BACKMUIR’S ANNICK GINGER’S LUCIA WINS 2025 SCOTTISH SIMMENTAL NATIONAL SHOW!

James Hodge’s Denizes Melody 62^nd takes Reserve Overall Supreme and Junior Champion

Grangewood Robert The Bruce Wins Overall male Championship

She’s only gone and done it again!  The amazing Annick Ginger’s Lucia, from Reece & Andrew Simmers, Backmuir Farm, Keith, Banffshire, extended her remarkable show record when winning the Overall Simmental Supreme Championship, and Female Championship, at the 2025 Scottish National Show, held within Perth Show, on Saturday 2^nd August.

Senior Female, Female & Overall Supreme Champion, Annick Ginger’s Lucia

The win was a second successive Overall Supreme at the Scottish Simmental National, and confirmed a second successive ‘major’ double with the February 2020 born, Annick Ginger’s Lucia having won the Royal Highland in June (for a third year in a row).  Ginger’s Lucia is sired by Wolfstar Gold Digger 15 and is out of Annick Colleen’s Ginger EX 93, a Corskie Callum 11 daughter.  She has been shown this year with her April 2025 born bull calf at foot, Backmuir Sirius 25, sired by Backmuir King 19.

For the prolific Backmuir herd, it was another strong team that secured a welter of Scottish Simmental National Show prizes and including:  Overall Champion; Female Champion; Senior Female Champion; Reserve Senior Female; and four class wins in all. Placing as Reserve Senior Female Champion was Annick Ginger’s Nutmeg, and who is of course the same way bred being also out of Annick Colleen’s Ginger EX 93, and sired by Wolfstar Gold Digger. Nutmeg was also a class winner at this years Royal Highland and featured in the herd’s winning Group of Three.

Judge for the day was Garrett Behan of the noted Clonagh herd, Ballyfin, Co Laois and who was full of praise for his Champion:  “This is a fantastic Simmental cow and I loved every bit of her.   She has everything  I like in a female having a great head, being very feminine through  the neck and shoulders, and carrying herself extremely well when walking out.  She has great length to her and has a real presence. From behind she has super plates, and carried her width down the leg and into the hock.  She’s terrific and it’s big congratulations to the breeder.”

Of the show generally, Garrett Behan went on to say: “I’d really like to thank the Scottish  Simmental  Club for the opportunity  to judge the National  Show.  It was a great honour for me and was nice to be on the other side of the fence to so many great breeders and cattle  people. A special  mention also to the committees of both the Club and Perth Show for their super hospitality.”

Judge Garrett Behan, left, with Reece Simmers, and Jonathan Gunn

In a general comment, the British Simmental Cattle Society’s Iain Kerr said:  “What a truly incredible cow Annick Ginger’s Lucia is and again, on behalf of all members of the Society it’s a massive congratulations to Reece and Andrew, and all at Backmuir, for their management of her and achievements over the last three years at both the Royal Highland, the Scottish National, and other major shows.   The profile she has brought to the Backmuir herd, and the breed, is really remarkable and she’s another female who has written her own significant chapter in the history of the Simmental breed.”

Within a quality show of Simmentals, and marking a fantastic debut as an exhibitor at the Scottish Simmental National Show, the April 2024 heifer Denizes Melody 62^nd from the emerging Goldstar herd of Ayrshire’s James Hodge, Dundonald, took the Overall Reserve Supreme, Reserve Female, and Junior Champion titles.     Sired by Hiltonstown Lorenzo, Melody 62^nd was purchased as a calf at foot along with her mum, the then nine-year-old Denizes Melody 22^nd, for 7000gns at the Production Sale of the Denizes Herd of MA Barlow & Sons, Lancashire, held at Stirling in October 2024. Of his Overall Reserve, Garrett Behan said: “My Reserve is a young female with a great future ahead.  At just 15/16 months old she oozed  style and shape and is a super Simmental heifer”.  Speaking afterwards James Hodge said: “We showed last year at Stars of the Future but this is our first summer show season, and first Scottish National so to win what we have today is just amazing.  I saw Melody as a calf at foot at the Denizes Production Sale and she just really caught my eye.  She’s gone on and matured into the quality type of heifer I had envisaged.  With the breeding behind her I very much hope she will be a foundation female for the herd to build around.  The aim from here is to get her in-calf in the backend and with a view to showing her again through next summer.”

Junior Female, Reserve Female & Reserve Overall Champion Denizes Melody 62nd

Winning the Male Championship, and Junior Male Championship, was the February 2024 born calf Grangewood Robert The Bruce from Mr & Mrs Andrew & Yvonne Leedham, Boghead Farm, Tarbolton, Ayrshire.  This bull is by the herd’s noted stock bull Ranfurly Impeccable 14 17 (ET) EX94, and is out of the homebred Grangewood Gretal’s Lyla VG87, a Grangewood Glenlivet daughter. At the 2024 Borderway Agri Expo Simmental Youngstock Show at Carlisle, Grangewood Robert The Bruce stood as Reserve Junior Champion.  Described by the judge as a ‘very long, muscular bull, with great power and shape for his age, who carried himself very well in the ring’, he will now take aim at the October 2025 Stirling Simmental Bull Sale. Ranfurly Impeccable was also the sire of the herd’s Grangewood Platinum who sold for 20,000gns at Carlisle in May.  The Grangewood herd also secured a further red ticket for their bull Grangewood Romeo.  June 2024 born, Romeo, who carries terrific figures for calving ease, and is being provisionally aimed at Stirling in February 2026 ,  is one of the first sons by the Grangewood herd’s stock bull Overhill House Neil who was purchased for 16,000gns, also at Stirling, in May 2023.  It was a top day, at what was a second Scottish Simmental National Show, for the well-known 40 breeding female Grangewood herd who relocated from North Yorkshire to Ayrshire, in March of this year.

Male Champion and Junior Male Champion, Grangewood Robert the Bruce

Standing second in his class to the Male Champion and following him through to take the Reserve Male Championship, and Reserve Junior Male Championship, was Coltfield Result from regular exhibitor JC MacIver, Wester Coltfield Farm, Forres, Moray.  March 2024 born, this calf is by the AI sire Islavale Guy 15, who has sired bulls up to 17,000gns, and is out of Coltfield Kit Kat VG 85, sired by Rockytop Invader 17 EX 92.  This was the first cow that Cameron had AI’d by himself and hence the name ‘Result’!  Rockytop Invader 17 EX 92 himself has produced good bulls for the herd, and has consistently produced quality females that are now at the heart of the 40 breeding female Coltfield herd.  A bull with ‘width, great over his top and loin, with good depth of body, plates, good on his tail head, and with a top eye muscle score’, Coltfield Result is another young bull who will be heading to the Stirling Simmental Sale in October.

Reserve Junior Male & Reserve Male Champion Coltfield Result

Another Ayrshire herd to feature on the day was the Bowhill herd of Rachael Reid, D&R Holdings, Low Bowhill Farm, Newmiln and who took the Reserve Junior Female Championship with Bowhill Ruth.  This yearling heifer, born 8^th August 2024, is got by the 30,000gns Denizes Lancelot, and is out of Overhill House Mary, a heifer bought for £4000 in a charity auction with all proceeds going to charities helping children from the conflict in Ukraine. Of his Reserve Junior Female, Garret Behan said:  “I have to give an honorary mention to this young heifer. Still only a baby at 12 months but what a female for her age.  She has a lovely head, great length and tremendous plates, and for sure will make a super breeding  female”.

Reserve Junior Female Champion, Bowhill Ruth

Other herds doing the business on the day included the Pitmudie herd of Heather Duff, Menmuir, By Brechin, who secured two first prizes in the heifer classes with Pitmudie Pandora (P), a Slievenagh International 17 (PP) daughter, and also with Pitmudie Primrose, a Hiltonstown Irish 17 (ET) daughter who was Junior Female Champion at last year’s Scottish Simmental National Show.  There was also a ‘double first’ for the Caithness herd of Jenson Sinclair Gunn, Mavsey, Lybster, Caithness.  First up was Caithness Samson, a Kilbride Farm Majestic 21 (P), son who took first in the class for Calf born in the year of the show.  This was then followed up by a win in the Pairs for the herd’s Caithness Nymph & Backmuir Kenzie’s Nespresso.

The Scottish Simmental National Show brings to a close the Simmental Nationals held in the year.  Congratulations to all of the exhibitors who have taken part and ensured that the Simmental breed has been so well promoted around the UK!

Overall Championship Presentations: Annick Ginger’s Lucia,
& Denizes Melody 62nd

Male Championship Grangewood Robert the Bruce,
& Coltfield Result

Junior Female Championship Denizes Melody 62nd, &
Bowhill Ruth

Scottish Simmental National Show Results 2025

Judge: Garrett Behan, Ballyfin, Co Laois.

Class 17 Bull born on or between 1^st January and 31^st March 2024

1st Andrew Leedham                 Grangewood Robert the Bruce 24

2^nd Cameron Maciver                  Coltfield Result 24

3^rd Heather Duff                            Pitmudie Rolex 24

Class 18 Bull born on or between 1^st April and 30^th June 2024

1^st Andrew Leedham                   Grangewood Romeo 24

Class 18 Bull born on or between 1st April and 30th June 2024 Grangewood Romeo

2^nd Heather Duff                           Pitmudie Rambo 24

3^rd Heather Duff                            Pitmudie Rafferty 24

4^th Heather Duff                            Pitmudie Rockstar 24

5^th J & E Dyet                                  Merkland Regent 24

6^th J & E Dyet                                  Merkland Rocco 24

Class 20 Senior cow born before 31st July 2021

1^st Reece Simmers                      Annick Ginger’s Lucia

Class 21 Junior Cow on or born between 1^st August 2021 and 31st July 2022

1^st Reece Simmers                       Annick Ginger’s Nutmeg

Reserve Senior Female Champion Annick Ginger’s Nutmeg

2^nd Jonathan Gunn                       Caithness Nymph

3^rd Jonathan Gunn                        Backmuir Kenzie’s Nespresso

Class 22 Heifer born on or between 1^st August 2022 and 31st March 2023.

1^st Heather Duff                            Pitmudie Pandora (P)

Class 22 Heifer born on or between 1st August 2022 and 31st March 2023. Pitmudie Pandora

Class 23 Heifer born between 1st April and 31st December 2023.

1^st Heather Duff                            Pitmudie Primrose

Class 23 Heifer born between 1st April and 31st December 2023. Pitmudie Primrose

2^nd Rachael Reid                           Bowhill Petal

3^rd Cameron Maciver                  Coltfield Perfect

Class 24 Heifer born on or between 1^st January and 31^st March 2024

1^st Reece Simmers                      Backmuir Lulu’s Rosalu

Class 24 Heifer born on or between 1st January and 31st March 2024 Backmuir Lulu’s Rosalu

2^nd Reece Simmers                      Backmuir Lucia’s Rumba

3^rd J & C Hodge                              Goldstar Ruby

Class 25 Heifer born on or between 1^st April and 30^th June 2024

1^st J & C Hodge                              Denizes Melody 62^nd

2^nd Heather Duff                           Pitmudie Roselyn

3^rd Heather Duff                            Pitmudie Rachel

Class 26 Heifer born on or between 1^st July and 31st December 2024             

1^st Rachael Reid                           Bowhill Ruth

2^nd M & J Macaskill                       Woodhall Raz

3^rd M & J Macaskill                       Woodhall Ruby

4^th M & J Macaskill                       Woodhall Rhianna

Class 27 Calf born in the year of the show

1^st Jonathan Gunn                        Caithness Samson

Class 27 Calf born in the year of the show Caithness Samson

2^nd Reece Simmers                      Backmuir Sirius

3^rd Jonathan Gunn                        Overhill House Simmaron

4^th Reece Simmers                      Backmuir Stuart

Class 28 Pairs

1^st Jonathan Gunn         Caithness Nymph & Backmuir Kenzie’s Nespresso

Pairs winners Caithness Nymph & Backmuir Kenzie’s Nespresso

2^nd Reece Simmers       Backmuir Lulu’s Rosalu and  Backmuir Lucia’s Rumba

3^rd M & J Macaskill         Woodhall Ruby & Woodhall Rhianna

4^th Heather Duff             Pitmudie Primrose & Pitmudie Roselyn.

Junior Male Champion

Andrew Leedham          Grangewood Robert the Bruce

Reserve Junior Male Champion

Cameron Maciver          Coltfield Result

Junior Female Champion

J & C Hodge                     Denizes Melody 62^nd

Reserve Junior Female Champion

Rachael Reid                  Bowhill Ruth

Senior Female Champion

Reece Simmers             Annick Ginger’s Lucia

Reserve Senior Female Champion

Reece Simmers             Annick Ginger’s Nutmeg

Female Champion

Reece Simmers             Annick Ginger’s Lucia

Reserve Female Champion

J & C Hodge                     Denizes Melody 62^nd

Champion Male

Andrew Leedham          Grangewood Robert the Bruce

Reserve Champion Male

Cameron Maciver          Coltfield Result

Overall Champion

Reece Simmers             Annick Ginger’s Lucia

Reserve Overall Champion

J & C Hodge                     Denizes Melody 62^nd