The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2013 - Issue 29 | Page 48

BREEDING

LIMOUSIN SEMEN EXPORTED TO ROMANIA
Export orders also fulfilled to New Zealand, Holland, Germany & Switzerland A significant semen export to Romania of 2,500 straws from three Limousin bulls has been achieved by Millington Grange Estate, Millington, York. The export came about following contact made at the Romanian Agricultural Show, Indagra, held in Bucharest six years ago at which the British Limousin Cattle Society had a stand. Two further visits were subsequently made by Millington Grange Estate’s owner, John Weatherill, which included addressing the veterinary group responsible for AI licencing and insemination throughout Romania. The bulls in question are Woodhouse Prince, Greenson’s Ural and the homebred Millington Chief. With a noted show career, Woodhouse Prince had stood Breed Champion & Reserve Interbreed Champion at the 2002 Royal Welsh, Male Champion & Reserve Overall Champion at the Great Yorkshire and Reserve Male Champion at the Royal Highland in the same year. He was also Reserve Overall Champion at the Highland in 2004. The black-coated Greensons Ural exhibits good growth rate (697kg at 400 days) backed up by a Beef Value of LM+44. The 2007-born Millington Chief is a Mas Du Clo son who has been mainly used in the home Millington and Towthorpe herds. The shipment was handled by Cogent through the Romania-based company Pharm To Farm with the semen intended for use on dairy females and dairybred suckler cows - the aim being the stimulating the growth of Romania’s fledgling beef industry. In the same period, Semenstore Ltd has realised further exports around the globe as the online site’s popularity continues to grow. A repeat order to Snakegully Limousins

in New Zea land was achieved with the Limousin bulls Bolide and Milbrook Alistair following a previous order for Bolide, Ampertaine Commander and Wilodge Cerberus back in 2011. Cowporation in Holland were again repeat customers with an order of Ampertaine Foreman. New business was also secured with Ampertaine Abracadabra and Ulm selling to Germany, and, for the first time, an order of Carmorn Copilot was fulfilled into Switzerland. The above were in addition to regular orders completed to breeders in Southern Ireland.

FOXHILL FARM GRACIE TAKES THE TRIPLE CROWN
The 2013 winning streak of Foxhillfarm Gracie, from Michael & Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon, continued on the opening day of the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells, when this remarkable rising two year old heifer won the Limousin Overall Supreme Championship. The win for Foxhillfarm Gracie saw her complete an unprecedented triple crown of summer ‘major’ championships with wins already secured at both the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire shows respectively. Throw in an Individual Interbreed title at the Great Yorkshire, numerous team interbreeds, wins at the Royal Bath & West and Royal Cornwall, and it all adds up to an incredible first year’s pedigree showing for the heifer and also the Alford team of Michael, Melanie and Charlotte. The man literally in the ‘hot’ seat for the day was Judge Harry Emslie of the noted Emslies pedigree herd based at Kinockie, Mintlaw, Peterhead. Before him was a show of more than 100 head of Limousins in what was the largest entry of all the beef breeds at the show. Late in the day, Foxhillfarm Gracie secured the Reserve Overall Supreme Interbreed title. This final ribbon added to the Championship win in the Limousin ring where she had also secured the Overall Limousin Female Championship, and

the Exhibitor Bred title. On the Tuesday morning, Foxhillfarm Gracie went on to win the Individual Junior Interbreed. Foxhillfarm Gracie is by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the 15,000gns foundation female, Bankdale Alice, who was purchased at the Bankdale Dispersal Sale at Carlisle in July 2011 whilst in calf with Gracie. There was also a Limousin first in the bull classes with Knock Black Glencoe from Esmor Evans, Monfa, Mold, Flintshire winning the Male Championship. This is the first time a black coated Limousin bull has picked up one of the top awards at a summer ‘major’.

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Aug/Sep 2013 FarmersMart

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