ONCE again Hereford exhib-itors pulled out all the stops and put forward a strong entry of 46 from 13 different exhibitors at this year’s Balmoral Show.
Scooping the top honours and adding to the numerous previous Balmoral wins was Dorepoll 1 Sally 679 from JE, RI & W Haire, Dundrod. Born in February 2021, Sally was the winner of the biggest class of the day followed by the Junior and Female Champion before being tapped out Supreme by international judge PJ Budler. Her granddam, Dorepoll 1 262L Sally, had also stood Balmoral Champion back in 2013.
Not finished there, Ivan and family went on to lift the Reserve Male Championship with his five-year-old stock bull Dorepoll 1 639 Perfection. His pedigree is full of home breeding, being a son of Manhatten and out of Tessa 545E, herself a previous Balmoral Reserve Female Champion. Perfection’s first calf was this year’s champion, Sally 679.
The Reserve Championship was awarded to the Male Champion and winner of the senior bull class Richmount 1 Treadstone, from James Graham, Portadown. A son of the Australian Mawarra Mustang, this September 2019 born bull’s maternal sister stood Reserve Champion at the 2019 Balmoral Show.
The first calf born from Treadstone was exhibited at the foot of the first prize winning cow, Richmount 1 Mabel. A seven-year-old maternal sister to the 2011 Balmoral Show female champion, Mabel was sired by Richmount 1 Kaiser and out off Hilton 1 Delilah.
Stephen Cherry, Templepatrick, won the Reserve Female Champ-ionship with his homebred May 2020 born Ballypallady 1 Top Notch. The winner of the senior heifer class, she is a daughter of one of his foundation females Hawkesbury 1 Veronica and was sired by Dorepoll 1 499 Heritage, a bull that twice won the senior bull class at Balmoral Show.
Lurgan-based Peter and Ciaran Kerr were the winners of the Reserve Junior Championship with the homebred January 2021 born Kinnego 1 Valentino. Sired by the homebred Kinnego 1 Rocket Man, his dam was the bought-in Lusky 1 Hope. No stranger to success, Valentino was placed best spring born calf in last year’s herds competition.
Not finished there, the Kerrs also won the Intermediate Bull Class with their new stockbull, Country Crest Jack. Jack was Senior Male Champion at last year’s calf show and was sired by Moyclare Phoenix.
John and William McMordie, Ballygowan, were the winners of the intermediate heifer class with Solpoll 1 Starlet V11.
This October 2020 born daughter of the 2018 Balmoral Champion Starlet P2 was sired by Herberry 1 Herbert. The Solpoll team also won the group of three with Starlet V11, Duchess V23 and Herberry 1 Humberto.
The progeny pair was won by James Graham with Treadstone and Tabitha, both sired by Mawarra Mustang.
Judge PJ Budler gave comments on every animal present during their classes and before tapping out his Supreme Champion added that the champions had the ability to work in a variety of markets across the world and he was impressed with the strong entry of quality cattle in front of him.
During the week’s interbreed classes, Solpoll 1 Starlet V11 was Native and Reserve Interbreed Beef Performance Champion, with Solpoll 1 Duchess V23 Reserve Native for J & W McMordie.
The last class of the week was the Native Team of Five competition, represented by Richmount 1 Treadstone (J Graham), Ballypallady 1 Top Notch (Stephen Cherry), Solitude 1 Helen T991 (A McMordie), Solpoll 1 Starlet V11 (J & W McMordie) and Dorepoll 1 Sally 679, (JE, RI & W Haire), who were tapped out as winners for the second year in succession.
Judge William Smith, Meath, said “There’s a good bull dominating four exceptional females. The females are really well balanced. The group caught my eye from the minute they came in, they’re easy winners.”
RESULTS
Champion – J E, RI & W Haire, Crumlin;
Reserve – James Graham, Porta-down.
Junior champion – J E, RI & W Haire.
Reserve – Peter & Ciaran Kerr, Lurgan.
COW or HEIFER, born on or before 31st December 2019 – 1st James Graham; 2nd Stephen Cherry, Ballyclare; 3rd Greer Watson, Crossgar.
HEIFER, born on or after 1st January 2020, and on or before 30th June 2020 – 1st Stephen Cherry; 2nd James Graham; 3rd Andrew McMordie, Newtownards.
HEIFER, born on or after 1st July 2020, and on or before 31st December 2020 – 1st J & W McMordie, Newtownards; 2nd Philip
Murdock, Armagh; 3rd Philip Murdock.
HEIFER, born on or after 1st January 2021 – 1st J E, RI & W Haire; 2nd J & W McMordie; 3rd John Taggart, Newtownards.
BULL, born prior to 1st April 2020 – 1st James Graham; 2nd J E, RI & W Haire; 3rd Coote Geelan, Carrick-on-Shannon.
BULL, born on or after 1st April 2020, and on or before 31st December 2020 – 1st Peter & Ciaran Kerr; 2nd J & W McMordie; 3rd C & M Beatty & Son, Dungannon.
BULL, born on or after 1st January 2021 – 1st Peter & Ciaran Kerr; 2nd John Taggart; 3rd James Graham.
GROUP OF THREE – 1st J & W McMordie; 2nd James Graham; 3rd Peter & Ciaran Kerr.
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