Cattle club chooses prestigious county show to celebrate 25th anniversary

LIMOUSIN breeders are marking a milestone in their history this year and they

are determined that both young and old will help mark the occasion.

The North West Midlands and North Wales Limousin Breeders Club has reached the

grand old age of 25.

The climax of their 25th anniversary celebrations will be an exclusive show for

members at this year's Cheshire Show.

The club hopes that as many past and present members as possible will go along

and take part in the competitions at the show.

Graham Simms, a founding member of the club and current President, said: "It is

important to remember how far we have come as a club. Unfortunately, some of our

original members are no longer with us but they deserve to be remembered for the

enormous contribution they made.

"The club is going from strength to strength and we certainly have a lot to be

proud of,"

he added.

"We chose the Cheshire Show for the focus of our celebrations because it is such

a prestigious and well established event and is centrally located for our

members," said Mr Simms, who has also been an international Limousin judge.

"I have been competing at the Cheshire Show for years and they certainly know

how to put on a spectacular event. It is exactly the back drop we need to

celebrate our 25th anniversary," he said.

The Cheshire Show will be staged at the Tabley Show Ground near Knutsford on

Tuesday and Wednesday June 19 and 20, and the theme this year will be Connecting

People to the Countryside.

More than 60,000 visitors will flock to the 200 acre site and trade stands are

quickly selling out.

The North West Midlands and North Wales Limousin Breeders Club has been granted

special permission to stage a unique 'show within a show' exclusively for its

members.

There will be 16 classes in total including pedigree Limousin classes, plus two

cross breed classes and two classes for young handlers. The pedigree and young

handler classes will be judged by Aled Edwards, President of the Limousin Cattle

Society and newly elected European President.

The club is hoping Lord Plumb, former President of the National Farmers Union

from 1970-79 and President of the European Parliament from 1987-89, will present

the champion cup.

The late Jack Bedell was one of the founder members of the North West Midlands

and North Wales Limousin Breeders Club and was also one of the first people to

introduce the breed into the country. He was later awarded the MBE for services

to agriculture and the community.

Many of the club's members have bred cattle which have won major awards and have

themselves become national judges.

Members will enjoy a celebratory meal in a marquee at the show to gather members

together for socialising between the competitiveness of winning classes.

If anyone is interested in joining the North West Midlands and North Wales

Limousin Breeders Club and taking part in the Cheshire Show, they should contact

club chairman Andrew Clark on 0114 230 6573 or secretary Lorna White on 01902

850245.