MID WALES breeders dominated at the Hereford Cattle Breeders Association Christmas calf show as Dendor 1 Wattle 9th from E D, D E and A L Jones, Caersws, stood supreme.

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.

The show also incorporated the Hereford Cattle Society’s national calf show and was judged by Steve Edwards.

From just over the border in Dilwyn, Herefordshire, Havenfield 1 Robin Hood from E L Lewis and Son was in reserve after taking the grand male champion title earlier that day.

By 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.