12:18pm Monday 6th July 2009
By Mike Pryce
TO take breed champion and runner-up in a beef cattle section at Malvern’s Three Counties Show is not bad for a hobby farmer.
So, no wonder there were smiles all round in the Smallcombe household when they returned from the agricultural extravaganza at Malvern with more rosettes than a political rally.
It was only seven years ago David and Sally Smallcombe decided to buy Church Farm at North Piddle, near Pershore and breed South Devon cattle. The family ran – and still do – a construction company specialising in high quality restorations and barn conversions.
Mrs Smallcombe said: “But David had always been interested in having his own farm and this just seemed right.
“So we moved over from Pensham, near Pershore, and took on the 60 acres.
“Initially, I suppose, it was to have extra ground for our horses and to run some sheep, but then thoughts turned to cattle.
“David liked South Devons because of their temperament, they’re lovely to look after and we started off with six cattle bought from Worcester market.
“Now, we have 20 breeding cows, two stock bulls and young stock.
Altogether there are about 50 cattle on the farm and we also have a flock of 60 breeding ewes.
“We’ve been showing at the Three Counties for four years but we’ve never had a show like 2009.”
Church Farm took the breed championship with the bull Grove Brutus, which was also champion male, and had the runner-up in Brookin Bluebell, the female champion.
The Smallcombes also took the best group of three trophy and various other class awards.
Mrs Smallcombe said: “It was a tremendous day, made all the better because this was our local show and judging didn’t start until noon. We didn’t have one of those four o’clock in the morning starts to drive for miles.”
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