Royal Welsh Show 2026
The sun shone on a super show of Charolais cattle at the Royal Welsh, judged by Jeremy Price of the Hereford-based Oakchurch herd.
Lifting yet another breed championship was Michael and Melanie Alford’s outstanding two-year-old heifer, Larahill Violet. She achieved the same accolade at the Great Yorkshire and before that, at the Royal Cornwall and Three Counties shows. But in Wales, she went one better by going onto secure the overall inter-breed title. Bred by John O’Connor and bought by the Alfords last year at Carrick-on-Shannon, this Neptune daughter is out of Ballydownan Maggie. more …..
Great Yorkshire Show 2026
The National Charolais Show was this year held at the Great Yorkshire in Harrogate, with a top-class entry judged by Northern Ireland’s Trevor Phair, of the Brogher herd.
Continuing her winning run, it was Michael and Melanie Alford’s Larahill Violet that took the female title, before lifting the overall championship. This two-year-old heifer was champion at the Royal Cornwall and the Three Counties shows, before taking the female and reserve overall tickets at last month’s Royal Highland. Bred by John O’Connor and bought by the Alfords last year at Carrick-on-Shannon, she’s sired by Neptune, and out of the Balmyle Vagabond daughter, Ballydownan Maggie.more …
Royal Highland Show 2026
The Royal Highland Show always attracts the best of the breed and this year’s quality was as high as ever, with the judging in the hands of Northern Ireland’s Will Short, of the Woodpark herd, Omagh.
He found his overall champion in the female winner, Formakin Style, a rising five-year-old cow, shown with her bull calf at foot, from father and son, Robin and William McMurrich, Causewayhead, Stirling. This was a first breed title at the show for the McMurrichs, who have been breeding Charolais since 1987. more …
Royal Cornwall Show 2026
Will Tucker of the Gower herd had the tough job of judging a fantastic entry of Charolais at the Royal Cornwall Show, and he found his champion in Michael and Melanie Alford’s outstanding heifer, Larahill Violet. more …
Balmoral Show 2026
A fantastic turnout of Charolais cattle at Balmoral Show was won by the impressive three-year-old bull Ballinlare Ultron, which later went onto lift the inter-breed reserve champion of champions honours.
Bred and exhibited by the Wilson family of Newry, Co Down, he is sired by their 2015 joint purchase, the 50,000gns Balthayock Justice, while his dam, Ballinlare Isis, is a daughter of Goldies Carnival. In a strong contest of Charolais, sponsored by ABP, Ultron had impressed judge Allen Drysdale, of the Glenericht herd, who said: “The top end of the classes were exceptional but I was particularly impressed with this bull – he’s very correct for such a large animal; very good on his feet and legs; long, clean and functional. Exactly what the breed’s needing.” more…
Welcome to the British Charolais Cattle Society
We are a registered charity – a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, to serve the public by promoting and improving the Charolais breed.
Since 1962, we’ve been making the case for Charolais because no bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet.
Charolais offers a bright future for British beef. Charolais is the best breed for British farmers, because it’s more sustainable and profitable, due to its:
- Continued improvement to calving ease
- Unrivalled growth rates
- Outstanding carcass quality
- Killing out percentages
Charolais-sired suckled calves can be:
- Sold as weanlings, commanding top prices and regularly topping markets up and down the country.
- Stored through the winter and finished off the farm at 12-15 months on a forage and grain-based diet.
- Brought through the winter on a maintenance diet and finished off with grass the following summer, depending on the farm’s system.
The Charolais breed is renowned for crossing into profit due to its outstanding attributes.
By collaborating with the cattle farming community, the British Charolais Cattle Society is driven to minimise costs and maximise the efficiency of British cattle farming.
Find out more about the Society here.