by Nicky Moreton | Aug 18, 2025 | 2025 South East News, 2025 News, 2025 Virtual Show, 2025
- 429 Simmentals entered in this year’s competition over six classes.
- 2020 born cow wins Overall Supreme Champion
- Vale Royal North Star wins Male Championship and places Overall Reserve
- Champion and Reserve both from the Mixbury Hall herd
The 2025 British Simmental Virtual Show reached a thrilling conclusion on “Simmental Super Sunday”, 17th August, with Mixbury Hall Lucinda, a 2020-born cow from Vernon and Jon Bailey, Mixbury Hall Farm, Brackley, Northants, being crowned Overall Supreme Champion.
This year’s staging, the sixth edition of the UK’s largest online pedigree cattle show, attracted a mighty 429 Simmentals from 89 breeders, competing across six classes, over six weeks.
Lucinda, sired by the herd’s noted Tilbrook Frank (himself Virtual Show Male Champion in 2021) and out of Mixbury Hall Damelsa, emerged victorious after winning the Female Championship. In a first for the competition, both the Female Champion and Male Champion came from the same home, the 70 breeding female Northamptonshire based Mixbury Hall herd. The Male Championship title went to Vale Royal North Star, bought in a private deal, and who was also named Overall Reserve Supreme Champion.
Video from judge
Supreme Championship judge David Hazelton of the renowned Ranfurly herd, Dungannon, Northern Ireland, said of his Supreme Champion:
“Mixbury Hall Lucinda just oozes Simmental breed character, with a lovely feminine head, a great top line, real stature to her, and with tremendous length from hook to pin. She has a snug udder with ideally sized teats – perfect for what I call a ‘hands free calf’, able to suckle unaided from day one.”
Lucinda initially topped a highly competitive class of 60 cows in milk, judged by Heather Duff, Pitmudie herd, Brechin, Angus, before being awarded the Female Championship by Vikki Wood, Popes herd, Lancashire.
With regards to the Male Champion, and Overall reserve Supreme, Vale Royal North Star, the judge David Hazelton praised the bull as being: “Just a terrific Simmental bull with exceptional length, easy fleshing, and with a great carcase.” North Star won through a strong section of 141 males, including 27 senior bulls judged by Neil McGowan of the Incheoch herd, Alyth, Blairgowrie. The Male Championship was later awarded by Cornish breeder Steve Gummow of the Killiworgie herd. 2022 born, Vale Royal North Star is by the noted AI sire Auchorachan Hercules 16 (ET) EX 92, and is out of Vale Royal Annie who herself won the 2023 Simmental Virtual Show Championship for breeder James Arnold, Tarporley, Cheshire.
Speaking immediately at the close of the ‘Simmental Super Sunday’, and after receiving the Championship awards, an ‘over the moon’ Jon Bailey said:
“As a family we are absolutely delighted to have won both the Male and Female Championships, and the Overall Supreme – it’s incredible. The Virtual Show has been brilliant for showcasing our stock at Mixbury Hall, and for promoting the Simmental breed across the UK. At Mixbury Hall, we strive to produce quality cattle – good, milky, feminine, easy-fleshing cows that start breeding young and continue breeding well. We feel Simmental really is the breed that does it all.”
Jon also praised the wider competition and went on to say: “A huge well done to all breeders who entered, and to the judges for their time and effort. The Virtual Show is a fantastic event – great fun to take part in and to watch.”
On behalf of the British Simmental Cattle Society, the BSCS President Chris Martindale, of the Forsdale herd, Shropshire, said:
“Many congratulations to the Bailey family – winning a clean sweep of Championships from an entry of 429 quality Simmentals is a remarkable achievement. The Virtual Show continues to be an outstanding platform to promote the maternal and terminal qualities of British Simmental. Above all, it brings people together, showcases cattle on an inexpensive platform, and delivers a lot of fun along the way. It’s a competition that is very much anticipated and is now a firm fixture in the Simmental calendar.”
by Nicky Moreton | Aug 18, 2025 | 2025 Virtual Show
It’s the second ‘big reveal’ of Simmental Super Sunday and the 2025 Simmental Virtual Show as we now turn to the ladies.
A mighty 288 super Simmental females were entered across three classes as this competition continues to go from strength to strength. Taking an incredible second Championship of this year’s competition is the Mixbury Hall herd of Vernon and Jon Bailey, Mixbury Hall Farm, Brackley, Northants with their 2020 born Mixbury Hall Lucinda VG 87. Lucinda, by the herd’s noted sire Tilbrook Frank, and out of Mixbury Hall Damelsa, was up against two heifers in the final in the shape of Corskie Pink, and Corskie Role Play both from WJ & J Green, Corskie, Garmouth, Fochabers.
Judging the Female Championships was Vikki Wood of the noted Lancashire based Popes herd, and please see here Vikki’s video with her comments on these terrific Simmental females.
What an incredible achievement by the Baileys to win both the Male and Female Championships and in the face of such tough competition! So we’re down to a straight shootout between Vale Royal North Star, and Mixbury Hall Lucinda to see who will be crowned as the 2025 Simmental Virtual Show Champion!
by Nicky Moreton | Aug 18, 2025 | 2025 Virtual Show
Here we go on ‘Simmental Super Sunday’ with the Championships of this year’s Simmental Virtual Show!
From over 140 Simmental bulls entered in this year’s competition, the 2025 Male Champion is Vale Royal North Star from the Mixbury Hall herd of Mr VC Bailey, Mixbury Hall Farm, Brackley, Northants. North Star prevailed over his fellow finalists in the shape of Kilbride Farm Rebel (P) from WH Robson & Sons, Kilbride Farm, Doagh, Ballycare, Co Antrim, and Tillyeve Rocco from Messrs C&M Bruce, Udny, Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
So it’s a massive well done to Vernon and Jon Bailey, and please see
here the video of the Male Championship judge Steve Gummow, of the noted Cornwall based Killiworgie herd, giving his thoughts on his Championship pick.
Vale Royal North Star, an Auchorachan Hercules 16 (ET) EX 92 son out of Vale Royal Annie, now takes his place in the Overall Supreme judge off, but who will he be up against?
by Nicky Moreton | Aug 18, 2025 | 2025 Virtual Show
Another week, and another top Simmental Virtual Show class. It was the turn of the ladies and some tremendous Simmental cows featured in Class Six – Cow in milk, any age.
A mighty sixty cows in all and showing all of the Simmental milk and maternal qualities that you would expect and which the breed is renowned for.
Making it a second 2025 Simmental Virtual Show class win, let’s hear it again for the Mixbury Hall herd of Mr VC Bailey, Mixbury Hall Farm, Brackley, Northants who take this week’s top position with Mixbury Hall Lucinda VG 87. 2020 born, Lucinda is by the herd’s noted sire Tilbrook Frank, and is out of Mixbury Hall Damelsa.
A highlight of this year’s competition has been the judge’s high quality videos and we have another one here this week from Heather Duff, Pitmudie herd, making her comments surrounded by some cracking, and super quiet, in-calf heifers with a tremendous backdrop of Pitmudie Farm, Menmuir, Brechin. Thank you for judging Heather, and top work in such a strong class. The Class Six results are as follows:
1st MIXBURY HALL LUCINDA
2nd BREAGHEY VIDA-L388
3rd GRANGEWOOD TOLLIE’S IRIS
4th CORSKIE MAVERTON
5th WILLIAMS HONEYBEAR’S KOALA BEAR
6th CORSKIE IAM-ENNA
7th CORSKIE MILEY
8th MIXBURY HALL NADINE
9TH BROOMBRAE DELIGHT M20
10TH ASHFURLY WEIKEL’S MOLLY
Well done to this week’s winners, and well done to all of the exhibitors for ‘finishing with a flourish’ in this year’s final class.
by Nicky Moreton | Aug 18, 2025 | 2025 Virtual Show
We’re loving this week’s Simmental Virtual Show Class and with it having been the turn of the ‘big boys’ in Class Five – Senior bull born on or before 31/12/2023.
Twenty seven modern senior bulls displaying all the qualities of top Simmental sires in herds around the United Kingdom. Great to see, and thank you to everyone who supported the class.
And so to this week’s winner who is the 2022 born Vale Royal North Star from the Mixbury Hall herd of Mr VC Bailey, Mixbury Hall Farm, Brackley, Northants. Take a bow, and well done Vernon and Jon! Bred by James Arnold, Vale Royal North Star is an Auchorachan Hercules 16 (ET) EX 92 son out of Vale Royal Annie who herself was the Overall Supreme In the 2023 Virtual Show!
Another week, and it’s another fantastic judge’s video! See here Neil McGowan’s class comments as he stands amongst some terrifically quiet young Simmental bulls from within his Incheoch herd at Alyth, Blairgowrie. Thank you for judging Neil. The Class Five Results are as follows:
1st VALE ROYAL NORTH STAR 22
2nd COOSE NEGOTIATOR (PP)
3rd RATHNASHAN MAGNUM
4th HEATHBROW NAPOLEON 22
5th CORSKIE JACKPOT 18
6th HEATHBROW KALSSIK 19 (P)
7th WOLFSTAR JUMANJI 18
8th HEMINGFORD NELSON
Well done to the winners, and well done to all of the exhibitors for putting on a cracking class of ‘big boy’ Simmental bulls.
by Nicky Moreton | Aug 18, 2025 | 2025 Virtual Show
Here we go again, it’s “big reveal” time as we announce the winners of this weeks’ Simmental Virtual Show with the results for Class Four – Female born on or between 1st January 2023 and 31st July 2024.
This was a top, top class, the largest this year to date, with a mighty 117 Simmental heifers entered. It’s a ‘big up’ once again to WJ & J Green, Corskie, Garmouth, Fochabers who have secured their second class win of the 2025 competition and this time with their April 2023 born heifer Corskie Pink (TF). This heifer is by Rathnashan Magnum, and is out of Corskie Helen EX 93 (EX2). Enjoying a strong competition so far, the Corskie entries took four positions in this week’s top ten and including another class one, two.
This week’s judge doing a top job was Hayley Clarke of the noted Williams herd, Model Farm, Norwich. In keeping with this years’ trend, please see another terrific video here where Hayley gives her thoughts on the class, and surrounded by quiet and super Simmentals from within the herd. We’re loving these judges videos!
The Class Four results are:
1st CORSKIE PINK
2nd CORSKIE PLUTO
3rd NEWBIEMAINS RITA ORA
4th CORSKIE PAST
5th NEWBIEMAINS PORT MAGEE
6th RENDHAM PAIGE (P)
7th CORSKIE REMEDY
8th MIXBURY HALL RIVER
9TH BREAGHEY VIDA-R545
10TH KILDRUMMIE RHUBARB
Again, massive support for this class. Both the numbers and the quality seems to keep rising and what a promotion of the Simmental breed this years’ competition is. Well done to everyone who has exhibited so far, and with the classes just showing the all-round quality of this breed in both the bulls, and females classes.
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