Dendor 1 Wattle 9th from ED, DE and AL Jones, Caersws, stood supreme at the Hereford Cattle Breeders Association Christmas calf show, which incorporated the Hereford Cattle Society’s national calf show, judged by Steve Edwards.

Born in September 2017, this heifer is by Danish sire Bakgard 1 Keno 1178, the 2017 Royal Welsh Show champion. Its home-bred dam, Dendor 1 Wattle 6th, was sired by Solpoll 1 Gilbert which has sired the UK Hereford female of the year for the last five years and was twice named sire of the year. On its first time out, this natural calf will be retained for breeding.

In reserve was Havenfield 1 Robin Hood from EL Lewis and son which took the grand male champion earlier that day. y the AI sire Romany 1 Lawbreaker RE L23, this embryo calf’s dam is the 2015 Kington Show champion, Dendor 1 Ruby 20th which the Lewis family bought privately as a heifer from the Jones family.

This September 2017-born bull calf will head to the Society’s spring show and sale in Hereford.

Havenfield 1 Robin Hood also made up one half of the champion bull calf pairs alongside herdmate Havenfield 1 Rufus, which is by Solpoll 1 Lawman.

Following its paternal sister to the front of the line-up was Dendor 1 Echo 36th which was named reserve female champion. By the same Danish sire as the champion, this March 2018-born heifer is out of Dendor 1 Echo 28th which itself was sired by SMH Euro 20E which is still going strong in the Republic of Ireland at nine-year-old at the Herberry herd of Ray Hunt and Veronica Brennan.

Reserve male went to Barbern 1 Rockafella from Preston-based Bernard and Barbara Rimmer which at 11 months of age is 635kg. Bred from two Barbern animals, it is by Barbern 1 Gargantuan which was junior champion at the National Poll Show 2010 and was sold for semen which has been used widely across UK, Ireland and Europe. The young bull was out of Barbern 1 Foxglove 309 which was sired by Listimous 1 Encore and purchased from Melissa Roberts privately. On its first time out, and it unknown yet whether it is to remain at Barbern or if it will be offered for sale.

In the heifer pairs class, Moralee 1 Kimberly KS R7 and Moralee 1 Kylie KS R1 from Tom and Di Harrison, Mickley stood champion, both sired by SMH Kingsize. These two heifers have been unbeaten this show season, winning the Scottish National, National Poll Show and Agri Expo titles. Kylie sold at the Designer Genes sale later that day for 8,000gns.

In the young handlers, Maddie Clark, 21 from Suffolk took champion handler. In the under 16 section, Grace Denning, 12, from Somerset was handed the red ticket.