2015
This year it was all down to Blossoms and Diadems.
Sparkwood Blossom 12th was 1st out of 6 at Suffolk Show and 2nd out of 8 at Royal Norfolk Show. Also at Royal Norfolk Sparkwood Diadem 5th was 1st in a very strong class of 9 even though she was one of the youngest in the class.
Sparkwood Diadem 3rd with Sparkwood Reggie at foot won her class at Bucks County Show and we finally won Female Champion at Henley Show again – this time with Sparkwood Blossom 10th with Sparkwood Blossom 15th at foot – they then went on to be Reserve Breed Champions.
2014
A quieter year - lots of rosettes early in the summer then Sparkwood Dowager 2nd was Female Champion at Bucks County Show with Sparkwood Pansy 5th standing Reserve to her. Our season ended at the Henley Show with Sparkwood Diadem 3rd, with Sparkwood Diadem 5th at foot, awarded Female and Breed Champion.
2013
A very successful summer all round with Sparkwood Ned, Sparkwood Onslow and Sparkwood Dowager 2nd being particularly brilliant. Sparkwood Ned and Sparkwood Onslow were both sold later by word of mouth, locally.
Suffolk Show -
Sparkwood Ned, Male Champion
Sparkwood Onslow, Reserve Male Champion
Royal Norfolk Show -
Sparkwood Ned, Reserve Male Champion
Thame Show -
Sparkwood Ned, Male Champion and Reserve Breed Champion
Sparkwood Onslow, Reserve Male Champion
Tenbury –
Sparkwood Dowager 2nd, Intermediate Female Champion, Grand Female Champion and Reserve Supreme Champion. What a clever girl, of all our wins, this one meant the most.
Bucks County Show –
Sparkwood Dowager 2nd, Reserve Female Champion, upstaging Sparkwood Pansy 5th winning her class which as ever at Bucks was very competitive.
Henley Show –
The terrific three rounded off in style with…
Sparkwood Ned, Male Champion and Breed Champion
Sparkwood Onslow, Reserve Male Champion and Reserve Breed Champion
Sparkwood Dowager 2nd, Female Champion
2012
Sparkwood Logic
A diabolical year weather wise - no rain or grass through March and April then nothing but rain for weeks - showing this summer not such a pleasure. Suffolk Show was abandoned on the second day because of gales, East of England was a huge mud bath and also ended prematurely whilst Henley Show in early September sent the cattle lines home early because of the heat!
However, Sparkwood Logic started the silverware at South Suffolk and then Suffolk when he was Breed Champion at both shows.
However, Sparkwood Logic started the silverware at South Suffolk and then Suffolk when he was Breed Champion at both shows.
Bugwood Gossip
Bugwood Gossip with Sparkwood Oarsman at foot was in
support with a red rosette at Herts, Reserve Female Champion at Royal Norfolk,
Senior Female Champion at Tenbury (second year running) and Breed Champion at
Henley. Also at Henley we had Reserve Female Champion with Sparkwood 1 Harvester
2nd and Reserve Male Champion with Sparkwood Ned.
support with a red rosette at Herts, Reserve Female Champion at Royal Norfolk,
Senior Female Champion at Tenbury (second year running) and Breed Champion at
Henley. Also at Henley we had Reserve Female Champion with Sparkwood 1 Harvester
2nd and Reserve Male Champion with Sparkwood Ned.
2011
Mara Emerald
Another busy but sucsessful year in the show ring with our two F.H. Diamond (x) bred Mara bulls book ending the season with major wins. Mara Emerald was Breed Champion at Herts County Show in May and Mara Excel also Breed Champion at Bucks County Show in September - Well done both.
Sparkwood Pansy 3rd "our one to watch" from 2010 was the Female Champion at Herts, Reserve Female Champion at East of England, in our winning group of 3 at the National Horned Show at Tenbury with Sparkwood Ludo and Sparkwood Logic, and in the ribbons at Suffolk and The Royal Norfolk. Sparkwood Ludo was also Junior Male Champion at East of England, Reserve Male Champion at Royal Norfolk, class winner at Tenbury and ended the season as Male Champion at Henley Show.
Bugwood Gossip won her class at Tenbury and went on to be Senior Female Champion.
Sparkwood Blossom 5th won her class at South Suffolk, was Junior Female Champion at East of England then Reserve Female and Reserve Breed Champion at Henley.
Sparkwood Pansy 3rd "our one to watch" from 2010 was the Female Champion at Herts, Reserve Female Champion at East of England, in our winning group of 3 at the National Horned Show at Tenbury with Sparkwood Ludo and Sparkwood Logic, and in the ribbons at Suffolk and The Royal Norfolk. Sparkwood Ludo was also Junior Male Champion at East of England, Reserve Male Champion at Royal Norfolk, class winner at Tenbury and ended the season as Male Champion at Henley Show.
Bugwood Gossip won her class at Tenbury and went on to be Senior Female Champion.
Sparkwood Blossom 5th won her class at South Suffolk, was Junior Female Champion at East of England then Reserve Female and Reserve Breed Champion at Henley.
Mara Excel at Bucks County Show
2010
Pansy
The 2010 showing season turned out to be phenomenally successful, particularly for Mara Pansy 20th, with Sparkwood Ludo at foot, who started off in early May by winning Supreme and Interbreed Champion at South Suffolk Show and never looked back.
As well as winning:
•Herts County Show Supreme Champion
•Suffolk County Show Female Champion
•Oxford County and Thame Show Reserve Supreme Champion
•Bucks County Show Reserve Supreme Champion
•Henley Show Supreme Champion
Mara Pansy was also Midland and East Anglia Hereford Breeders Association (MEAHBA) winner of both the Paul Sapsed Trophy and the Austin Manning Trophy.
However, her most notable triumph was winning the Supreme Championship at the National Hereford Show at Tenbury Wells in August, emphasised by a wonderful soundbite from Australian judge Mr James Higgins who said “She is a world class cow and would grace any show anywhere in the world. She has great femininity, a good top line
and udder and has a calf to be proud of - a worthy winner.” Wow! (see p186 of the 2011 Hereford Journal for the full show report)
This win meant we went one better on 2009 when we took the Grand Female Championship at this show with Mara Blossom 31st, another splendid young female bred by Bob and Margaret Borwick.
Mara Pansy’s many successes were rewarded by being judged National Horned Female of the Year 2010, and, having taken the whole season in her wonderful stride and with nothing left to prove, she has now been retired from the ring. A once in a lifetime cow.
Mara Pansy was not the only one covering herself in glory this summer - Sparkwood 1 Bolly (by Badlingham Baronet) was Reserve Female Champion to Mara Pansy at Suffolk County Show, and then excelled herself at Shropshire County Show by winning a huge class of twenty-two heifers and going on to win Female Champion and then Reserve Supreme Champion. This was a very competitive show with many Hereford delegates from the European Conference ringside, so this win was particularly pleasing (p178 of the 2011 Hereford Journal).
As well as winning:
•Herts County Show Supreme Champion
•Suffolk County Show Female Champion
•Oxford County and Thame Show Reserve Supreme Champion
•Bucks County Show Reserve Supreme Champion
•Henley Show Supreme Champion
Mara Pansy was also Midland and East Anglia Hereford Breeders Association (MEAHBA) winner of both the Paul Sapsed Trophy and the Austin Manning Trophy.
However, her most notable triumph was winning the Supreme Championship at the National Hereford Show at Tenbury Wells in August, emphasised by a wonderful soundbite from Australian judge Mr James Higgins who said “She is a world class cow and would grace any show anywhere in the world. She has great femininity, a good top line
and udder and has a calf to be proud of - a worthy winner.” Wow! (see p186 of the 2011 Hereford Journal for the full show report)
This win meant we went one better on 2009 when we took the Grand Female Championship at this show with Mara Blossom 31st, another splendid young female bred by Bob and Margaret Borwick.
Mara Pansy’s many successes were rewarded by being judged National Horned Female of the Year 2010, and, having taken the whole season in her wonderful stride and with nothing left to prove, she has now been retired from the ring. A once in a lifetime cow.
Mara Pansy was not the only one covering herself in glory this summer - Sparkwood 1 Bolly (by Badlingham Baronet) was Reserve Female Champion to Mara Pansy at Suffolk County Show, and then excelled herself at Shropshire County Show by winning a huge class of twenty-two heifers and going on to win Female Champion and then Reserve Supreme Champion. This was a very competitive show with many Hereford delegates from the European Conference ringside, so this win was particularly pleasing (p178 of the 2011 Hereford Journal).
Sparkwood 1 Bolly
We also entered the MEAHBA Herd Competition for the first and only time and were placed second in the Small Herd category. Last but by no means least, Sparkwood Pansy 3rd, Mara Pansy's daughter by Badlington Baronet, won the Michael Church Trophy for Best Heifrer under two years old. One to watch...
