Smalls take title at Borderway Agri-Expo

For this one of UK’s leading winter agricultural events, the sun shone, and it attracted a record crowd and some of the finest sheep and cattle from across the length and breadth of the UK. It highlighted the vitality of the livestock industry and demonstrated what a crowd puller, a tense championship competition can be.

Representatives from many of the British Sheep and Cattle Breed societies were in attendance, with livestock representing the best of their breeds. Chief Executive of the H&H Group, Richard Rankin, commented: “This is the first time that I have attended Borderway Agri-Expo and I can honestly say that it has been a huge privilege to be part of such a prestigious event. Represented here today are all sectors of the industry, and from talking to people, it is certainly more than evident that this is THE show that they want to attend, and of course THE show that they want to win. Thank you to everyone who has exhibited and supported us.”

In terms of results, 2018 Borderway Agri-Expo proved to be a year for the ladies, with Northern Ireland’s Dermot and Gareth Small’s Charolais x Heifer Strawberry Blonde achieving the overall Borderway Agri-Expo 2018 Supreme Champion. The Reserve Supreme Champion title was lifted by Stewart & Lynsey Bett, with their Limousin X Heifer Red Hot Diamond.

On announcing the 2018 Supreme Cattle Champion, Judge, Alan Veitch from Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, said: “You certainly do not find an animal like this every day, a dream mover with a tremendous head and legs and a lovely example, of the type of heifer we all want to breed.

“The Reserve Champion was again a lovely animal. Bigger, very well put together and very well balanced. It has been a very hard job to judge today as there are so many fantastic animals and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

On scooping the Supreme Champion, Gareth Small said: “This is the second time that we have won Borderway Agri- Expo, and we are absolutely delighted to win it this time especially with a home-bred animal.”

In the sheep classes, Supreme Champion Sheep winners were R Hall & Son of Inglewood Edge Carlisle, with a pair of Beltex lambs, and the Reserve winner was April Skelton with her pair of Beltex lambs.

Judge William McAllister, from Kells in Northern Ireland, said: “I’m very privileged to be asked to come along and judge the lambs at Agri-Expo today. The Champion pair of lambs were full of meat, very correct, stylish, as a pair of show lambs should be – all in all a very good show of lambs.”