Latest news with #AntrimShow
Agriland
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Results: NI Limousin Championships at Antrim Show
The Northern Ireland Limousin Championships took place at Antrim Show on Saturday, July 26. A report by Julie Hazelton outlined that the one-day event, held within the Shane's Castle Estate on the shores of Lough Neagh, attracted an entry of over 50 pedigree and commercial Limousin cattle. Scottish judge Ian Nimmo described this year's Northern Ireland Limousin Championship at Antrim Show as "an outstanding show with quality and consistency in every class". Ian Nimmo was the judge on the day 'There were strong classes throughout, with strength and depth, and really outstanding animals,' explained Nimmo, who runs the noted 140-cow Maraiscote herd based at Wishaw in Lanarkshire. 'The first prize winners in every class were top-notch. I had a really nice line-up of animals for the championship.' Catching the judge's eye to secure the senior, female, and supreme overall championship honours was the outstanding young cow Deerpark Shakira, shown with her bull calf at foot. Later in the day, she impressed interbreed judge, Cyril Millar from Coleraine, to claim the show's interbreed beef cow award and supreme overall championship ribbons. Bred by brothers Connor and Ryan Mulholland from Aghalee, this much-admired cow will be four-years-old in December. She was sired by Wilodge Vantastic, and is out of the home-bred Ampertaine Gigolo daughter, Deerpark Missmoneypenny. 'This fantastic young cow is an easy winner. She is doing a great job rearing her first calf, and is a very stylish female with power, size and width throughout,' explained Ian Nimmo. 'The female and supreme overall champion is feminine, has a lovely head, and really oozes breed character.' Sharkira's bull calf, Deerpark Viking, was born in October 2024 and is a son of 25,000gns Glenrock Redemption. He stood first in his class and went on to claim the reserve junior and male championship ribbons. Deerpark Shakira won eight Limousin championships and five interbreed awards as a maiden heifer in 2023. As the 2025 show season draws to a close, Shakira has won an additional six breed championships for Connor and Ryan Mulholland: Balmoral; Lurgan; Ballymena; Armagh; Castlewellan; Antrim. She also claimed the interbreed championships at Lurgan, Ballymena, Armagh, Castlewellan, and the reserve interbreed award at Balmoral Show in May. The reserve overall championship went to the six-month-old heifer calf Drumhilla Alice, bred by Gareth Corrie, and shown by his seven-year-old son Gareth, from Newtownards, Co. Down. The reserve overall championship went to Drumhilla Alice, bred by Gareth Corrie, and shown by his seven-year-old son Gareth, from Newtownards, Co. Down Drumhilla Alice also picked up the calf championship and the reserve female championship. Sired by Trueman Idol, her dam is Sarkley Odelisha. Odelisha is a daughter of the Plumtree Fantastic son, Sarkley Jaguar. She was reserve overall champion and purchased for 20,000gns at the Red Ladies sale at Carlisle in December 2019. 'The reserve champion is a very flashy heifer calf with a bright future ahead of her. "She is sweet, very correct and full of breed character," Nimmo said. The reserve calf champion and reserve male champion was Jalex Awesome, a six-month-old Pablo Superspice son bred by James Alexander, Randalstown, Co. Antrim. The junior champion was Derriaghy Vogue, an 11-month-old Gunnerfleet Lion heifer bred by David Green from Lisburn. 'Another very correct, feminine heifer, with style and character,' added the judge. Shauna Killen from Crossgar, Co. Down won the intermediate championship with Jalex Vabulous purchased for £14,000 at the Jalex Jaw Droppers sale at in April. Sired by Huntershall Nutcracker, this maiden heifer is a foundation female for Shauna's newly established Down Royal herd. She was reserve junior champion at Balmoral and breed champion at Newry. Nimmo added: "Another nice, square, and shapely heifer with plenty of style and ring presence.' Runner-up for the intermediate championship was the second-placed Millgate Vision from Seamus Branniff's Croob Herd at Ballynahinch. Sired by Kilcor Sylvester, she was purchased for £6,300 at the Millgate Marvels online sale in March. The reserve senior champion was Clydevalley Topclass, a two-year-old Claddagh McCabe daughter exhibited by Robert Clyde, and grandson Sammy, who run a herd of 40 pedigree cows at Templepatrick, Co. Antrim. She is in-calf to the home-bred Lodge Hamlet son, Clydevalley Usain. Nimmo was also said he was impressed with the quality line-up of commercial cattle. 'The quality was superb in every class. The top two were easy winners, well-matched, with very little between them.' The championship plaudits went to Knocklayde Girl, a 13-month-old Trueman Idol daughter from the Hillside commercial herd owned by Ivan Lynn, and sons, Conal, Liam and Dan, from Armoy. Knocklayde Girl Taking the reserve award was the January-2024-born heifer Take a Chance, a Trueman Idol daughter, from James Alexander's Jalex herd.
Agriland
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Agriland
Elite Texel Hogget Secures Antrim Shows Sheep Inter Breed Title
The sheep inter-breed championship at Antrim Show 2025 was won by Alastair Gault, from Ballyclare in Co. Antrim with an outstanding Texel hogget ewe. Gault told Agriland: 'She had previously won Ballymoney's sheep inter-breed title at the beginning of the summer. 'The plan is to breed from here next year.' Dye Clark, from Lanark in Scotland, judged the sheep classes at Antrim Show 2025. He said that his champion had all the attributes of the Texel breed. Clark added: 'The standard of all the sheep taking part in the show was outstanding.' Antrim Show traditionally hosts the final of the Northern Ireland Shows Association (NISA) Dairy Cow of the Year Championship. The event represents a unique opportunity to profile the performance of Northern Ireland's best dairy cows during the mid-summer period. This year's championship has surpassed itself with regard to the quality of the cows taking part. But at the end of the day, it was up to the judge – Canadian native and dairy classifier of note, Lynden Bustard - to tap out his champion. He chose Potterswalls Bontima Dawn, the elite Jersey cow owned and bred by the Fleming family from Seaforde in Co. Down. The judge characterised his champion as a truly elite Jersey cow. 'It was hard to fault her at all,' he added. 'Adding to her attraction is the fact that she has calved five times. So it's a case of combining fertility with production capacity and true style.' 'The overall quality of the cows taking part in the championship class was extremely high with any of the cows having the potential to peform well in any dairy class held throughout the UK and beyond." The dairy inter-breed reserve champion at Antrim Show 2025 Meanwhile, the standard of competition in the beef rings at Antrim Show 2025 was equally keen, with a large entry of cattle scheduled for all events. The beef inter-breed championship was won by the tremendous Limousin cow Deerpark Shakira entered the show ring with her bull calf at foot. She was bred and exhibited by the Mulholland family from Co. Antrim. Antrim was the latest in a series of inter-breed titles won by the young cow during 2025. Judge Cyril Millar commented: 'There was a tremendous entry of cattle entered for all the classes at Antrim this year. 'The winning cow had real show presence. And the fact that she had the calf with her added to the impact.' The Mulholland family is confirming that Shakira will be retired from the show circuit at the end of the 2025 season. After that, anyone wishing to view the cow can do so on-farm. She will be maintained at the very heart of the Mulhollands' herd breeding plans for the future. Ballinalare Farm Nikita with winning connections at Antrim Show 2025 But the winning of the beef inter-breed championship at Antrim turned out to be a very close run thing. Cyril Millar admitted that the Simmental champion and inter-breed reserve is another young cow with a tremendous breeding future. Ballinalare Farm Nikita entered the show ring with her twin calves at foot. Bred and exhibited by the Wilson family from outside Newry, she too looked tremendous throughout the day.
