South West Simmental Club Report

South West Simmental Club

Report by Dawn Shapland

This year began, in the traditional manner with the Interbreed Quiz. Our team, Adrian Curry, Kath Edwards, Steve Shapland and myself, performed creditably and finished in second place behind the Beef Shorthorns. A young member of their team, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Olympic Games venues, totally scuppering us in the final round!

Eleven teams took part and I am sure they would all join me in wishing our Quizmaster, Tony Walker, a happy retirement.

An excellent £165 was raised on the evening, which David Barker announced would be donated to the Beacon Centre at Musgrove Park Hospital.

At its usual venue, Oake Manor Golf Club, the A.G.M took place on the first Monday in March. There was only one change to the club Committee and Officers with Rupert Ridout (Woodlea Herd), joining the Committee, as the only nominee for the single vacancy that had arisen.

After many, many phone calls and hours spent, the Chairman and myself failed to engage a guest speaker for the evening, and it fell to me to organise some entertainment. Thank you to all that took part and congratulations to David Barker’s “team”, Rob and Pam Hewlett, Chris and David Mills and Philip Webber.

£120 was raised from a raffle and the auction of two bottles of Whisky. Our very grateful thanks go to Jack Ellicott, Clive Roads and all who donated the prizes.

An early casualty of the Covid pandemic was the May Society Show and Sale at Worcester. A great shame but the decision to cancel was inevitable. With all Shows and events also wiped out, we can but hope things will improve in 2021 with the rollout of a vaccination programme.

Heywood Herd Dispersal Sale

The eagerly awaited dispersal of David Barker's Heywood Herd, took place on Saturday 12th December at Sedgemoor Market. Unfortunately due to Covid restrictions many potential purchasers and well wishers were unable to attend. Nonetheless, David and his team of helpers, John and Freddy Barker, Laura and Guy French, had the cattle presented in tip top condition.

Highest price was Heywood Empress 10th with her October born heifer calf Heywood Empress 11th, the last calf to carry the Heywood prefix. They sold for 5000gns to Laura French, who also purchased her year older half sister, Empress 9th .

2019 bull, Heywood Kramer sold for 1800gns to Chris Tucker's Goldhill Herd and John May secured Heywood Kracker at 2300 gns to join the Priorton Herd.

The South West Simmental Club Herd Competition 2020.

Judges report – David Edwards, Silver Moor herd

To all members who submitted photographic entries to the 2020 herd competition, thank you for your participation. The quality of the cattle bred in the South West is clearly demonstrated as outstanding. Obviously, I would love to have seen the cattle in their home environment rather than as photographs, which I have printed from my computer, but there is no point in dwelling on those regrets. This year’s competition has been in the form of photographs because of circumstances completely beyond our control, and I am sure that we are all grateful that we are able to participate in the competition by means of modern technology.

I must assure all competitors that at the time of scrutinizing the photos, I had no idea who owned each animal or where, within the South West area, each herd might be situated. In some respects, this is an advantage, but it doesn’t quite make up for seeing the animal in the flesh, walking around it, viewing from all angles and checking its locomotion. Although in the majority of cases the photographs were very good (this eased the task considerably) I did try to look beyond the photos when considering how the animal was presented to the camera. There is no doubt that the quality of the photo could affect the judgement. If (God forbid) we should be in the same situation in future and forced to have a photographic competition again, I would recommend that at least two pictures should be submitted, with the animal in profile and of the back end. Judging the cattle was not an easy task, and I took some time to make my choice. I chose the cattle which I considered correct and quality. The Chairman asked me to select an Overall Champion which caused me much heart searching, and a lot of going back over the photos over and over again. It was eventually narrowed down between a bull and a heifer. A close run choice between two first class animals, my final choice is Bull 1 in Class 1. Castlegale Eric, owned by the Hawkey family.

In conclusion, may I thank Adrian and the Club for affording me the privilege of judging the competition, a task which I thoroughly enjoyed.

David Edwards

Class 1 - 1st Castlegate Eric Class 1 - 2nd Islavale Jericho Class 1 - 3rd Dinton Brunel

Class 2 - 1st Killiworgie Kasanova Class 2 - 2nd Skylark Kover

Class 4 - 1st Bosahan Luciano 20 Class 4 - 2nd Brynsworthy Leo

Class 5 - 1st Killiworgie Fancy Nancy Class 5 - 2nd Winford Vogue 11

Class 6 - 1st Killiworgie Gillys Jewel Class 6 - 2nd Wellatree Jemima

Class 7 - 1st Sowenna Jet Class 7 - 2nd Winford Jasmine Class 4 - 3rd Killiworgie Lockdown

Class 5 - 3rd Bolankin Clarinda

Class 6 - 3rd Bosahan Jessica Star

Class 7 - 3rd Bosahan Joelle Alesha (P)

Class 9 - 1st Killiworgie Graces Kelly Class 9 - 2nd Cherry’s Kalmia Class 9 - 3rd Bosahan Kenna Clover

Class 10 - 1st Wellatree Kittiwake Class 10 - 2nd Bosahan Guim Kea Class 10 - 3rd Killiworgie Karma

Class 11 - 1st Winford Lucinda Class 11 - 2nd Wellatree Lilybum Class 11 - 3rd Brynsworthy Crocus Lavender

Herd competition judge, Autumn 2020

Results Class 1 – Stock bull born before 01/01/2019 1st Castlegate Eric 05/08/2013 Mr & Mrs Hawkey 2nd Islavale Jericho 12/04/2018 Mr S A Gummow 3rd Dinton Brunel 16/04/2010 Mr & Mrs Shapland Class 2 – Bull born on or before 01/01/2019 and 31/07/19 1st Killiworgie Kasanova 04/07/2019 Mr S A Gummow 2nd Skylark Kover 15/07/2019 The Reed Family Class 3 – Bull born on or before 01/08/2019 and 31/12/2019 1st Killiworgie Knightrider 12/11/19 Mr S A Gummow 2nd Bosahan Kane 18/11/2019 Mr & Mrs Olds 3rd Sowenna Kelvin 12/09/2019 Mr & Mrs Hawkey Class 4 – Bull Calf born on or after 01/01/2020 1st Bosahan Luciano 21/04/2020 Mr & Mrs Olds 2nd Brynsworthy Leo 05/07/2020 Mr & Mrs Shapland 3rd Killiworgie Lockdown 07/05/2020 Mr S A Gummow Class 5 – Cow any age 1st Killiworgie Fancy Nancy 11/02/2014 Mr S A Gummow 2nd Winford Vogue 11 28/01/2016 Mr L & Mr A Curry 3rd Bolankin Clarinda 15/02/2011 Mr B Wynter Class 6 – Heifer born on or between 01/01/2018 and 31/07/2018 1st Killiworgie Gillys Jewel 22/02/2018 Mr S A Gummow 2nd Wellatree Jemima 01/01/2018 Mr & Mrs J Buckland 3rd Bosahan Jessica Star 24/02/2018 Mr & Mrs Olds Herd competition judge, Autumn 2020

Results Class 7 – Heifer born on or between 01/08/2018 and 31/12/2018 1st Sowenna Jet 23/09/2018 Mr & Mrs Hawkey 2nd Winford Jasmine 29/10/2018 Mr L & Mr A Curry 3rd Bosahan Joelle Alesha 04/10/2018 Mr & Mrs Olds Class 8 – Heifer born on or between 01/01/2019 and 31/08/2019 1st Killiworgie Camelias Kersensa 25/02/2019 Mr S A Gummow 2nd Winford Kandy 07/02/2019 Mr L & Mr A Curry 3rd Treverbyn Keira 04/01/2019 Mr A Hart Class 9 – Heifer born on between 01/04/2019 and 31/07/2019 1st Killiworgie Graces Kelly 02/05/2019 Mr S A Gummow 2nd Chapman Cherry Kalmia 02/05/2019 Mr & Mrs Bush 3rd Bosahan Kendra Clover 01/05/2019 Mr & Mrs Olds Class 10 – Heifer born on or between 01/08.2019 and 31/12/2019 1st Wellatree Kittiwake 14/08/2019 Mr & Mrs J Buckland 2nd Bosahan Katie Guin Bea 22/09/2019 Mr & Mrs Olds 3rd Killiworgie Karma 13/08/2019 Mr S A Gummow Class 11 – Heifer Calf born on or after 01/01/2020 1st Winford Lucinda 10/01/2020 Mr L & Mr A Curry 2nd Wellatree Lilybum 02/01/2020 Mr & Mrs J Buckland 3rd Brynsworthy Crocus Lavender 27/04/2020 Mr & Mrs Shapland