POPES PRINCESS IMMIE LIFTS BEEF SUPREME INTERBREED AS SUPER SIMMENTALS ‘WIN BIG’ AT 2023 GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW!
• Popes Princess Immie Wins Beef Overall Supreme Interbreed
• Heathbrow Natasha lifts Overall Junior Beef Interbreed
• Heathbrow Nationwide; Heathbrow Natasha; Popes Princess Noor; and Williams Ellie’s Nelly win Overall Junior Interbreed Team
Super Simmentals stole the headlines on day two of the 2023 Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate as the breed secured a memorable hat-trick of Interbreed title wins. Leading the way was the six-year-old Popes Princess Immie, with her bull calf at foot Popes Premier, from Messrs JH & VG Wood, Popes Farm, Dutton, Preston, Lancs who won this historic show’s Overall Supreme Beef Interbreed Championship in front of the Interbreed judge, Gail Ellis, St Ives Cornwall.
Sired by Kilbride Farm Comber, Popes Princess Immie is out of the much decorated show cow Popes Princess Cleo who herself secured the herd’s first Overall Supreme Interbreed at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2017 and also as a six-year-old, and with Immie as her calf at foot!
With rolling Interbreeds through the morning, the Simmental breed had already secured the Overall Junior Interbreed title through the April 2022 born Heathbrow Natasha, the Simmental Junior, & Junior Female Champion from the noted Heathbrow herd of D&L Sapsed, High Heath Farm, Hitchin, Herts. Dominating the juniors, the Simmentals confirmed a fantastic day when winning the Junior Interbreed. The team consisted of the Simmental Male & Junior Male Champion Heathbrow Nationwide from the Sapseds; Heathbrow Natasha, the Simmental Junior, & Junior Female Champion also from the Sapseds; Popes Princess Noor, the Simmental Reserve Junior, and Reserve Junior Female from Messrs JH&VG Wood, Popes Farm, Dutton, Preston, Lancs; and Williams Ellie’s Nelly, who stood third in a strong class behind both the Junior, & Reserve Junior Champions, and exhibited by William Clarke Livestock Ltd, Model Farm, Hevingham, Norwich.
The summer ‘major’ shows have seen some quality line ups of Simmental cattle and the Great Yorkshire Show carried on this trend and with exhibitors from Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lancashire, Buckinghamshire, and Scotland.
On day one on Tuesday 10th July, the rain just about held off for the judging and under the watchful eye of Dafydd Jones of the noted Banwy Simmental herd, Welshpool, Powys. The day’s Champion, Popes Princess Immie, emerged from the first female class of the day, cow or heifer in-calf or with calf at foot, before powering through to take the Female Championship, and the Simmental Overall Supreme Championship. Immie is by the 20,000gns stock bull Kilbride Farm Comber, and has been shown through the summer with her tremendous bull calf at foot, the January born Popes Premier sired by Popes Lethal Weapon. Commenting on his choice of Champion, Dafydd Jones said: “My Champion is a thick, easy fleshing cow with plenty of width. She’s just full of milk and we can see the great job she’s doing of her calf at foot. Full of breed character she’s just a typical modern Simmental mum!” Of his day’s judging and the overall show of Simmentals, Dafydd Jones went on to say: “It’s been an honour and a privilege to judge the Simmental classes at a renowned show like the Great Yorkshire. The classes, particularly the females, were very strong throughout and full of breeding potential. Well done to all of the exhibitors and it was terrific, and well deserved, to see the breed go on to do so well in the Interbreed competitions the next day.”
Strong supporters of the Simmental sections at summer majors over the years, 2023 has proven to be another highly successful year for the Popes team of Jimmy, Vikki, Hannah, and Harry Wood. The win at the Great Yorkshire Show confirmed an outstanding ‘double, double’ with the Popes herd winning the Simmental English National Show and Great Yorkshire Show Overall Simmental Supreme titles in both 2022, and 2023. Both respective Champions, Popes Princess Immie, and Popes Princess Lumi, are out of the multi decorated Popes Princess Cleo. Immie’s Overall Supreme Interbreed title at the Great Yorkshire, and the Reserve Continental Interbreed at the Royal Norfolk has been significant icing on top of another tremendous show summer. Popes Princess Cleo secured the herd’s first Great Yorkshire Show Supreme Interbreed title when winning back in 2017.
Speaking to this further success, Vikki Wood said: “We are just blown away to win both the Simmental Championship and this prestigious Overall Supreme Interbreed. To win against the quality that was in the Simmental lines and then against the best in show just means everything and is very special. It’s a win for a Red Rose herd in the White Rose county, but the Great Yorkshire Show really is one of our favourites and we love coming here.”
Next up for Popes Princess Immie is a trip to the Scottish National Show being held within Dumfries Show on Saturday 5th August, and within an entry of 70 pedigree Simmentals. One not to be missed!
Making his mark this summer is young Simmental breeder Finlay Soutter (17), Yew Tree Farm, Ashby De La Zouch, Leicestershire and who lifted the Reserve Overall Simmental title with his February 2021 born heifer Brandane Millie. Millie is the foundation female in Finlay’s newly established Millennium Simmental pedigree herd, and was bred by well-known breeder and stockman Jimmy McMillan, Bradwell Ash, Bury St Edmunds. With a depth of pedigree Brandane Millie is by the AI bull Sterling Gino 15, and out of the noted Sterling Candy’s FCUK, a female bought at the Sterling Sale. As a young heifer Millie was successfully shown in 2022 by Jimmy McMillan and where she won a number of awards including the Junior Female Championship at the Royal Highland. Coming through a strong class for heifers born in 2021, the Reserve Overall title was a fantastic achievement for Finlay Soutter and or Brandane Millie who the judge Dafydd Jones described as being “an upstanding powerful Simmental heifer again with width, presence and character, and who I have no doubt will go on to make a first quality Simmental cow.”
A high-quality first step in the pedigree path, Brandane Millie was purchased privately by Finlay’s granddad, Doug Mash, Chesham, Bucks and was gifted to Finlay as a birthday present to initiate his Millenium herd. The Reserve title at the Great Yorkshire followed on from the Royal Norfolk and where Finlay, accompanied by Brandane Millie, won the Young Handlers trophy and which he received from William, Prince of Wales. Next step for this Millie will see her head to Llanellwedd Wells and the upcoming Royal Welsh Show.
With the herd dispersing in October this year due to retirement, the summer 2023 show season has been a showcase of the quality that will be on offer at the sale from the noted Heathbrow Simmental herd of David & Lesley Sapsed, High Heath Farm, Hitchin, Herts. The Great Yorkshire Show very much emphasised this with the Heathbrow herd’s roll of honours including: the Overall Junior Interbreed title; two animals in the winning Junior Interbreed team; the Simmental Male Championship; Simmental Junior Championship; the Simmental Pairs; second in the cow class; and second in the Group of Three!
The Junior Interbreed Champion, and Junior Simmental Champion, came in the shape of the classy Heathbrow Natasha. Again, with plenty of breeding behind her Natasha is by Heathbrow Important and is out of the imported Raceview Emerald Alicia600. Heathbrow Important himself won the Overall Interbreed at the Great Yorkshire in 2019 and in the same year won four out of four interbreed titles and was crowned European Simmental of the Year. A herd built around quality female lines, Raceview Emerald Alicia600 is from the noted Kim bloodline, and has been a top breeding family in the Heathbrow herd. Commenting, Dafydd Jones said: “This was a very stylish, balanced and correct heifer, and again who has all the potential to go on to be a super Simmental breeding female.” In one of the strongest classes of the day, Heathbrow Natasha pipped Popes Princess Noor from the Wood family into second place, and William’s Ellie’s Nelly from Andrew & Hayley Clarke, William Clarke Livestock Ltd, Model Farm, Hevingham, Norwich into third. Come the second day these three heifers joined with the Sapseds Male Champion, Heathbrow Nationwide, to make a sparkling team that went on to win the Overall junior Interbreed title and again in front of Gail Ellis, St Ives Cornwall.
With a connectivity in breeding, the April 2022 born ET calf Popes Princess Noor if by the noted Team Celtic and out of Popes Princess Hettie, a Popes Princess Cleo daughter. This heifer, who placed Reserve Overall Junior, won the breed Junior Championship at the Simmental English National Show at the Royal Norfolk. Entirely homebred, the February 2022 born Williams Ellie’s Nelly is by Williams Josef 18, and is out of Williams Beauxbaton’s Ellie. The five-year-old Williams Josef is a Clonagh Diehard Gallant son.
The aforementioned Heathbrow Nationwide won both the Male Championship and the Junior Male Championship for the Sapseds. This young February 2022 born bull is the first calf by the herd’s stock bull Blackford Kirk and is out of Heathbrow Girlie’s Ivy. Again with a depth of breeding in the pedigree, Blackford Kirk is a son of the Royal Highland winning bull Blackford Galaxy, whilst Heathbrow Girlie’s Ivy comes from another strong breeding family in the herd and was herself Reserve breed Champion at the 2022 Great Yorkshire Show. The Heathbrow herd comprises of 100 head in total with 40 cows plus followers, and heifers. The much-anticipated Dispersal Sale will take place at United Auctions Stirling Livestock Market on Monday 23rd October and following the autumn Simmental Bull sale on the same day.
Standing second in his class to the Male Champion was Newbiemains Nightrider from Scottish exhibitors Jim and Patricia Goldie, Newbie Mains Farm, Annan. The February 2022 born Nightrider is by Annick Klondyke, and is out of Newbiemains Jetstream, a Newbiemains Golden Eye daughter.
Great Yorkshire Show 2023 Judge Mr D Jones, Welshpool, Powys
Results from the Simmental judging on Day One
Bull, born on or after 1 January 2022.
1st Mr & Mrs D & L Sapsed Heathbrow Nationwide
2nd Mr J Goldie Newbiemains Nightrider
3rd Mr P Gunter Fircovert Neptune
4th William Clarke Livestock Ltd Williams Nicholas 22
Cow or Heifer, in calf or with calf at foot, having had a certified calf before attaining the age of 3 years.
1st Messrs JH & VG Wood Popes Princess Immie
2nd Mr & Mrs D & L Sapsed Heathbrow Jasmine
3rd Mr J Goldie Newbiemains Just a Star
4th Mr P Gunther Fircovert Lizbet
Heifer, born in 2021.
1st Mr FS Soutter Brandane Millie
2nd Mr RE & SHW Steggles Denizes Eves Beauty 7th
3rd Messrs JH & VG Wood Popes Trixies Mikala
4th Mr J Goldie Newbiemains My Girl
5th Miss LH Harding Hallway Winnies Majesty
6th Mr RE & SHW Steggles Scotland Hill Ivy Molly
7th Mr & Mrs D & L Sapsed Heathbrow Milky Way
8th Mr RE & SHW Steggles Brandane Mint
Heifer, born in 2022
1st Mr & Mrs D & L Sapsed Heathbrow Natasha
2nd Messrs JH & VG Wood Popes Princess Noor
3rd William Clarke Livestock Ltd Williams Ellies Nelly
4th Mr CA Jackson Future New Girl
5th William Clarke Livestock Ltd Williams Nalha Kat
6th Mr J Goldie Newbiemains Nap
7th Mr P Gunther Fircovert Noel
8th Mr P Gunther Fircovert Nancy
Group of Three animals.
1st Mr RE & SHW Steggles
2nd Mr & Mrs D&L Sapsed
3rd Mr J Goldie
Pair of animals
1st Mr & Mrs D & L Sapsed
2nd Mr RE & SHW Steggles
3rd William Clarke Livestock Ltd
4th Mr J Goldie
Supreme Champion Popes Princess Immie
Reserve Overall Brandane Millie
Male Champion Heathbrow Nationwide
Reserve Male Newbiemains Nightrider
Female Champion Popes Princess Immie
Reserve Female Brandane Millie
Junior Champion Heathbrow Natasha
Reserve Junior Champion Popes Princess Noor
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