The North East Limousin Breeders Club 2011 herd champions and reserve national champions the same year acquired the victor as a calf at the Carwen dispersal sale in Southern Ireland late last year.

Shown by Mark Phillips, the title winner will now take his place as the new stud bull on the Tomschoice herd, first established in 1996. He was described as “correct and stylish” by Welsh show judge Chris Jerman, who runs the Glangwden pedigree Limousin herd in Llandidloes, Powys.

The Coopers also won the NLE pairs class with their supreme champion and their third prize January-born Tomschoice Iamar, by Kaprico Eravelle, as well as sending out four other prizewinners on the day.

The Rice family, from Church Garth, Carlton, Yeadon, again shone at the NLE’s seventh annual show when presenting the first prize Limousin-sired commercial heifer, which went on to be crowned overall reserve supreme champion.

The Rices, who continue to show cattle as an interest, raising just a handful each year on their West Yorkshire smallholding, were also commercial champions at the NLE in both 2011 and 2012, and reserve commercial champions last year.

Like their previous top performers, the July-born 2014 reserve supreme, known at home as “Disco Daisy” and shown by Daniel Rice, is by the highly regarded Rossingal, bred in Cumbria by John Richardson, out of a Limousin-cross cow.

The female championship was awarded to NLE debutants, the Barker Farming Partnership, who run the Tancred Grange pedigree herd in Scorton, Richmond. Their January-born heifer, Tancredgrange Indigo, shown by 17-year-old William Barker, was among the first crop of calves by the AI sire Wilodge Fastrac. She was also reserve supreme pedigree champion.

The reserve male champion, also a product of Wilodge Fastrac, out of an Ionesco-sired cow, was the March-born Broadhead Iceman, from the Kirklees pedigree herd run by father and son Andrew and Josh Turner, of Oldfield Road Farm, Honley, Holmfirth.

Standing reserve female champion was the second prize February-born heifer, Millington Isabella, a well-bred daughter of Greenwell Fieldmaster, from Millington Limousins in the Vale of York.

First prize in the show class for younger heifers was awarded to a June-born entry from the Coachhouse herd of Barry, Gill and Matthew Heald in Retford. It was home-bred by their stock bull Coachhouse Eebygum.

Another red rosette-winning bull was the April-born Mayfields Inspector from the South Yorkshire Marlepark pedigree herd of Andrew and Alison Clark, based at Hangram Lane Farm, Sheffield. By their stock bull Marlepark Elite, out of a Ronick Hawk-sired cow, he was shown by Ashley McInnes.

The first prize Limousin-sired commercial bullock and reserve commercial champion - the June-born Fieldson Alfy son “Stevie Gee” - was presented by NLE 2013 reserve supreme champions Julie Sedgewick and Neil Slack, of Plum Tree House, Newby, Penrith.

Again staged in conjunction with the North East Limousin Breeders Club and with an additional show class for bulls this year, the NLE – full results are posted at www.ccmauctions.com -attracted a record entry of 75 cattle.

The fixture continues to go from strength to strength as a seasonal opener equipping Limousin youngsters with valuable experience in the show arena, in which the majority were making their debut. Many can be expected go on to shine further in the competition ring.

The Northern Limousin Extravaganza formed day one of Skipton Auction Mart’s annual two-day Spring Limousin highlight, which continued the following day with the high-profile annual show and sale of pedigree Limousin bulls and females.

NLE 2014 sponsors were the Limousin Society, NELBC, Ripon Land Rover, Ripon Select Foods, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Intervet/Schering Plough, LEBC Group, Elite Beef Semen, Bishopton Veterinary Group, I’Ansons and David H Cox.