The third Asda/ABP BeefLink steak competition of the 2013 show season was won by a steak from a Simmental cross young bull bred by Bruce and Louise Quarman.
The steak came from a 345kg carcass which classified U-3 which was consigned to ABP’s York abattoir and is one the progeny from the couple’s 60 cow suckler herd based on Simmental, Limousin and British Blue genetics.
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The Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club’s annual stockjudging event attracted more than 130 club members and friends from throughout the Province.
The event was hosted by club chairman Nigel Glasgow, and his wife Phyllis, who own the noted Bridgewater Farm Herd based at Cookstown, in County Tyrone.
Judges, both novice and experienced, placed the four classes on cattle on show – senior heifers, junior heifers and two classes of cows. At the end of the evening everyone was keen to hear the opinions of master judge Robin Boyd from the Slievenagh Herd in Portglenone.
The club organises the event annually to select teams to represent Northern Ireland at the parent society’s national stockjudging finals. This year, for the first-time ever, the national event which attracts competitors from throughout the British Isles, is taking place in Northern Ireland. The venue is Fermanagh County Show at Enniskillen on Wednesday, August 7.
Normally the club selects two teams annually, two judges under 21 years-old, and two judges under 30-years-old. However, with the 2013 final taking place in County Fermanagh, the NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club is putting forward three teams in each age category.
The Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club is also indebted to new sponsor Bank of Ireland, for its generous sponsorship of the young judges who will be competing at the national final.
William Thompson from Bank of Ireland was on-hand to congratulate the winners who qualified for team selection.
The junior teams include (under 21yrs): Craig Cowan, Fivemiletown; Joel Nelson, Rosslea; Zara Stubbs, Irvinestown; James Carson, Cookstown; Kyle Hayes, Upper Ballinderry; and Andrew Clarke, Tynan.
The senior teams include (21 to 30yrs): Shane McDonald, Tempo; Thomas Hamilton, Rock; William Ferguson, Stewartstown; Robert Hamilton, Rock; Chris Boyd, Portglenone; and Jonny Hazelton, Dungannon.
Winners of the open class were: 1, Keith Nelson, Rosslea; 2, George Nelson, Rosslea; 3, Sean McGarvey.
Everyone enjoyed the evening’s craic and a delicious BBQ supper.
Club vice-chairman Richard Rodgers thanked the Glasgow family for their hospitality and presented them with a token of the club’s appreciation.
Steaks from two Simmental x bulls took the champion and reserve awards at the ASDA Highland Show steak competition.
Champion from William and Billy Nelson, West Brackley, Kinross and the reserve from Andrew Braes,West Bradieston, ST Cyrus.
Both bulls graded U-3, the steaks were cooked on the ASDA stand and judged by celebrity Chef Ainsley Harriot.
All roads will lead to Cookstown on Monday evening July 1, for the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club’s annual stockjudging competition.
Commencing at 7.00pm, the event will be hosted by club chairman Nigel Glasgow, and his wife Phyllis, at the Bridgewater Farm Herd, 30 Creevagh Road, Cookstown, County Tyrone, BT80 9QU.
During the evening the highest placed competitors (under 30-years-old) will be selected to form teams to represent Northern Ireland at the British Simmental Cattle Society’s National Stockjudging Competition. For the first time in its history, the national final is taking place in Northern Ireland.
Club secretary Robin Boyd said:”We are delighted to announce that the Northern Ireland Simmental Club is hosting the 2013 stockjudging finals at Enniskillen Show on Wednesday, August 7. This is a very prestigious event in the society’s annual calendar, attracting upwards of 50 young members from throughout the UK.
“We are looking forward to welcoming breeders from across the water, and showcasing the cream of the Province’s Simmental cattle.”
“The club usually selects two judging teams to compete at the national finals, but this year we are putting forward three teams in each age category – junior, under 21; and senior, under 30 – giving 12 young people an opportunity to compete at the national competition. We are also pleased to reveal that Bank of Ireland has weighed in to sponsor the club’s junior judging teams.”
The NI Simmental Club’s Young Members’ Association co-ordinator Zara Stubbs is urging all club members and their families to attend the Cookstown event on July 1. “The club’s annual stockjudging competition provides Simmental enthusiasts with an opportunity to get together socially and put their stock judging skills to the test.
“Thanks to the Glasgow family for agreeing to host the competition, and to Bank of Ireland for its generous sponsorship.”
Simmental is the ultimate breed of choice for suckler herd owners Robert Ferguson, and son William, from Sperrin View Farm, Stewartstown, County Tyrone.
The father and son duo run a herd of 60 suckler cows, alongside an intensive 150-sow birth to bacon pig enterprise.
The suckler herd comprises of 46 commercial females, the majority of which are three-quarter-bred Simmentals, while the remaining 14 cows form the Sperrin View pedigree Simmental herd which was founded shortly after William graduated from Greenmount College ten years ago.
“Simmental is without doubt a true dual purpose breed. The cows are superior mothers, and their progeny will match, if not surpass, the growth rates and carcase weights of other continental breeds,” explained William who speaks from experience, having finished various beef breeds over the years.
Robert and William operate a closed-herd policy, and have been members of the AFBI health scheme for two years. “The commerical herd is mainly home-bred, and we are currently using a home-produced pedigree stock bull which was retained for his excellent conformation and above average Breedplan figures,” said William.
The January 2011 born Sperrin View Columbo was sired by the Cleenagh Flasher son, Omorga Volvo, and is bred from a Kilbride Farm Newry daughter. He is in the breed’s top 10% for terminal sire index +77, self replacing index +89, and eye muscle area +3.5; and has a milk value of +5.
“The Simmental bulls have a docile temperament and a long life-span. We usually change our stock bulls after a few seasons. They are still fit at five-years-old, and are sold privately to other suckler herds.”
William is full of praise for the Simmental cows. “Nothing beats the Simmental, they have it all – size, strength, fertility, longevity, mothering ability and milk. The cows are easy to manage on a low input system, and have a nice temperament.”
Eighty-five-per-cent of the herd is spring calving, and it is routinely vaccinated for Lepto and BVD. Cows calve in a straw bedded house, and weather permitting are kept outside during the day, and re-housed at night. They are fed a diet of silage, straw and minerals which is mixed using a feeder wagon.
The Fergusons farm 140 acres and their main grazing period is from March to October, but this largely depends on the weather.
The herd is divided into batches. All calves are reared naturally on their mothers at grass, and the bullocks are introduced to creep feed from four-months-of age. Weaning takes place at around seven-months-old.
In the past Robert and William kept their male calves entire and finished them as bull beef. The cattle were achieving deadweights of around 500kgs at fifteen-months-old, with 80% of the carcases receiving U grades.
“With escalating feed prices we decided to stop bull beef production, and are now selling our bullocks as stores at between fifteen and twenty-months-of-age.”
A few weeks prior to leaving the farm the stores receive silage, straw and one kilo per head per day of a 16% crude protein blend. They are sold at a local market where they attract a strong demand and regularly secure top prices. “Bullocks sold in 2012 averaged 551kgs and sold for £1,100 per head,” confirmed William.
Robert and William have also witnessed a ready market for their Simmental heifers. The better heifers are retained as herd placements, with the remainder sold through the store ring.
William continued: “The Simmental females are healthy, and we don’t have a high replacement rate, so we are able to sell surplus maiden heifers on an annual basis. We have regular customers who buy from us privately, and we’ve also sold heifers at the Simmental Club’s commercial sale in Dungannon. Last year our heifers averaged £1,023 per head at 484kgs.”
The pedigree herd is also managed commercially, with AI sires Curaheen Vio, Omorga Volvo, Omorga Baldwin, Clonagh Tiger Gallant, and the 20,000 Euro Curaheen Tyson featuring in the breeding policy.
William, who was runner-up at the 2012 Farming Life/Danske Bank Pig Farmer of the Year Awards, has represented Northern Ireland on several occasions at the Simmental society’s national stockjudging competition, and has judged at the local club’s Dungannon show and sale.
The Sperrin View herd savoured success at the recent bull sales in Stirling. Making his debut appearance William sold two bulls to average £6,562 per head. Leading his entry, and setting a new record for the herd at 6,500gns, was the twenty-month-old Sperrin View Challenger. He was sired by Keeldrum Schubert, and out of the home-bred Kilbride Farm Newry daughter, Sperrin View Trudy. His other entry was the May 2011 born Sperrin View Crossfire which came under the hammer at 6,000gns.
Concluding William added:”Simmental is an all-round beef breed and there is nothing to beat it! It is an excellent choice as a terminal sire, and the cross-bred Simmental cows are an unrivalled foundation for any profitable suckler herd.”
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