Melton & Belvoir Agricultural Society
Fatstock Show & Sale
Saturday 7th December 2024
The 72nd annual Christmas Fatstock Show & Sale organised by the Melton & Belvoir Agricultural Society (MBAS) was held at the Livestock Market on Saturday (7th December).
With gale force winds and rain, there were some challenges for those attending, but despite the weather there were more entries than last year across both Livestock - Cattle, Sheep, Pigs and Goats; and Produce – Cheese, Pork Pies, Sausages, Pastries, Home Baking, Junior Baking and Preserves; for the judges to consider. Once the judging was complete, the Champions were presented with their trophies.
The event was a huge success, selling stock for £171,819 with over £9,500 raised for good causes. Charities supported included farming charities, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and the Mayor’s charities ProstAid and The Belvoir Cricket & Countryside Trust.
Champion Beast, the biggest prize in the show, was again sponsored by Shoby Priory Agricultural Ltd. It was won by C. & G. Davies of Gaddesby, with a British Blue Cross Heifer, grossing a Melton Market and Melton Fatstock record of an incredible £16,600 in a thrilling auction and selling to The Bell Hotel at Winslow. We believe this to be a National record for Prime Cattle. Charlotte and Georgia Davies were presented with The Brownlow Challenge Cup and a £500 prize.
Reserve Champion Beast was sponsored by Buckminster Farms and won by T.A. & L.C Lyon & Son of Thurlby with a Limousin Cross Heifer, who were presented with the Hempshall Challenge Cup and a £250 prize. It was sold to Joe Woolley of Midlands Livestock Ltd, grossing £4,000. They also won Best Limousin, sponsored by Whites Recycling and were presented with The East Midlands Limousin Breeders Challenge Cup and a further £200 prize.
The Joe Spencer Challenge Cup for The Best Presented Beast was presented JB Thompson with a £50 prize for their Limousin Cross Heifer.
Champion Lambs in Show, sponsored by L. Witcomb Agriculture, were won by J.F. Burbidge & Sons of Stamford, who were presented with The Sharman & Ladbury Challenge Cup and a £250 prize. They were sold for £300 a head to Pak Mecca Meats. The Burbidges also won Reserve Champion Lambs, sponsored by Stoke Rochford Estate, presented with The Central Wool Growers Challenge Cup and a further £150 prize. Sheep sold for the benefit of Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) totalled £1,032. The Ewe Lamb Championship was won by R.W. Barker of Great Ponton, who was presented with the Angela Tarry Smith Trophy and a £30 prize.
MBAS exists to promote agriculture for current and future generations and again held classes for Young Handlers this year. The Best Beast Shown by a Young Handler was sponsored by Agrii and won by Lucy Thompson of Stainby with her Limousin Cross Heifer, grossing £2,700. She was awarded the Hazard Challenge Cup and a £100 prize. The Sheep Young Handler class that began last year was so popular this year that it was split into two classes by age, with 8 children under 16 years old competing. It was Sponsored by Buckminster Farms Ltd.; the 8 and under section was won by 7-year-old George Buckenham of Lowesby and the 9 and over section was won by 9-year-old Patrick Webster of Southam, who were presented with rosettes and sashes and a £20 prize. The Ponton Farm Shop Trophy was presented to Patrick Webster.
Champion Goat was sponsored by Buckminster Farms Ltd. and won by K. Summerland of Melton Mowbray, selling for £150 to Pak Mecca Meats.
Champion Pigs, also sponsored by MBAS was won by K. & B. Arden of Coates, selling for £200 to G.R. Ingham.
The Best Single Stilton Cheese was sponsored by The Stilton Cheese Makers Association and won by Long Clawson Dairy, who were presented with the Easom Bowl. The Best Three 454g Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Class was sponsored by Watchorn Financial Services and won for the sixth consecutive year by Leesons Butchers of Oakham, who took home the Lord King of Wartnaby Memorial Cup. The prize-winning Produce was auctioned after the Cattle auction, with other entries available to take away in exchange for a donation, raising over £2,700, with proceeds split between the Mayor’s charities (Prostaid and The Belvoir Cricket & Countryside Trust) and MBAS. A separate charity auction of Pork Pie was held in the cattle ring, which raised £1,530 for farming charities.
292 guests gathered for the evening’s Dinner & Dance, held in the Banqueting Suite of The Stockyard at Melton Mowbray Market, where the Championship Cups were presented and guests enjoyed a delicious five-course dinner catered by Zest Catering and featuring locally-sourced beef supplied by Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers and Stilton donated by Long Clawson Dairy. A charity auction was held, with prizes including a handmade quilt, a Long Clawson Christmas cheeseboard, a model Claas tractor and tickets for Glorious Goodwood Racecourse on Ladies Day and The Festival of Speed, which raised over £2,300, with proceeds going to the Mayor’s charities. Other fundraising on the night raised over £1,000, which will be split between the Mayor’s charities and MBAS.
After dinner, speeches, prize giving and the auction, another 40 guests joined the party and brilliant local party band The Real Monsters filled the dancefloor late into the night.
An additional auction of an MBAS Pork Pie donated by Dickinson & Morris was held before the Cattle auction at Melton Market on Wednesday 11th December and raised an extra £910 for farming charities.
The committee of MBAS would like to thank their Sponsors, as well as the judges, entrants, Market staff and volunteers for making it another highly successful Show.
After a very successful Show, that's all for this year! Look out for more info about winners and results on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/mbasfatstockshowandsale
The Melton Fatstock Show is held on the first Saturday in December, so keep it in your diary and check back here in the Autumn for Schedule, Entry Forms etc.
2024 Champion Beast: C. & G. Davies
