BACKMUIR WINS 2024 SCOTTISH SIMMENTAL NATIONAL SHOW, AND TURRIFF OVERALL INTERBREED CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH ANNICK GINGER’S LUCIA!

• Annick Ginger’s Lucia Wins Simmental Overall Supreme and Individual Interbreed
• Corskie Puma 23 (P) Wins Overall Simmental Junior, and Junior Interbreed
• Simmental Pairs and Group of Three Win Reserve Interbreed Titles
• Pitgaveny win Male Championship
• Pitmudie take Junior Female Championship

The rain stopped and the sun came out to shine on a fantastic 2024 Simmental Scottish National Show held within Turriff Show, The Haughs, on Monday 5th August. At what was the largest Simmental entry in the summer show year to date, the quality through the classes, both male and female, held the attention of what was a large ringside crowd and huge online audience.

Overall Champion Annick Ginger’s Lucia

After some three and a half hours of judging it proved to be another trophy laden day for Reece & Andrew Simmers, Backmuir Farm, Keith, Banffshire, who won the Simmental Overall Supreme Championship with Annick Ginger’s Lucia, before moving on in the afternoon to win Turriff’s  Overall Individual Interbreed Championship.  This 2020 born cow, in calf to Backmuir King, was shown with her bull calf Backmuir Pompeii at foot, sired by Backmuir Marksman. Presiding over this year’s Simmental classes was Dorothy Moffatt of the noted and long-standing Innerwick herd at Dunbar, East Lothian, whilst the well-known Drew Hyslop, Girvan, Ayrshire, was the man in the middle for the Individual Interbreed.

Bred by the late Lachlan Quarm, Holehouse Farm, By Irvine, Ayrshire, Annick Ginger’s Lucia was bought at the Annick herd’s Dispersal Sale in September 2022 for 16,000gns, and in a summer that had seen her place Reserve Supreme Champion, to the Backmuir herd, at the Royal Highland.  Since joining the Backmuir herd, Annick Ginger’s Lucia has just continued to blossom and enjoy a glittering show career.  The Overall Simmental Supreme Championship has been won in back to back years at the Royal Highland, and this summer Annick Ginger’s Lucia became the first Simmental to win the Overall Individual Interbreed at the Highland since 1995.   The titles at Turriff saw Annick Ginger’s Lucia do Scotland’s 2024 Simmental ‘golden double’ of Championship & Interbreed at both the Highland, and the Simmental Scottish National/Turriff Show.  A truly fantastic achievement!

Judge Dorothy Moffat

Commenting on her Overall Champion, Dorothy Moffatt said:  “My Champion is a perfect young Simmental cow who is very feminine, full of character, and a great example of the breed.  She’s long and fleshy, very correct, and rearing a really good big bull calf as well.  She’s got all of the attributes I was looking for and is a very strong Champion animal in what was such a super show of Simmentals.”    Speaking more generally Dororthy Moffatt went on to say: “I’d like to congratulate the Simmental exhibitors for the tremendous cattle they brough out today which also made it hugely enjoyable, and at the same time challenging, for me to judge.  The standard was so high through both the bulls and females and deep into all of the classes.  The breed really keeps progressing and with the animals today of such quality, and with so much potential, you can see why there’s such a growing momentum for Simmental cattle.”

So to the Champions, and this latest win sealed another fantastic summer, and the second time in three years that the Backmuir herd has won the double of Overall Simmental Championship at both the Highland and Scottish National, with Islavale Lullaby winning both titles in 2022.  Of this latest win at Turriff, Reece Simmers said:  “We’re really thrilled and delighted to win here and also with the year Annick Ginger’s Lucia has had.  We said at the Highland that she’s just matured and continued to improve and she’s had to as the competition has just been so strong. I think today is the highest quality show of Simmentals that we’ve competed in to date and it was a real spectacle for everybody watching.  It’s been a great year and we’re very honoured to have won these prestigious titles.”

By way of summary, on the day Annick Ginger’s Lucia won the Simmental Overall, Female, and Senior Female titles before picking up the Individual Interbreed Title, and taking Reserve in the Interbreed Pairs with Islavale Kristoff from Pitgaveny Farms.  In a further footnote, Backmuir also won the Simmental Championship at last year’s Turriff Show with Brandane Lulu.

With some real heavyweight shoot outs right from the get-go, Annick Ginger’s Lucia firstly won a class of six Senior Female Cows and where the rising seven year old Corskie Illusion EX93 from WJ&J Green, Corskie, Garmouth, Fochabers placed second.  In the previous week this cow, by Auchorachan Farmer 14, and out of  Corskie Champagne EX91had been Simmental Champion, Champion of Champions, and featured in the winning Interbreed Pairs, and Group of Three at the Black Isle Show.  The Black Isle marked this cow’s first show outing since she was Junior Female Champion at the 2019 Royal Highland.

Reserve Supreme Championship, and Reserve Female Overall Delfur Nifty

Lifting the Reserve Supreme Championship, and Reserve Female Overall title at Turriff was the prolific heifer Delfur Nifty from Delfur Farms, Rothes, Aberlour, and shown by herd manager Garry Patterson.  November 2022 born heifer, Delfur Nifty is by Ballymoney Larry, a Saltire Impressive son, and is out of Delfur Joyful, an Islavale Cassius daughter.  This heifer is another multi title winner and who cornered a little bit of breed history this year when she became the first Simmental to win the Overall Junior Interbreed at the Royal Highland.  At the same show she featured in the Reserve Interbreed Pair, and also in the Reserve Interbreed Team of Four. Of her Scottish Simmental National Reserve Overall, Dorothy Moffatt commented: “This is a very sweet young heifer who will grow into a great cow. She has length, width, is very good on her legs, and has plenty of eye-catching style.”   Delfur Nifty has been racking up prizes, titles, and interbreeds since last year as a calf and including such as Simmental Youngstock Show at Borderway Agri Expo; LiveScot; Stars of the Future; and from their through to this summer.

Male Champion Islavale Kristoff

Kicking off the day as the rain cleared was the fantastic sight of five senior bulls in the first class, and it was from here that the day’s Male Champion appeared in the shape of Islavale Kristoff 19 EX92 from Pitgaveny Farm, Elgin, Moray and shown by Pitgaveny herd manager Geoff Anderson.   By Corskie Highlander 16 EX93, and out of Islavale Ethel EX91, this April 2019 bull bred by WS Stronach, Berryleys Farm, Keith, was purchased for 14,000gns at Stirling in October 2020.  Of her Male Champion the judge Dorothy Moffatt said:  “This is a big, strong, powerful Simmental bull with tremendous width and depth, and all the qualities to be a top stock sire.”  Later in the afternoon, Islavale Kristoff 19 EX92 teamed up with Annick Ginger’s Lucia to win the Reserve Interbreed Pairs. The Pitgaveny herd comprises of some 180 Simmental cows, with 15 pedigrees within that number.

Reserve Male Champion Backmuir King

Placing second in this class and following through to be Reserve Male Champion was another from the Backmuir team and in the form of the homebred Backmuir King.  This upstanding five-year-old bull is by Islavale Hamilton and is out of Starline Olivia 27^th.  Again with a little track record behind him, Backmuir King was the Male Champion at last year’s Royal Highland Show, the herd’s top award to date for a homebred animal, and with his first progeny at Stirling already selling to the five figure mark in October 2023.

Overall Junior, Junior Male, and Reserve Overall Male Corskie Puma

It seems to have been a summer of ‘Simmental doubles’ and another one was confirmed when Corskie Puma 23 (P), from the Green family, won a hatful of Simmental titles including Overall Junior, Junior Male, and Reserve Overall Male.  This classy young January 2023 born bull  is by Rathnashan Kellogg’s (ET) (P) EX94, and is out of Corskie Kit, an Auchorachan Farmer daughter.  In his first show outing, at this year’s Royal Highland, he also won the Reserve Male Championship, and Junior Male Championship titles.  At the aforementioned Black Isle Show last week, this bull was Male Champion and part of the Greens Interbreed winning team of three, whilst at Turriff Show he rounded off his day by winning the Junior Interbreed title!  Corskie Puma 23 (P) will now be aimed at the Stirling October Bull Sale and will be joined there by his stablemate Corskie Power, a Rathnashan Magnum son, who was second in his class to the Overall Reserve Junior, at the Scottish National.

Female Championship, the Reserve Junior Male, Reserve Overall Junior Championship Pitmudie Primrose

Reserve Overall Junior Champion, and Reserve Junior Male Champion Pitmudie Princeton

Another shining light was the top team of cattle from the Pitmudie herd of Heather Duff, Pitmudie Farm, Menmuir, By Brechin.  On the day Pitmudie cattle won the Junior Female Championship, the Reserve Junior Male, Reserve Overall Junior Championship, and the Pairs!  Taking the Junior Female Championship was the April 2023 born Pitmudie Primrose.  This heifer is by the stock bull Hiltonstown Irish 17 and is out Pitmudie Irish Moss who herself is a twin out of a Delfur female.  Standing as Reserve Overall Junior Champion, and Reserve Junior Male Champion was the stylish young bull Pitmudie Princeton.  Also April 2023 born, Pitmudie Princeton is another by Hiltonstown Irish 17, and is out of Pitmudie Babe from the noted Manor Park Babe line.  At this year’s Royal Highland Show, this  ‘correct young bull with muscle, length, breed character, and good on his legs’, won the Reserve Beefbreeder Interbreed title.  Commenting generally, Heather Duff said: “We are delighted to win these titles and given the standard within the classes which were a terrific advert for the breed.  At home there are now 50 breeding females in the Pitmudie herd.  The stock bulls are breeding well within and we’re pleased with the general progress and development of the herd.”  The sire of these two animals, Hiltonstown Irish 17, was purchased at Stirling in October 2018 for 8500gns.  In one of the last classes of the day, Pitmudie Princeton 23 teamed up with the March 2023 born Pitmudie Pitcairn, a Springfield Legacy son, to win the Simmental Pairs class.  Both of these Pitmudie bulls will now be heading to the Stirling Bull sale in October.

Reserve Junior Female Champion Corskie P-Enna

Standing in the Reserve Junior Female Champion position was another from the prolific Corskie team and this time the first prize winner Corskie P-enna.  January 2023 born, Corskie P-enna is by Rathnashan Kellogg’s (ET) (P) EX94, the same sire as the herd’s Junior Champion, and is out of Corskie Iam-enna, a Dirnanean Bradley 10 EX93 daughter. Rounding off another top day, the Corskie herd also won the Simmental Group of Three, with the team comprising of Corskie Puma (P); Corskie Illusion; and Corskie P-enna.

Overall Championship Line Up

Scottish National Simmental Show, within Turriff Show – Monday 5th August, 2024

Judge: Mrs Dorothy Moffat, Innerwick Herd, Dunbar

Class 1 Senior Bull born before 31st December 2022
1st Pitgaveny Farms Islavale Kristoff 19
2nd R & A Simmers Backmuir King 19
3rd D & R Durno Coose Nelson (P)
4th Declan Whyte Newton House Ninja 22

Class 2 Junior Male Bull born between 1st January 2023 and 31st March 2023
1st W J & J Green Corskie Puma 23 (P)
2nd R & A Simmers Backmuir Pegasus 23
3rd Heather Duff Pitmudie Pitcairn 23
4th J C MacIver Coltfield Peter 23

Class 3 Junior Male Bull born between 1st April 2023 and 31st July 2023
1st Heather Duff Pitmudie Princeton 23
2nd W J & J Green Corskie Power 23
3rd R & A Simmers Backmuir Pluto 23
4th Gavin Brown Springfield Pelle 23

Class 4 Junior Male Bull born between 1st August 2023 and 31st December 2023
1st W J & J Green Corskie Plasma 23
2nd W J & J Green Corskie Pepsi 23
3rd Gary & Angela Christie Rockytop Panache 23

Corskie Plasma

Class 5 Senior Female Cow born on or before 31st July 2021
1st R & A Simmers Annick Ginger’s Lucia
2nd W J & J Green Corskie Illusion
3rd J C MacIver Coltfield Katie
4th R & A Simmers Brandane Lu Lu

Class 7 Senior Female Heifer born between 1st April 2022 and 31st December 2022
1st Delfur Farms Delfur Nifty
2nd Laura Green Garmouth Fame’s Nicole
3rd R & A Simmers Backmuir Kenzie’s Nespresso
4th Ryan Smith Overhill House Neva

Class 8 Junior Female Heifer born between 1st January 2023 and 31st March 2023
1st W J & J Green Corskie P-Enna
2nd Heather Duff Pitmudie Pandora (P)
3rd R & A Simmers Backmuir Ginger’s Paprika (P)
4th Pitgaveny Farms Pitgaveny Pepsi

Class 9 Junior Female Heifer born between 1st April 2023 and 31st July 2023
1st Heather Duff Pitmudie Primrose
2nd W J & J Green Corskie Private Eyes
3rd Heather Duff Pitmudie Paloma

Class 10 Junior Female Heifer born between 1st August 2023 and 31st December 2023
1st J C MacIver Coltfield Perfect
2nd Gary & Angela Christie Rockytop Faye’s Poppet
3rd W J & J Green Corskie Pastel
4th Gavin Brown Springfield Pippa

Coltfield Perfect

Class 11 Calf born after 1st January 2024
1st R & A Simmers Backmuir Lu Lu’s Rosalu

Backmuir Lu Lu’s Rosalu

Class 12 Pairs – Any two animals owned by the same exhibitor
1st Heather Duff
2nd R & A Simmers

Overall Champion
Annick Ginger’s Lucia R & A Simmers
Reserve Overall Champion
Delfur Nifty Delfur Farms

Male Champion
Islavale Kristoff 19 Pitgaveny Farms
Reserve Male Champion
Backmuir King 19 R & A Simmers

Female Champion
Annick Ginger’s Lucia R & A Simmers
Reserve Female Champion
Delfur Nifty Delfur Farms

Junior Male Champion
Corskie Puma23 (P) W J & J Green
Reserve Junior Male Champion
Pitmudie Princeton 23 Heather Duff

Junior Female Champion
Pitmudie Primrose Heather Duff
Reserve Junior Female Champion
Corskie P-Enna W J & J Green

Overall Junior Champion
Corskie Puma 23 (P) W J & J Green
Reserve Overall Junior Champion
Pitmudie Princeton 23 Heather Duff