BY ECKINGTON!

Worcestershire herd wins record hat trick at The Royal Show

For the first time in 170 years, one farm has won all top 3 prizes for the
Highland breed at The Royal Show, described as the most prestigious accolade for
any breed in the pedigree world.

Eckington Manor Farm near Evesham in Worcestershire won Overall Breed Supreme
Champion for their Highland cattle as well as Reserve and Second Reserve
Champion, beating top national breeders to secure the unprecedented hat-trick.

The judge, Mr Archie Galbraith, was unaware that all the Supreme Champions came
from the same herd until after he had picked the winners. He said it was a
fantastic achievement, against the high standard of all the competitors, that
reflected very well on the stockman at Eckington Manor, Mr Mathew Stoker. Five
animals were exhibited by Eckington Manor and all of them won prizes.
Commenting further, Mr Galbraith, said:

“The animals were very well bred, and very well shown”.

“I knew we had good animals” said Mathew, 29, “and we’ve prepared for this for
months but this result is just unbelievable!”

Although long experienced in rearing pedigree cattle, it was just 8 months ago
that Mathew first exhibited the cattle at the Worcester Show and Sale. It was
the start of a sustained winning streak. Matthew took top prizes there and went
on to win another two at the recent Three Counties Show in Malvern before this
year’s Royal Show.

The Royal Show’s Events Director, Dr Robert Merrall, himself a Worcestershire
man, said he was particularly proud to have a local winner. “Pedigree contests
don’t get more prestigious than this” he said, “This is the FA Cup of the
pedigree world”.

Eckington Manor Farm’s owner, Judy Gardner, said “To have the three top places
taken by my animals was a very proud moment”. Formerly owner of Garner’s Foods,
Judy bought the farm in 2004. Despite devastation by flooding in 2007, she has
led an imaginative programme of redevelopment, including the famous Eckington
Manor Cookery School and a five-star B&B.