reserve to take the Coleman Cup with his two Limousin crosses.
Mr Manning said he was “very, very pleased” at the win.
Judge Andrew Clarke, up from Kent, praised an “absolutely fantastic turnout of cattle”.
“I have travelled up there for the first time and I’m very pleased with what I have seen here today,” he said.
“It came down to the handling at the end of the day. In my opinion, the champion beast would have been a fantastic yielding carcase that was finished very well by the exhibitor. It’s a good, firm handling animal with the right level of fitness.
“The reserve animal was again a fantastic yielding carcase but overdone, too fat and too well-finished but only just. A very good example of what it was.”
Mr Manning, who keeps around 110 Limousin - British Blue crosses and the odd Longhorn on the farm, said the pair would go into retirement this year. One of the winners would be out with the bull after the show, while the other would be put out on the grass and come back for the Christmas fatstock competition.
In the sheep pens, a new Suffolk Sheep breeder was celebrating success after his animal won overall breed prize.
Tom Stocking, of Woodend Green Farm, Tostock, Bury St Edmunds, said his untrimmed ram lamb, sired by Cairnton Carlisle, appeared to be going up through the ranks over the course of the shows.
“I’m very pleased. It’s my first year of showing sheep and I could not have hoped for a better outcome really. He’s done well at the other county shows but not this well. We went to Hadleigh and we got second in the Suffolk Sheep section. In the Suffolk Show he came fifth and at the Norfolk Show he came fourth. He’s upping his game each time.”
Mr Stocking, who runs the Suffolk Chicken Company with wife, Katie, which produces point of lay hens, has been keeping sheep for five years, but only took on his first Suffolk Sheep two years ago.
“I’ve always loved the Suffolks but never really could afford them. Two years ago we bought the first Suffolks from Chris Partridge at Kersey,” he said.
He bought in more sheep from another breeder and now has 15 ewes which will be put in lamb in August.
“We have got cross lambs as well for commercial purposes for eating and this is more of a hobby really,” he said. “It’s a hobby, but I would like it to become full-time. It’s building it up.”
The reserve champion prize in the Suffolk Sheep section went to a home-bred shearling ewe belonging to Chris and Sarah Partridge of Kersey, near Hadleigh.
They lamb about 100 pedigree Suffolk ewes a year and said they were “very pleased” with the latest accolade.
Category judge Andrew Pinny from Northampton said he had been “really pleased” with the quality of entries, with strong classes for a one-day show.
“The champion and reserve were two outstanding sheep, with not much to choose between them.”
He was eventually swayed by the ram lamb which he praised for its “lovely silky hair which is not that common in the breed any more.”
“It’s personal preference at the end of the day. For me, that’s what I’m after and that’s what I was looking for,” he said.
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