£3,000 calf is top prize in Mega-Moo Lotto
Last updated 08:41, Friday, 05 September 2008
Farmers will get the chance to win a dairy calf worth £3,000 when one of the country’s top one-day shows is staged in Carlisle.
Organisers of the Northern Expo Dairy Show believe the Mega-Moo Lotto prize draw is the first of its kind to be held in the UK.
There are just 100 tickets, priced £50 each, but there are 10 prizes – the jackpot and nine others worth at least the value of the initial stake, meaning entrants have a one-in-10 chance of striking lucky.
A number of calves have already been entered as draw prizes, including those from top Holstein herds including Absolute, Carhall, Feizor, Ingleview and Whispering Springs, but other entries will be taken until the night of the show.
The winning number will be announced at the event, to be held at Borderway Market, Rosehill, on October 24.
The ticket-holder will then be able to choose which dairy-bred calf they want from those entered in the draw with the calf’s owner receiving £3,000.
Mega-Moo Lotto calves will not be judged together, but paraded following the calf championship category.
All will have been assessed earlier to confirm their value.
Northern Expo secretary Jenni Wharton said: “This is something new for the show.”
Meanwhile, South Yorkshire dairy breeder Ed Griffiths, of the award-winning Coachgate herd, has been announced as the judge for this year’s show.
He farms in partnership with his parents and wife Jenny with a herd of 140 milking cows, of which 99 per cent are homebred.
They calf year-round with a herd average of 9,200 litres.
Mr Griffiths has previously judged at a number of top events, including the European Dairy Event and the All-Ireland Dairy Cow Championship.
Northern Expo Dairy Show is a fixture on the national autumn show calendar, having first been established in 1982 by members of the then fledgling North West Holstein Breeders’ Club.
The event, which boasts 25 classes, has been in place in its present form since 1996, attracting the best Holsteins from as far as Doncaster, Aberdeen, Blackpool and the Scottish Borders.
It is hoped that entries will remain high this year despite strict movement and bio-security regulations.
All will battle it out for a grand champion prize of £500.
The show is an evening event, starting at 6pm.
Entries can be made by contacting Jenni Wharton on 01228 792352, 07752 060406 or email jenni@brenjulin.plus.com.
More information on the show is at www.holstein-expo.co.uk.
