NBA Beef Expo to Host South Devon Herd Book Society Performance Championships

As part of the National Beef Association's (NBA) bi-annual Beef Expo event, being held at Melton Mowbray Market, on Saturday 30^th May 2026, the South Devon Herd Book Society will host its National Performance Championship.

In this competition, South Devon performance recording breeders from across the country compete in a unique technical event to showcase Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) alongside the appraisal of physical traits.

The Championship will be judged by Ashley Rowe, Trewint, Menheniot, Cornwall. Entries are invited for bulls and heifers aged between one year and two and a half years on the date of the Championships (30^th May 2026). All cattle put forward must be pedigree registered South Devon cattle, owned and exhibited by South Devon Herd Book Society members who participate in the South Devon Breedplan recording scheme.

In this competition, sponsored by Manor Feeds and David Collins Transport, two local companies who see the importance for this NBA event, each class will be judged on inspection of the animals and their performance data (Quality Beef Index for bulls and Suckler Replacement Index for females), with placings awarded accordingly on a points based system. From these class winners, Male, Female and Overall Breed Champions will be selected.

Anna Griffin the Breed Promotional Executive for the South Devon Herd Book Society commented, "Hosting a competition that highlights the importance of performance recording is a fantastic way to encourage the use of genetic evaluations, particularly at a time when informed breeding decisions are key to long-term herd profitability.

"While market conditions will always fluctuate, the ability to select cattle based on reliable data is what drives consistent progress. Estimated Breeding Values allow breeders to make confident, forward-thinking decisions around traits such as calving ease, growth, maternal performance and carcase quality.

"In a sector where efficiency and sustainability are increasingly important, performance recording ensures that every breeding decision is backed by evidence – supporting cattle that not only perform in the ring, but deliver within real commercial systems; to have this hosted at the NBA Beef Expo is a true reflection of how important we see this competition."

NBA Beef Expo provides an excellent opportunity for farmers, breeders and industry businesses from across the UK to come together to celebrate the best of British beef production and share ideas for the future. A key feature of the event is the extensive seminar programme, where leading experts address the most important issues facing the industry.

The 2026 Beef Expo will be held at Melton Mowbray Market, Leicestershire, on Saturday 30^th May 2026.

Further information can be found at www.beef-expo.co.uk.