THIS year’s Beef Expo, which was held at York Auction mart on May 21, was declared a resounding success, with two Welsh farmers dominating the competition classes and a high level of attendance at the event seminars.

The overall champion of the Beef Expo National Spring Spectacular classes was Sooty, a Limousin cross heifer aged 17 months and weighing in at 547kgs. Bred by the Bowen family of Welshpool, the heifer was exhibited by Rhidian and Cai Edwards, of Corwen, Denbighshire.

Reserve Supreme Champion was Midnight Black, a Limousin cross steer, owned and bred by TA & LC Lyon & Sons.

Meanwhile, Tecwyn Jones, of Conway, took the red ribbon in the Baby Beef classes with the 420kgs Black Beauty, another Limousin cross heifer.

In the Young Handler classes, the 12-16 year old category was won by Ellin Wyn Roberts, showing Eye Style, with top prize in the 17-21-year-old section going to Hannah Donaldson and Hoity Toity.

The individual winner of the Future Beef Farmer Challenge was Northampton-based James Bonnar, a 25-year-old who works on the family beef and arable unit. The group prize went to “Askham Agrics,” a team made up of four students from Askham Bryan College – sisters, Emily and Amanda Watson, from Durham, Becky Green, from Derbyshire and Nicola Terry, from Ripon.

A new competition, designed to test the showing skills of livestock auctioneers, attracted entries from a number of mart representatives, with Trevor Simpson of Hexham and Northern Marts declared the winner of the “Auctioneers’ Handler Challenge.”

EID TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR

Delegates at the event, which was organised by the National Beef Association and held at York for the first time in its history, heard a presentation from beef producer, Robert Neill of Upper Nisbet Farm near Jedburgh. He investigated the use of electronic identification (EID) for cattle, as part of his Nuffield farming scholarship. Mr Neill currently uses the system to manage data generated by his 300-cow Limousin cross dairy suckler herd, which are put to a Limousin or British Blue bull. He said: “EID makes cattle handling a more enjoyable process and increases accuracy. It is also safer, as the operator does not have stand at the animal’s head to read the tag number and the cattle are more settled.

“The technology can be used in conjunction with three-way shedding and can contain a range of data, including parentage, birthdates and medical treatments, as well as working out daily liveweight gains. It allows me to weigh 40-50 cattle in just ten minutes.”

BEEF EXPO FACTS AND FIGURES

7,000 event visitors

250 attending the farm tours

19 breed society stands

170 trade stands

BEEF EXPO MAIN SPONSORS:

York Auction Centre; Caltech-Crystalyx; Dunbia, Eblex, Farmers Guardian; Lloyds Bank.