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23/04/2012
New competitors in the Limousin Cattle Section at the Northumberland County Show 2012
Vice Chairman of the British Limousin Cattle Society makes his debut at Northumberland County Show.
The Illingworth Family from Lockerbie will be bringing their show team from the Glenrock Herd for the first time to show in the cattle section at the Northumberland County Show on 4th June. Stephen Illingworth is the current Vice Chairman of the British Limousin Cattle Society and along with wife Helen and children Tom (18) and Victoria (16) took the decision to bring the cattle to the County Show for the first time this year. The family feels the show is a great opportunity to showcase their livestock and Northumberland is one of the major livestock areas for beef cattle in the UK. The show is also a great chance to catch up with old friends and meet up with other breeders from around the country.
Tom Illingworth with his selection of trophies
The Glenrock herd was started 30 years ago by Stephens' father and Stephen and Helen now run the herd at home. Son Tom also has his own herd of Limousin cattle running under the prefix Eagleside and Tom and Victoria have a flock of 40 pedigree Texel Sheep which are shown in and around the local shows near Lockerbie.
Showing is a big part of the family year with the show team traveling around the North of England and Scottish Borders, both Tom and Victoria are very keen on showing and take great pride in presenting their livestock for the judges.
Preparation for the show starts weeks in advance, with precise feeding to get the cattle in show condition. All cattle at Northumberland have to be shown on halters - so halter training is a big part of the show preparation. The day before the show is a hive of activity, washing, shampooing, trimming, clipping and grooming the cattle to get them all looking pristine - then there is the preparation of the handler - white coats to wash and iron, boots polished and wagon ready for the loading of cattle and people the next morning.
Show day starts early in the Illingworth household - normally 5.00a.m, arriving at the show ground approx 1 hour before their classes leaving enough time to make the final checks to be sure the stock is looking perfect, white coats on and ready to go into the ring. The showing classes make up the favourite part of the day for the family as this not only gives them a chance to catch up with other breeders but also to see the quality of stock on show - which they may come up against at other shows throughout the season.
The family's proudest moment came at the Cumberland Show in 2011 watching son Tom win the Interbreed with his own Limousin Heifer. The family also had major show success when taking out Glenrock Spartacus to win Junior Champion and Reserve Overall Male at the Royal Highland Show in 2003.
The Northumberland County Show is delighted to welcome the
Illingworth family to Tynedale Park for the 2012 show and wish them good luck
for a successful debut.
Entries for the Show on Monday 4th June 2012 close on 1st
May so everyone is reminded to get their entries in now. Schedules can be downloaded from the show
website www.northcountyshow.co.uk
Bank Holiday Monday, June 4 will be the last show to be held at Corbridge in more than 60 years. Organisers, Tynedale Agricultural Society, have announced their plans to relocate to a much-need bigger site at Bywell near Stocksfield in 2013.
With more than 300 trade stands, main arena events and nationally renowned agricultural and equine sections, Northumberland County Show held at Tynedale Park in Corbridge is the highlight of the agricultural year in the region and a major annual attraction.