KENT'S most coveted cattle trophies may have left the county but local breeders had much to be proud about in one of the finest line-ups of beef and dairy beasts seen at Detling.

Despite fears that they would never recover after foot and mouth, entries were up and the quality on show was of the highest order giving supreme judge Ken Proctor from Norfolk a difficult choice.

He selected a magnificent Limousin cow from David Mash in Buckinghamshire as champion with regular cross border invader Pam Noel from Reading taking reserve with a Hereford Bull.

Leading the way for Kent were Fiona Boty, 40 (pictured above with Andrew Sharp of Marks and Spencer) and her mother Bridget, 64, from Herne House Farm, Ruckinge, taking the reserve female champion award with their six year-old Holstein called Rai Wendy.

Producing 60 litres of milk a day she is the star of their herd of 100 milkers they keep on 200 acres on the edge of Romney Marsh.

It represents remarkable rags to relative riches success story for the family.

Back in 1962 Mrs Boty had to sell her car to buy the first five cattle to start the breeding and development of what is now an award-winning herd.

Her husband Arthur died six years ago but with Fiona she has continued to expand and together milk the herd dreaming of one day producing a champion.

Love of showing is also the motivation of Dave and Mary Daw from Bridge and their children who again took the Jersey honours after a disappointing South of England show.

Their Minty herd is in fact only a handful of animals that ”lodge'” with Maggie Howie on her Wrotham farm.

When the Mount family sold their Channel Island cattle Dave, as their dairy manager, bought his pick of the herd before starting his new career as a landscape gardener.

Now they breed their own and show as a hobby with considerable success.

In the beef classes the battle of the blondes was as expected a titanic one between top breeders living just a few miles apart.

In a reversal of last year it was Hilary Jones and Ben Garratt from Egerton that produced the breed champion Blonde D'Aquitaine with Egerton Pandora, another winning offspring of their former multi-winner Frou Frou.

Peter de Giles from Bilsington was in Reserve spot with his cattle as usual being groomed and led by Kent Police Dog handler Jenny Preston from Folkestone.

Anne Jukes from Tenterden could not produce the quality in her herd to retain the British Simmental championship.

In the native and rare breeds accountants Clive and Michael Manning who have established a fine hobby herd of under-threat British Whites at Smarden, did well but were overshadowed in the awards by a wonderful Longhorn from Essex and a magnificent Murray Grey from Sussex.

Miss Howie from Wrotham did retain her Ayrshire title with both champion and reserve, and May Henderson from Throwley produced both the champion and reserve in the duel purpose Dexter's.