Quality livestock and produce showcased at 70th fatstock show

Champion Beast in Show, sponsored by Shoby Priory Agricultural Ltd, was won by JB Thompson, of Stainby, Lincolnshire, with a 680kg Limousin cross steer, which sold for £3,500 to Kitson’s Butchers of Northallerton.

The Thompsons were presented with The Brownlow Challenge Cup and a £500 prize at the event, organised by the Melton and Belvoir Agricultural Society (MBAS) at the town’s livestock market.

The Reserve Champion Beast title, sponsored by Bentons, went to C&G Davies, of Gaddesby.

It was sold to the judge, Chris Hawes of Blue Texel Farm shop, Bicester, a 640kg Limousin heifer, also grossing £3,500.

Champion Lambs in Show, sponsored by Bowring Transport, were entered by RW Barker, of Great Ponton.

They were sold for £320 a head to Hill Top Farm Shop, in Melton, who also took the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) champion for £300. Sheep sold for the benefit of RABI totalled £1,400.

Champion goat, sponsored by MBAS, was won by David Wadland, of Aston le Walls, and sold for £140 to PC Amor.

Champion pigs, also sponsored by the society, went to M&L Fane Livestock, of Saxilby, selling for £230 to Billy Burton, of Deeping St Nicholas.

Once the judging was complete, winners were awarded their rosettes and prize cards and the champions presented with their trophies by Mayor of Melton, Councillorlr Alan Hewson, MBAS President Stephen Hallam and MBAS chair and CEO of Melton Mowbray Market, Hugh Brown.

The whole day was a great success, with the farming community both locally and nationally competing and coming to the auction, where the livestock sold for over £200,000, with almost £5,500 raised for various charities.

In the produce classes, judges had a tough challenge ranking the impressive cheese, pork pies, sausages, pastries, home baking, junior baking and preserves.

The Best Single Stilton Cheese, sponsored by The Stilton Cheese Makers Association, was won by Cropwell Bishop Creamery, who were presented with the Easom Bowl.

The highly coveted Best Three 454g Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Class, sponsored by Pollock Associates, went again to Leesons Butchers, of Oakham, who took home the Lord King of Wartnaby Memorial Cup.

The Produce was also auctioned after the presentation of trophies, raising just over £2,500, with proceeds split between the mayor’s charities (LOROS and Dove Cottage Hospices) and MBAS.

A separate charity auction of Stilton and pork pies was held in the cattle ring, which raised £1,800 for Lincolnshire Rural Support Network

(LRSN) and Farming Community Network.

A later dinner and dance in the banqueting suite of The Stockyard at Melton market was attended by 260 guests, with all championship cups presented.

A charity auction was held, with prizes ranging from a toy tractor and trailer, to tickets for ‘Glorious Goodwood’ horseracing on Ladies Day, which raised just over £1,800, with proceeds going to the mayor’s charities.

Other fundraising on the night raised almost £1,000, to be be split between the mayor’s charities and MBAS.

After dinner and the auction, local band The Souljers filled the dancefloor late into the night.

The committee of MBAS would like to thank their sponsors, judges, entrants, market staff and volunteers who made the whole event possible.