The 2022 cattle competitions at the Suffolk Show ended on an exhilarating high as a home-bred bull took the beef inter-breed title.
A towering Lincoln Red bull - Yarnhill Xodus of Iken Hall Farms near Woodbridge - was crowned supreme inter-breed champion on a climactic second day at the show.
As the sun beat back the rain clouds from day one of the event, owner Natasha Mann and husband Richard savoured their first ever inter-breed title.
"I'm shaking," said Natasha as she absorbed the shock of winning. "There were some lovely animals in here and it's just lovely to be showing again after two years of not," she added.
"We showed him as a calf back in 2019 at this show and his dam got away and actually dented one of the cash machines here," she said. But Yarnhill Xodus was in his element, she added. "He loves showing - he loves being pampered."
Richard said he was "incredibly proud" of the win. The couple keeps a herd of about 180 pedigree Red Lincolns, having started it up in 2006. The pair started showing in 2015.
"My heart is still beating," he said. "To win at your home show is just incredible."
The reserve title went to J & K McMillan with British Simmental heifer Brandane Millie.
Judge Adrian Ivory said it had been a "very tight" decision. It had been a "great show of cattle really - a tremendous show of champions", he said. "The top four or five there was not between them."
The winning animal had "great scale and great conformation" - "just a really good bull that would do well at any show in the country", he said.
Head cattle steward James Strachan expressed his delight at how the cattle competitions had gone.
Considering everything they were "absolutely first class", he said. "We are really, really pleased. We are so grateful to the exhibitors having come out after not coming out in two years. It's a huge effort for them - they are busy people," he said.
Cattle numbers were about half the levels of the busiest years, he said, but you would not have known that in the Grand Parade.
He also praised the cattle stewarding team. "Getting to grips with it all again, keeping it organised and running it smoothly rain or shine - the guys have done a brilliant job. That's just a reflection of the whole show."
He added: "This has been an amazing springboard for the shows to come."
Also competing in the interbreeds' supreme title ring were: Rolf Marschalek with Red Poll bull Hopeham Iron Ore, Rotac Farms with British White heifer Woodbastwick Babycham, Darren Knox with Charolais bull Drumshane Scania, Robert Webber with South Devon cow Claudia 14, Bishop and Ketley with British Limousin Ronick Ruby, Speirs Farms with Hereford bull Pepperstock 1 Thor, Mr and Mrs JW Stanley with Longhorn cow Blackbrook Zither, Angus Long with Aberdeen Angus bull Blue Smoke and Robin Creighton with Dexter bull Tannslane Terminator.
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