by Iain | Aug 4, 2014 | Uncategorised
The countdown is on as Simmental breeders from across the province prepare for the final of the 2014 Ivomec Super Pair of the Year competition.
Generously sponsored by Merial Animal Health, the competition is now in its ninth year, and will reach a climax at Fermanagh County Show next Wednesday (August 6).
Breeders have been competing throughout the summer to qualify for a place in the final line-up. Nominated qualifying shows for the competition included Balmoral, Ballymena, Armagh, Omagh, Castlewellan and Clogher.
Sponsor, Philip Clarke, territory sales manager of Merial Animal Health said:”We are pleased to be associated with this long running and successful competition. The NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club has an active membership, and the breeders have great enthusiasm for their cattle.
“The competition is growing from strength-to-strength, and attracts the cream of the Province’s Simmental cattle. Congratulations and good luck to all those who qualified for this year’s final. I have no doubt that the final line-up will feature some strong contenders for the title.”
The winner of the 2014 Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year Competition will receive the prestigious Merial Crystal Decanter and a 500mls pack of Ivomec Super injection. All finalists will be awarded a 200mls pack of Ivomec Super.
Judge for the event is Irish breeder Garrett Behan from the Clonagh Herd based at Ballyfin, Portlaoise.
NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club chairman Richard Rodgers added:”The Ivomec Super Pair of the Year competition is one of the highlights in the club’s annual calendar. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Philip Clarke and Merial Animal Health for its continued sponsorship, and wish all the qualifiers success for next week’s final.”
Ivomec Super is an endectocide which kills fluke, worms and external parasites in one injection. The product has been producing consistent results for more than 20 years, and it is easy and convenient to administer.
Qualifiers for the 2014 Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year competition include:
Balmoral Show: Robin and Darla Boyd and Sons, Portglenone, County Antrim – Slievenagh Emperor by Curaheen Apostle, and Slievenagh Extra Special by Kilbride Farm Bantry.
Ballymena Show: Pat and Frank Kelly, Tempo, County Fermanagh – Ashland Ella Beauty by Kilbride Farm Ahoghil,l and Ashland Lady Ann 2nd by Ashland Brandy.
Lurgan Show: Duncan McDowell, Newtownards, County Down – Castlemount Bianca by Curaheen Tyson, and Castlemount Modesty by Arkmill Franklyn.
Armagh Show: Thelma Gorman, Armagh, County Armagh – Woodford Paula by Ballintlea King, and Woodford Paula 2nd by Kilbride Farm Newry.
Omagh Show: Cecil McIlwaine, Newtownstewart, County Tyrone – Corrick Emperor by Dermody Butcher, and Corrick Escort by Dermody Butcher.
Castlewellan Show: Joe Wilson, Newry, County Down – Ballinlare Farm Empress by Auchorachan Wizard, and Ballinlare Farm Dancer by Auchorachan Wizard.
Clogher Show: William Nelson, Rosslea, County Fermanagh – Drumacritten Dianna by Drumlone Anchor, and Scribby Farms Daisy by Drumlone Anchor.
Traditionally Fermanagh County Show also hosts the finals of the Simmental Club’s Male and Female of the Year Awards. Danske Bank (formerly Northern Bank) has been sole sponsor of this competition since 1997. The winners are determined using a points system which is collated at nominated shows throughout the summer. Commemorative engraved crystal tankards, rosettes and cash awards will be presented the winners and runners-up.
Club chairman Richard Rodgers concluded: We are indebted to Danske Bank for its continued sponsorship of this competition. There has been strong competition in the Simmental classes on the summer show circuit, and it is almost time to add up the points and reveal the winners of the 2014 competition.
Next week will be busy for members of the NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club, as its annual charity BBQ takes place in Dungannon Rugby Club on Friday, 8th August, commencing at 8pm.
by Iain | Jul 31, 2014 | Uncategorised
Dungannon Rugby Club is the venue for the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club’s annual charity BBQ on Friday 8th August commencing at 8pm.
Tickets for the BBQ are priced at £15 per person, and the menu includes succulent sirloin steak with a selection of salads, followed by a choice of home-made desserts.
The steaks and sausages for this year’s BBQ are being supplied and partly sponsored by Colin Harbinson from The Meat Joint in Antrim.
The Meat Joint was founded in 2004 and has built up a reputation for supplying locally produced beef, pork, chicken and lamb. Colin Harbinson also runs a suckler herd and finishes all cattle off the farm.
“I prefer cross-bred Simmental cows as they are fertile, easy calving, and have plenty of milk to rear a calf. The calves are growthy and much easier to finish than other continental and native breeds.”
Colin aims to kill heifers at between 18 and 22 months-of-age. “The cattle kill out well, and the carcases are lean and weigh between 340 to 360 kilos deadweight. All beef sold in the shop is farm quality assured and fully traceable from field to fork. I breed and finish a lot of the cattle sold through the shop, but to satisfy demand I source cattle privately from local producers.
Colin, and daughter Charlie, have recently established a pedigree Simmental herd founded with the purchase of three heifers from Leslie and Christopher Weatherup’s 35-cow Lisglass herd based at Ballyclare. They made their debut in the showring at last week’s Antrim Show, winning the breed’s reserve championship with the February 2013 born Dirnanean Apostle daughter Lisglass Elizabeth.
Club chairman Richard Rodgers said:”A sincere thank you to the Meat Joint for its generous sponsorship of this year’s BBQ. I would also like to encourage everyone to support the club’s charity BBQ and auction. The event gives Simmental breeders and their friends an opportunity to get together for a night out while raising much-needed funds for a very worthy cause. This year’s chosen charity is Friends of the Cancer Centre based at Belfast City Hospital.”
During the past few months committee members have been selling tickets for a prize draw which features a host of prizes, including two nights B&B for two people at the Slieve Russell hotel in Derrylin; one tonne of Excelsior pedigree feed from Fane Valley; a mid-week B&B stay for two people in a lake view room at the Lough Erne Golf Resort and Spa; a £200 Marks and Spencer voucher; and a meal for two at the award-winning MacNean Restaurant at Blacklion, County Cavan, as well as a cookery book signed by celebrity chef Neven Maguire.
The winning tickets will be drawn at the BBQ, and the proceeds will also be donated to Friends of the Cancer Centre. Richard Rodgers added:”There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs, and there is still time to purchase tickets. Prize draw tickets are priced at £2 each, or a book of three tickets costs £5.”
Next week will be busy for members of the NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club as Enniskillen Show (Wednesday 6th August) plays host to the final of the prestigious Ivomec Super Pair of the Year final sponsored by Merial Animal Health.
Seven pairs of cattle have qualified at provincial shows, and the man entrusted with the task of selecting the 2014 winners is Irish breeder Garrett Behan from the Clonagh herd in Portlaoise.
The Simmental Male and Female of the Year awards will also be presented at Fermanagh County Show. Sponsored by Danske Bank, the winners are determined using a points system which has been collated at nominated shows throughout the summer.
ENDS
by Iain | Jul 6, 2014 | Uncategorised
The 25-cow Hiltonstown Herd based at Portglenone was the venue for the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club’s annual stockjudging competition.
Hosted by chairman Richard Rodgers and family, the evening event attracted a good turnout of club members and friends from throughout the province.
The competition is staged annually to select two judging teams to represent Northern Ireland at the British Simmental Cattle Society’s national stockjudging finals. This year’s final takes place at Turriff Show in Aberdeenshire on Sunday 3rd August.
Master judge was Keith Nelson who runs the 12-cow Scribby Farms Herd at Rosslea in County Fermanagh.
Competitors had to place four classes of cattle, which included senior and junior cows, in-calf heifers and maiden heifers.
Following stiff competition from the club’s Young Members’ Association entrants, the results were announced as follows:
Under 21 years-old – 1, Alice Stubbs, Irvinestown; 2, Jonathan Henderson, Tobermore; 3, Matthew Robson, Doagh; 4, Craig Cowan, Fivemiletown.
Under 30 years-old – 1, William Ferguson, Stewarstown, and Andrew Clarke, Tynan; 3, Zara Stubbs, Irvinestown; 4, Emma O’Neill.
The winner of the open senior class was Leslie Weatherup from Ballyclare.
The two top placed YMA competitors in each category will go forward to represent Northern Ireland at the Scottish finals in August. The junior judging teams are sponsored by Bank of Ireland, and the bank’s agricultural manager William Thompson as on-hand to congratulate the winners.
Visitors to the event also had an opportunity to guess the weight of a junior Simmental bull. Organised by the Rodgers family, this competition attracted strong interest from novice and experienced cattle breeders, and raised £120 for the Loughans School in Ballymena. The winner of the competition was Jim Hamilton from Rock, Dungannon.
NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club vice-chairman Matthew Cunning thanked Bank of Ireland for its continued support of the young members. He also proposed a vote of thanks to the Rodgers family – Robert, Wilma, Richard and Sandra, for hosting the event and giving visitors an opportunity to view the noted Hiltonstown herd which has sold bulls to a top of 17,000gns at Stirling.
“A special word of thanks to the ladies who provided the delicious supper; and a big thank you to everyone for coming, and to our master judge Keith Nelson. Congratulations to the winning team members and good luck at the UK finals!”
- The next event in the club’s annual calendar is Fermanagh County Show on Wednesday 6th August, which will host the finals of the Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year competition; and the presentation of the Danske Bank Male and Female of the Year Awards.
- The club’s annual charity BBQ will take place in Dungannon Rugby Club on Friday 8th August. This year’s chosen charity is Friends of the Cancer Centre
by Iain | Jun 17, 2014 | Uncategorised
The Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club has announced that Friends of the Cancer Centre is its chosen charity for 2014.
In addition to the club’s annual charity BBQ and auction, a prize draw has been organised by club member Pat Kelly from Tempo.
Tickets for the prize draw are priced at £2 each, or a book containing three tickets can be purchased for £5.
Prizes include: two nights B&B for two people at the Slieve Russell hotel in Derrylin; one tonne of Excelsior pedigree feed from Fane Valley; a mid-week B&B stay for two people in a lake view room at the Lough Erne Golf Resort and Spa; a £200 Marks and Spencer voucher; and a meal for two at the award-winning MacNean Restaurant at Blacklion, County Cavan, as well as cookery book signed by celebrity chef Neven Maguire.
The winning tickets will be drawn at the club’s annual BBQ which takes place at Dungannon Rugby Club on Friday, 8th August at 8pm.
Club chairman Richard Rodgers said:”I would like to encourage everyone to support this year’s charity BBQ and raffle. There are some fantastic prizes on offer, and the BBQ is great opportunity for breeders and their friends to get together for a bit of craic, and raise much needed funds for a very worthy cause.”
Friends of the Cancer Centre is a leading local charity based at the heart of Belfast City Hospital’s Cancer Centre. The charity relies heavily on voluntary donations, and makes a real and meaningful difference to thousands of patients and their families from across Northern Ireland.
Tickets for the prize draw and the BBQ are available from club committee members. Alternatively contact secretary Robin Boyd on 07799 346784; chairman Richard Rodgers on 07712 894727, or Pat Kelly on 028 89541332.
by Iain | Jun 9, 2014 | Uncategorised
All roads will lead to Portglenone on Tuesday evening June 17, for the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club’s annual stockjudging competition and farm walk.
Commencing at 7.00pm, the event will be hosted by the 25-cow Hiltonstown Herd owned by club chairman Richard Rodgers and family, at 13 Race Road, Portglenone, County Antrim, BT44 8EP.
During the evening the highest placed competitors (under 30-years-old) will be selected to form teams to represent Northern Ireland at the British Simmental Cattle Society’s National Stockjudging Competition. This year’s final takes place at Turriff Show in Aberdeenshire on Sunday 3rd August.
Club secretary Robin Boyd said: “The club selects two judging teams to compete at the national finals. There will be two junior competitors, under 21; and two senior competitors, under 30, going forward to the finals in Scotland.
“We are indebted to Bank of Ireland for its continued sponsorship of our young judges.”
The NI Simmental Club’s Young Members’ Association co-ordinator Zara Stubbs is urging all club members and their families to attend next week’s stockjudging event. “The club’s annual stockjudging competition provides Simmental enthusiasts with an opportunity to get together socially and put their stock judging skills to the test.
“Thanks to the Rodgers family for agreeing to host the competition, and to Bank of Ireland for its generous financial backing.”
Everyone is welcome! For further information contact club secretary Robin Boyd on mobile: 07799 346784.
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