‘800,000-1’ DENIZES SIMMENTAL TRIPLET HEIFER CALVES ‘WOW’ THE CROWDS AT THE 2025 ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW!

In its rich 203 year history, the Royal Highland Show has seen almost all there is to see in livestock showing until perhaps this year.

Catching the attention of farmers across the show, and the general public in attendance, was the unique sight of a seven year old pedigree Simmental cow with her three natural triplet heifer calves at foot!

With a real ‘wow’ factor, Denizes Trixie Belle 15 from Michael & John Barlow’s Lancashire based Denizes herd, Walton, Nr Leyland, captured the hearts of the crowd watching on as she was given centre stage in the main ring on Saturday 21^st June.  As quiet as can be she stood letting all three calves have a good suck as ring commentator Paul Gentry outlined to the crowd some facts regarding the spectacle in front of them.

Denizes Trixie Belle 15 with her triplet heifer calves

Triplet births are so rare in beef cattle that scientists have very little information to compile statistical data.  However, the odds of it happening are estimated to be about one in more than 100,000.  A little search on Google and through AI shows that the odds of a cow naturally having and delivering triplet heifer calves are roughly 1 in 800,000.  If you add in that the Denizes Trixie Belle 15 was good enough to go an and earn a red ticket in the Simmental judging on the Thursday then the odds of the whole scenario just keep on rising!

Highlighting tremendous fertility, the triplet calves were all part of a natural production cycle with Trixie Belle having been served naturally, and all three heifer calves being born with little assistance.

Denizes Trixie Belle 15 herself weighed in at approximately 1000kgs.  Add in the three calves at a combined 800kgs and you have a total outfit weight of over 1800kgs.  With all three calves in robust, good order, it is estimated that Denizes Trixie Belle 15 will be producing some 30+ litres of milk per day which is not far off in line with the typical daily production of a dairy cow.

Denizes Trixie Belle taking centre stage on Saturday at the 2025 Royal Highland Show

Commenting,  John Barlow said:  “When these calves were born my dad said ‘right, we’re going to enter these to the Royal Highland’.  I thought he was mad at the time but here we are and we’ve been blown away with the reaction to them!  Trixie Belle was scanned with twins so triplets was more than a bit of a surprise.  However she calved them with a little assistance from myself and they were quickly up and doing.  It obviously took a lot out of mum but it’s amazing that she was carrying over 90+kgs of calves and which has turned into 800+kgs of live calves some eight months later.  She’s a remarkable lady and we’re delighted and very proud to have shown her.”

Speaking on behalf of the British Simmental Cattle Society, Chris Martindale, the Society’s President congratulated the Denizes team and said: “Triplet heifer calves in a show ring at the Royal Highland was an amazing spectacle, probably never seen before in a UK show ring, and the likes of which we may never see again.  It was one of those cross over events that all exhibitors from all breeds, farmers in attendance at the show, and the general public all wanted and were intrigued to see.  We are very grateful to the Royal Highland for recognising the uniqueness of this and allowing Denizes Trixie Belle and her triplet calves to be given centre stage on Saturday.  It was a special moment and very well received by all watching.”

September 2018 born, Denizes Trixie Belle 15 is by the herd’s prolific stock bull Denizes Hamish 16, himself a past Reserve Male Champion at the Royal Highland, and is out of Denizes Trixie Belle 8, an Ashland Tornado daughter.  All three heifer calves were born on the 12^th October 2024 and were sired by the well-known Saltire Impressive.

Going on tour, Denizes Trixie Belle 15 and her triplet calves will now head to the Great Yorkshire Show due to be held on 8^th – 11^th July at Harrogate.