Farmer wins English Winter Fair with British Blue cross heifer

The Somerton-based farmer claimed the fair's coveted supreme champion title
The Somerton-based farmer claimed the fair's coveted supreme champion title

Somerset farmer Richard Wright has won the English Winter Fair with his British Blue cross heifer Starlight.

The master thatcher from Somerton claimed the coveted supreme champion title in front of a huge crowd on Sunday (17 November).

Second came reserve champion 7up, a Limousin cross heifer shown by H Hodgkinson & Sons from Buxton, Derbyshire.

August 2018-born Starlight was then bought for £5,500 in the end-of-show auction.

In the sheep ring it was first time lucky for Richard and Jamie Jerman who took home the pairs championship with a fine pair of pedigree Beltex lambs.

The brothers from Ludlow, Herefordshire, had never exhibited at the English Winter Fair before but came to the show after winning at Agri-Expo earlier in November.

Serial winners Robert Garth and Sarah Priestley from Bentham, Lancashire, won the single lamb title, also with a Beltex.

Yorkshire pig farmer Mark Horsley extended his English Winter Fair winning streak to eight years after claiming the singles and pairs title.

Entries of live pigs increased 20% on the 2018 event but no-one could dislodge the Skirpenbeck breeder who is proving to be an unstoppable force with his Pietrian crossbred stock.

Other highlights included the first ever presentation of the Royal Smithfield Club’s Duke of Norfolk competition at the event.

The competition sees breed societies bring together entries of three high-class cattle from across its members’ farms.

It was the pedigree British Blues who took the spoils with Solway View Niko, Sunny Bank Oh My Gosh and Sunny Bank One In A Million in the winning trio.

Welsh farmers dominated the National Pedigree Calf Show taking the champion and reserve titles.

A new one-day format helped boost entries by more than 20% with more than 100 cattle from across the UK taking part.