New cup presented
A new cup has been presented to the store cattle section at Shrewsbury Auction Centre, coinciding with the first anniversary of the new livestock market opening.
Anthony Egerton, a Limousin beef cattle breeder of Bicton Farm, Bicton, near Shrewsbury, has donated the cup in memory of his late father, Mervyn, to encourage more support for his local market.
The Egerton Perpetual Challenge Cup is awarded to the farmer gaining the most points in the store cattle section over 12 months and the first winner is Alan Powell, of Broniarth Hall, Guilsfield, near Welshpool. He received the trophy from Mr Egerton at a store cattle sale.
Shrewsbury Auction Centre, which is run by auctioneers Halls, allocates points, ranging from 10 to two, after every store cattle sale for the four farmers who receive the best price per kilo. The points are totted up over a year and the cup is awarded to the farmer with the most points.
Mr Egerton said he and his father, who died in October 2005, had been loyal supporters of Shrewsbury livestock market for many years and he thought it fitting to award the cup to mark the first anniversary of the opening of the new auction centre.
"Dad and I have always supported Shrewsbury market because it's our local market and we have made many friends there over the years," he said.
"Hopefully the cup will encourage more farmers to sell at Shrewsbury."
Mr Egerton said his father, a farmer's son from West Felton, started farming on his own after the war, on a county council smallholding, focusing mainly on dairy cattle.
"In 1979, I decided that milking wasn't for me and started a beef herd, initially inseminating my dairy cows with Limousin and Blonde d'Aquitaine semen," he said.
"I have built up the pure bred Limousin herd over the years and I came second in the regional round of the British Limousin Society's National Herd competition last year."
He now plans to fulfil his late father's wish by registering his pedigree herd of 130 Limousins, which has brought him success at Shrewsbury and Bishop's Castle markets.
He recorded the best price of 139p per kilo in the bull section at Bishop's Castle and District Quality Cattle Association's sale on February 15 and the top price in the beef section at Shrewsbury on February 22.
Top price to date that he has received for one of his cattle is £1,900 for a six-year-old Limousin bull.
Picture: Anthony Egerton (left) of Bicton, Shrewsbury presenting a cup he has donated to Alan Powell of Guilsfield at Shrewsbury Livestock Auction.
