Picture from left to right: Judy Gardner, owner of Eckington Manor Farm and Cookery School Heather Jenkins of Waitrose, sponsors of the Royal Show’s native breed prizes Mathew Stoker, Eckington Manor’s stockman Mathew’s assistant, Charlie Edwards Ian Anderson, advisor to Eckington Manor Archie Galbraith, Judge and Fieldsman of the Highland Breed Society
For the first time in 170 years, one farm has won all top 3 prizes for the Highland breed at The Royal Show, described as the most prestigious accolade for any breed in the pedigree world.
Eckington Manor Farm near Evesham in Worcestershire won Overall Breed Supreme Champion for their Highland cattle as well as Reserve and Second Reserve Champion, beating top national breeders to secure the unprecedented hat-trick.
The judge, Mr Archie Galbraith, was unaware that all the Supreme Champions came from the same herd until after he had picked the winners. He said it was a fantastic achievement, against the high standard of all the competitors, that reflected very well on the stockman at Eckington Manor, Mr Mathew Stoker.
Five
animals were exhibited by Eckington Manor and all of them won prizes.
Commenting further, Mr Galbraith, said:
"The animals were very well bred, and very well shown".
"I knew we had good animals" said Mathew, 29, "and we’ve prepared for this for months but this result is just unbelievable!"
Although long experienced in rearing pedigree cattle, it was just 8 months ago that Mathew first exhibited the cattle at the Worcester Show and Sale. It was the start of a sustained winning streak. Matthew took top prizes there and went on to win another two at the recent Three Counties Show in Malvern before this year’s Royal Show.
The Royal Show’s Events Director, Dr Robert Merrall, himself a Worcestershire man, said he was particularly proud to have a local winner. "Pedigree contests don’t get more prestigious than this" he said, "This is the FA Cup of the pedigree world".
Eckington Manor Farm’s owner, Judy Gardner, said "To have the three top places taken by my animals was a very proud moment". Formerly owner of Garner’s Foods, Judy bought the farm in 2004. Despite devastation by flooding in 2007, she has led an imaginative programme of redevelopment, including the famous Eckington Manor Cookery School and a five-star B&B.
