‘FOUR-MIDABLE’ BALLINALARE NIKITA MAKES BALMORAL SHOW SIMMENTAL HISTORY!

Ballinalare Farm Nikita Wins Overall Simmental Supreme for fourth consecutive year
Lisglass Sapphire takes Overall Reserve Supreme & Junior Champion
Mullyknock Scorpio is crowned Male Champion
Ranfurly Win Interbreed Beef Exhibitor Bred Pairs title.

Supreme Champion Ballinalare Farm Nikita

Rewriting the Simmental record books was the amazing Ballinalare Farm Nikita from Joe & Alan Wilson, Newry, who with her cracking heifer calf at foot, won a record breaking fourth Royal Ulster Balmoral Show Simmental Overall Supreme Championship, on the first day of this early summer ‘major’ at Balmoral Park, Lisburn, Co Antrim in May.  Judging the Simmental classes and Championships was John Barlow of the noted Denizes herd, Lancashire.

The win for this February 2022 born Simmental female, in what was a quality show of some 20 pedigree Simmental cattle, saw this remarkable lady complete a record four-in-a-row Simmental Championships and set a new record for Simmental cattle at a designated ‘major’, and possibly a record for any breed at these same events!  Ballinalare Farm Nikita’s calf at foot was the April 2026 born Ballinalare Farm Tikita, who is sired by the noted Raceview King.

Striding out in the first class of the day, Ballinalare Farm Nikita went on to pick up the Female Championship before winning the day’s top prize. Nikita is of course by the well-known Saltire Impressive and is out of Ballinalare Farm Ilyssa, a Denizes Fantastic daughter.   The roll call for this incredible now four year old cow sees her having four consecutive wins at the RUAS Balmoral, three  in a row at NI Simmental National Shows, and along with multiple interbreed titles at various NI shows.

Of the record-breaking Ballinalare Farm Nikita, the judge John Barlow said: “My Supreme Champion is just a tremendous Simmental female.  She was in top condition, has a fantastic Simmental breed head, is very mobile and walked out so well.  Just a second calver, Nikita is full of milk and is doing a tremendous job of what is a cracking heifer calf at foot.”

So to the breeder and owner of the record breaking Ballinalare Farm Nikita, Joe Wilson, speaking after she had firmly cemented her place in Simmental history: “It’s amazing really and we’re very proud that we’ve shown and bred Ballinalare Farm Moneypenny who won at Balmoral three years in a row, and now Ballinalare Farm Nikita going one better than that.  It’s maybe something that’s never been done before, and something you just don’t expect to do.

Nikita is a terrific cow, with style and size, and she’s just such a natural in the ring. We just have to walk with her, she does all the work.”   As well as being Champion at Balmoral, Nikita also picked up titles at Omagh, and Castlewellan Shows.  Ballinalare Farm Nikita is now retired from the show ring and is in calf to Hillcrest Champion.  She’s certainly left her mark on RUAS Balmoral and Simmental show history!

Reserve Supreme & Junior Champion Lisglass SapphireLifting the Overall Reserve Supreme, the Overall Junior Championship, and the Reserve Female Championship, was the super stylish young heifer Lisglass Sapphire from Leslie & Chris Weatherup, Irish Hill, Ballyclare, Co Antrim.  April 2025 born, this calf is another by Raceview King, and is out of Dermody Princess who herself stood Reserve Female to Nikita at Balmoral in 2024, and has also been Reserve Female at the NI Simmental National Show. Of his Overall Reserve Supreme, the judge John Barlow said:  “What a super modern Simmental heifer this is.  She was just full of style, had so much breed character with a terrific head, and is definitely one for the future.”  Picking up the story of this heifer Chris Weatherup commented: “Lisglass Sapphire is the first calf of Dermody Princess who was bought herself because she was one of the smartest and most stylish heifers we’ve ever seen.  We’ve watched and admired the quality of Raceview King progeny over the years and put Princess in calf to Raceview King praying for a heifer, and Sapphire was the result! We think she’s very like her mother in that she oozes style, ticks every box in a female we look to breed from and has the bloodlines to match the looks.  We see Sapphire as a cornerstone female that we hope will go on to breed prize winners and be a leading female in our herd.”  This may be Sapphire’s only time in a show ring and with the first focus from here getting her in calf early next year.

Male & Overall Reserve Junior Champion Mullyknock Scorpio

Taking the Male Championship, and the Overall Reserve Junior Championship was the May 2025 born bull Mullyknock Scorpio from Robert Forde, Tempo, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.  This calf is by Clonagh Tiger Gallant, and again features Raceview breeding being out of Raceview Pretty Lady Gretta.  With a bit of a track record behind him, Mullyknock Scorpio won the Edward Orr Memorial Perpetual Cup at the NI Simmental Cattle Breeders Club National Show in 2025 at Clogher, as twelve week old calf. Other titles included the Overall Junior Continental Champion at the Fermanagh Pedigree Livestock Breeders Group Elite Calf Show held in Enniskillen in November 2025.  Of his Male Champion the judge John Barlow said:  “Again, this is what I’d call a modern type of Simmental bull who carries plenty of muscle but with an easy, soft fleshing.”  Speaking afterwards a delighted Robert Forde said: “It’s special to win the Male Championship at the RUAS Balmoral Show and with a calf that we think is one of the best the Mullyknock herd has produced.”

Following the Male Champion through from his class, and lifting the Reserve Male Championship was another from Leslie & Chris Weatherup in the shape of Lisglass Showman, the Weatherups ‘favourite’ 2025 autumn born calf.  September 2025 born, Showman is also by Saltire Impressive, and is out of Lisglass Lollipop, a Dermotstown Delboy (ET) EX 92 daughter.  descending from the Milnafua Glitter line.  Commenting on this boy Chris Weatherup said: “Showman’s dark red appearance and exceptional muscle made him a stand out calf and one we wanted to show.  We are delighted that, at eight months old, he’s won the Reserve Male Championship at the RUAS Balmoral Show”.  The aim from here with all being well is that Lisglass Showman will be entered for the Stirling Bull Sale in February 2027.

Reserve Male Champion Lisglass Showman

In the Best Pairs it was a win for the Ranfurly herd of WD & JD Hazelton, Cohannon House, Dungannon and with their class first prize winners Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5, and Ranfurly Jade 2nd R13. March 2024 born, Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5 is by the AI sire Annick Talisker, and is out of the Team Celtic 11 daughter, Ranfurly Weikel 37^th L3 VG 87.  At the 2025 NI Simmental National Show, this heifer had stood as Overall Reserve & Reserve Female Champion to Ballinalare Farm Nikita, and was Overall Junior Champion.  September 2024 born, Ranfurly Jade 2^nd R13 is an AI calf by the 16,000gns Ranfurly Limelight, and is out of Raceview Mindy Hibernia.  A top pair, these two heifers went on to meet with more success when winning the Interbreed Beef Exhibitor Bred Pairs title.

Best Simmental Pair, Ranfurly Weikel 56, and Ranfurly Jade 2nd R13

See the full results below.

2026 Balmoral Show Simmental Results

Cow in calf or in milk having had calf by age of three years
1^st          Alan Wilson                    163      Ballinalare Farm Nikita
2^nd         Connor Wilkinson       164      Clonagh Polly Holly

Ranfurly Weikel 56th

Heifer, in calf or calf at foot, born on after 1^st January 2024, and on or before 30 June 2024
1^st                W D & J D Hazelton     165    Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5
2^nd            Alan Wilson                     166     Ballinalare Farm Ritz

Ranfurly Jade 2nd R13

 Heifer born on or after 1st July 2024 and on or before 31^st Dec 2024
1^st          W D & J D Hazelton        168       Ranfurly Jade     2^nd R13
2^nd          Connor Wilkinson          167       Broomfield Super Little D
3^rd          Susan McCullough    169            Rathnashan Star Neptune

HEIFER, born on or after 1st January 2025 and on or before 30^th April 2025
1^st          J L & C J Weatherup    171       Lisglass Sapphire
2^nd         J L & C J Weatherup    172       Lisglass Silverbell
3^rd          Bridgewater Farm       170       Bridgewater Farm Wisteria 6^th
4^th          Susan McCullough    173       Rathnashan There She Goes

HEIFER, born on or after 1^st May 2025 and on or before 31^st December 2025
1^st          JL & CL Weatherup         165       Lisglass Star
2^nd         R Forde                176       Mullyknock sunshine
3^rd         Bridgewater Farm        177      Bridgewater Farm Kleeb 4^th

Bridgewater Farm Samson

Bull, born on or after 1^st January 2025 and on or before 30^th April 2025
1^st                 Bridgewater Farm      178     Bridgewater Farm Samson 25

Bull, born on or after 1^st May 2025 and on or before 31^st December 2025
1^st          Robert Forde                180      Mullyknock Scorpio
2^nd         Jl & CJ Weatherup       183     Lisglass Showman
3^rd         Bridgewater Farm        182     Bridgewater Farm Superstar 25
4^th         L Wilson                            181     Ballinalare Farm Supremo

Pair of animals, bona fide the property of one exhibitor and entered in the classes for which they are eligible.
1^st W D & J D Hazelton, Ranfurly
2^nd L  Wilson, Ballinalare Farm
3^rd  J l & C J Weatherup, Lisglass

Supreme Champion
Ballinalare Farm Nikita           A Wilson

Reserve Supreme Champion
Lisglass Sapphire                      J L & C J Weatherup

Junior Champion
Lisglass Sapphire                     J L & C J Weatherup

Reserve Junior Champion
Mullyknock Scorpio                  R Forde

Female Champion
Ballinalare Farm Nikita           J & A Wilson

Reserve Female Champion
Lisglass Sapphire                       J L & C J Weatherup

 Male Champion
Mullyknock Scorpio      R Forde

Reserve Male Champion
Lisglass Showman                   J L & C J Weatherup