The British Simmental Review 2022

East Anglian Simmental Club
Report by James Brice, Chairman
This year has seen a few changes within
our club. We had our AGM in April at
Wensum Valley Golf Club and after
many years of service as secretary, Hayley
Clarke stepped down. Our extended thanks
go to Hayley for her dedication and hard
work over 9 long years, and also to Nigel
Darling who stepped down as chairman.
Zara Curson of the Hollybrook herd, has
taken on the role of secretary and also
treasurer so we thank her for that, and with
myself, James Brice from the Rendham herd,
taking over the chairman’s role.
In the year, we have seen two herds join the
Club in the form of Paul & Sharrie Cade from
Cade Simmentals, and Sam Steggles with his
children re-introducing Wacton Simmentals
(which was first established in 1973 by Sam’s
grandfather Russell Steggles). We offer both
of them a very warm welcome.
With Covid restrictions seemingly in the past,
2022 has been a much more productive
year. With many aspects of life returning
to normal, the much-anticipated return of
agricultural shows was welcomed by all,
having been missed off the calendars for
the past two summers. This was the boost
many breeders needed and after leaving
their show equipment gathering dust, they
were able to polish it up and spruce their
best animals up once again. It has been
great to see animals from the East Anglian
Club competing again on the show scene
across the country, but in particular it was
lovely to see the local shows take centre
stage in our region. All of our Club members
who showed did well this year, bringing
home rosettes and championships between
them. To name a few Paul & Linda Gunther,
with the help of Holly Lutkin and Sharon
Morter, won breed champion at the South of
England show with their two-year old heifer
Fircovert Ladybird, and with Hayley and
Andrew Clarke taking Reserve with their bull
Williams Josef.
At the Royal Norfolk Show it was Heathbrow
Koko Star (P) who was Breed Champion,
bred by D.A and L.A Sapsed, Hertfordshire.
However our Club members didn’t
disappoint with first places coming from
Andrew and Hayley Clarke, Paul Gunther,
Jimmy McMillan and the Guiltcross herd
of Marcus and Helen Searle. This was the
Searle’s debut year showing their homebred
animals and their January 21 born bull
Guiltcross Marler impressed the judge
Garrett Behan (Clonagh herd), winning first
and then taking Reserve Champion on home
turf.
A massive congratulations to Jimmy & Kath
McMillan with their trio of heifers: Brandane
Millie, who won Best in Breed and went on
to take Reserve Interbreed Champion at the
Suffolk Show. Jimmy also enjoyed huge
success at the Royal Highland with Brandane
Millie being crowned Junior Female and
Overall Junior Reserve Champion. In fact,
wherever Jimmy and his trio of heifers went
Paul and Linda Gunther with South of England Simmental Champion Fircovert Ladybird.
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