Farmers in the Stour Valley are over the moon after a cow and a bull from two pedigree Charolais herds based on the same family farm were crowned supreme champions at two separate Suffolk farm shows.
Wissington Trent from John and Jenny Rix's Wissington Charolais herd at Nayland on the Suffolk/Essex border scooped the top inter-breed title at the South Suffolk Show at Ampton on May 14.
The following week, it was the turn of top stockman Darren Knox's Battleford Snowball to take the supreme prize at the Hadleigh Show on May 20.
As well as looking after the Wissington herd, Darren and Donna Knox keep their own Drumshane herd.
John and Darren will be heading far and wide with their champion animals this summer.
On Sunday, May 21, they headed down to the Essex Young Farmers Show. Next stop is the Suffolk Show and from there a host of others including the Royal Norfolk, Royal Highland, South of England and the Great Yorkshire shows.
Expert stockman Darren Knox was head-hunted by the Rixes seven years ago to run their prize herd of 60 breeding females which was founded in 2005, and is based on their arable farm in the Stour Valley.
At the time he was running a very large 3,500 strong beef unit in Cambridgeshire and was persuaded to join them.
Both men are delighted at their early success this season - and hope it augurs well for the shows coming up.
"We are hoping to do the circuit so we'll go from her to the Suffolk," said John. "It's Darren's busman's holiday - he thoroughly enjoys it. It's nice to be successful isn't it?"
Wissington Trent wowed the judge at the South Suffolk Show. The 16-month-old bull was home bred. "We are building some history now," said John.
Darren's winning two-year-old heifer in calf came out of Ireland. The judge liked her presence and style - and size for her age.
"We are very happy," said Darren. "It was a very good show of cattle here today. It's probably the best show of cattle we have come up against in a few years.
Darren took the title last year with one of his bulls - which he later sold at the Stirling Bull Sales in October 2022.
"That's the name of the game isn't it?" he said. "It just takes years to get to where you want to be and we are getting close."
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