2023 Limousin Annual Journal

ANNIVERSARY
Standing Reserve was Strattons Farms, Scarletts Farm,
Plastow Green, Headley, Berkshire and it was a delighted
Herd Manager Bill Ferguson accepting the award on
the night. This is a 120-cow commercial operation run
alongside the pedigree Strattons prefix by Bill working
together with Farm Manager Simon Hill, stockwoman
Laura Bartlett and stockman Nick Waite. Mr Ferguson had
a busy day having judged Friday’s pre-sale Carlisle Show
of Limousin Bulls where he had put up Spittalton Stag
as his Overall Champion, a bull which went on to sell for
19,000gns on the Saturday.
1971 - 2021
50 TH ANNIVERSARY
Judge Jim Scott (left) with
James McKay (Ampertaine)
Reserve Overall Pedigree Herd.
Reserve Pedigree Herd was James McKay’s Ampertaine
Herd based at Kilrea Road, Upperlands, Maghera, Co
Derry, N Ireland. Commenting, Jim said: “This herd
needs no introduction having produced bulls such as
Ampertaine Abracadabra, Commander, Elgin, Foreman
and Gigolo which have been so influential in the breed
yet are a balance of terminal and maternal traits. And this
has all been done by selective use of AI which is, as we
all know, no easy task. James McKay truly has a unique
talent in bringing pedigrees together.”
Addressing the assembled audience of around 100
guests, Peter Alexander commented: “We were so
impressed by what we saw touring the country with
Limousin cattle doing a great job across all farming
systems, land types and farm sizes.”
The Champion Commercial Herd was Edward & Hazel
Mather who run 104 purebred Limousin cows at Besshill
Farm, Arlington, Barnstaple, Devon. In announcing his
winner, Peter said that this was very much a family farm
run by a couple and their three children, and it was the
overall total Limousin system that was the deciding factor
with all replacements homebred, everything finished at
home and then either put through their farm shop or
sold to ABP. Collecting the trophy on the Mathers’ behalf
was South West Club Chairman Patrick Greed who also
picked up the Champion Pedigree trophy making it
a long but successful return trip from Devon! A short
feature on the herd appears later in this Journal and a
full feature reporting from this Summer will be run in our
next edition.
Strattons Farms' Bill Ferguson (left) receiving the Reserve Overall Commercial Herd
award from Judge Peter Alexander.
FULL RESULTS
Pedigree Herds
Champion: Killerton – PW & SM Greed – (South West)
Reserve Champion: Ampertaine – Messrs WJ & J McKay
(N Ireland)
Other Pedigree Section Finalists
Garyvaughan – CV Lewis & Sons (North West Midlands &
North Wales)
Barrons – Willy Barron (North East)
Maraiscote – Ian Nimmo (Scotland)
Norman – Norman Farming Co (North West)
Cowin – WD Dyfan & C James (South Wales & Mid-West)
Fieldson – JW & MC Fieldson (East Midlands)
Strattons – Strattons Farms (South East)
www.limousin.co.uk
ANNUAL JOURNAL 2023 | 35