Bully for them! Herd chosen for final of Limousin competition (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Bully for them! Herd chosen for final of Limousin competition
4:07pm Friday 30th September 2011 in Farming
SUCCESS: North East winner James Cooper, left, with judge Sam Coleman and Rob Smith, of Pfizer Animal Health
A North Yorkshire herd is through to the finals of the 2011 National Limousin Pedigree herd competition.
The contest is a one-off to mark the 40th anniversary of the British Limousin Cattle Society.
James and Sarah Cooper, whose Tomschoice herd is based at Hill Top Farm, Dacre, near Harrogate, won the North-East heat.
The region has more than 220 registered members and Mr Cooper said: “To be nominated nationally is a tremendous achievement.
We have a small farm of 32 acres and run a herd of 25 Limousin cows and followers.
“Our breeding programme is therefore focused on producing top-quality pedigree animals owing to the limited acreage involved.”
The regional judge was Gary Swindlehurst of the Procters Herd, Slaidburn, Lancashire.
He said: “The overall standard of the Tomschoice cattle is very good with particular attention paid to the quality of genetics, predominantly AI, being used purposefully and with good results across the herd.
“This is very much quality over quantity with a good understanding of what the market wants and where the Limousin breed is going. Particular attention is also paid to the high health status of the herd.”
Sam Coleman, national judge and honorary president of the breed society, visited the Coopers with Pfizer representative Rob Smith who said: “The competition was originally open to all the society’s 3,000 members and James and Sarah Cooper are very worthy representatives of the North East region.”
The Coopers established the Tomschoice herd in 1996 and have achieved success in the show ring as well as at auction.
Among several noteworthy homebred show winners are Tomschoice Elgar, the Great Yorkshire Supreme Male Champion 2010.
Mr Coleman will announce his overall winner on the eve of the breed’s October bull sale.
He said: “I am looking for a combination of such things as the overall presentation of the herd, the up and coming young stock, the breeding policy, sires used, the breeding females, herd health and herd successes.
“Herd size won’t be the overriding determinant.”
