‘HAT-TRICK HEROINE’ BALLINALARE FARM NIKITA WINS SIMMENTAL SUPREME AT 2025 RUAS BALMORAL SHOW!

Ranfurly Weikel 56^th Reserve Supreme, and Junior Champion

Lisglass Real Deal wins Male Championship

The sun shone on the Simmental breed and the first calved heifer Ballinalare Farm Nikita from Joe & Alan Wilson, Newry, who with her twin calves at foot, strode to a historic third consecutive Overall Simmental Supreme Championship at the RUAS Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Lisburn on Wednesday 14^th August.

It was very much a win for the ages and which has seen this February 2022 born Simmental female win as a maiden heifer, in-calf heifer’ and now as a first calved heifer.  Sired by the prolific Saltire Impressive and out of Ballinalare Farm Ilyssa, a Denizes Fantastic daughter and herself a twin to a female, Ballinalare Farm Nikita ‘wowed’ the crowds as she walked the lawns with her twins at foot.

2025 RUAS Balmoral Show Overall Simmental Supreme Champion, Ballinalare Farm Nikita

Judge for the day was Michael Durno of the noted Auchorachan herd, Glenlivet, Banffshire, and who was quick to praise his choice of Champion:  “Ballinalare Farm Nikita is a female with tremendous conformation and has all the typical Simmental attribute including of course, plenty of milk.  As we’ve seen today she’s a calved heifer doing her twin calves extremely well and which is great to see in the show ring.  She has tremendous length to her, is full of breed character including a really good Simmental head.”

Following the judging a delighted Joe Wilson said:  “We’ve always thought Ballinalare Farm Nikita is a tremendous heifer but could never imagine that she would win Balmoral Show three years in a row.  She was scanned in calf, but not with twins so when they appeared that was really unexpected.  With her to win today with her calves at foot is very special.”  Remarkably this is the second time the Wilsons have completed this show hat trick with a homebred animal having previously done so with Ballinalare Farm Money Penny between 2004-2006! Come the Interbreeds and Ballinalare Farm Nikita stood Overall Second Reserve in the Individual Supreme featuring all of the breed champions.

2025 RUAS Balmoral Show Simmental Judge Michael Durno in action

Already with a glittering show career behind her Ballinalare Farm Nikita has these three Balmoral Show wins, and two consecutive wins at the NI Simmental National Show.  All eyes will be on that event later this summer as Nikita takes aim at the double-hat trick!

2025 RUAS Simmental Championship Line Up featuring Ballinalare Farm Nikita, and Ranfurly Weikel 56th

Taking the Overall Reserve, Reserve Female, and Overall Junior Champion was Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5 from the 17-cow Ranfurly herd of  WD & JD Hazelton, Cohannon House, Dungannon.  March 2024 born, this heifer is by the 20,000gns Annick Talisker, and is the second calf out of the Team Celtic 11 daughter Ranfurly Weikel 37^th L3 ™ VG 87.  The Weikel family was founded in 2003 with the impromptu purchase of South Park King Kong Weikel 2^nd , and is described as being ‘without doubt the most successful female line at Ranfurly’.   At last year’s show another from the same line, Ranfurly Weikel 52^nd won the Reserve Junior Champion.

Reserve Overall Supreme, Junior Champion, and Reserve Overall Female, Ranfurly Weikel 56th

Commenting on his Overall Reserve Champion, the judge Michael Durno said:  “This is just a sweet, flashy heifer, very correct, full of style and ‘look at me.’ She came through a class where first to third were outstanding heifers.  This young heifer has all the attributes to go on and become a tremendous Simmental breeding female.”  Again featuring in the Interbreeds, Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5 went on to place Overall Reserve in the Interbreed for Performance Recorded Heifers.

Standing second in its class to the Ranfurly heifer, and following her through to lift the Overall reserve Junior Championship was another classy heifer in the shape of Breaghey Vida-R536 from Andrew Clarke, Tynan, Co Armagh.  This March 2024 born heifer is another by Saltire Impressive and is out of Breaghey Vida 1 (TF), a Dermotstown Delboy (ET) EX92 daughter. At last year’s NI Four Breed Calf Show, Breaghey Vida-R536 teamed up with her stablemate Breaghey Vida-R454 (who stood third in the same class at Balmoral), to win the Pairs Championship.  In a nice little aside, Vida-R536’s dam, Breaghey Vida 1 and her twin sister, were born on Andrew and Zara’s wedding day back in 2016.  Since then she has gone on to breed Braghey Lord Enniskillen, the Champion at the NI 50^th Anniversary Sale in 2021; and she has bred both a Male, and a Female Champion for the Breaghey herd at Society Sales in Dungannon. For good measure her twin sister breaghey Vida 2 bred Breaghey Netflix, the highest priced Simmental bull sold at sale in Northern Ireland in 2024!.  This very successful cow family for the Breaghey herd stemmed from one of the herd’s foundation cows Corrick Vida who was Champion in Dungannon in the Spring of 2009.

Breaghey Vida 1, Reserve Junior Champion

Turning to the bulls and it was another Male Championship win for the 35-cow Lisglass herd of JL & CJ Weatherup, Irish Hill, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, with the aptly named Lisglass Real Deal 24.  Contiuing a theme, this September 2024 born bull is by Saltire Impressive, and is third calf out of the Dermotstown Delboy (ET) EX92 daughter Lisglass Klassy.  Showing plenty of fortitude and get up and go, shortly after calving and bonding with mum, Chris Weatherup quietly thought ‘wow, you really are the real deal’ and the name stuck.  Commenting, Chris Weatherup said:  “He’s a calf that’s continuing to go on strong.  He’s done well all winter, just hasn’t looked back, and has a lovely temperament.  He’s a bull that we’ll look at taking to a forward Stirling Sale.”  The win secured a two-in-a-row for the herd who won the Male Championship at Balmoral Show last year with Lisglass Prince and who was subsequently sold to AJR Farm in Scotland.  Another good day’s showing this year saw the Lisglass herd also win two of the heifer classes with Lisglass Panache, and Lisglass Rose.

Of his Male Champion the judge Michael Durno said:  “This is a very correct young bull with great lines, and I’m sure he’s got a real future ahead of him.  A young calf he’s well grown for his age, has length, is very clean, and has a nice turn of hind quarter.”

2025 RUAS Balmoral Show Simmental Male Champion, Lisglass Real Deal

Lifting the Reserve Male Championship was the shapely Haystar Romeo 24 from  G Hayes & Son, Upper Ballinderry, Lisburn, Co Antrim, and in what was a first time showing at Balmoral for Kyle Hayes.   Earlier in the day this March 2024 born calf had won his class in front of his team mate Haystar Revolver (the Junior Champion at the 2024 NI Simmental Club Calf Show).   Haystar Romeo is by the AI sire Auchorachan Hercules 16 (ET) EX 92, and comes from ‘a tremendous bloodline’ being out of Raceview Lady W Nicolette, a Kilbride Farm Delboy 12 daughter.  Of Haystar Romeo 24, Gavin Hayes said:  “Romeo is a stylish, well-muscled bull, and one of the best we’ve bred to date.  We’ll probably show him at the NI National Show, and then will aim him at Stirling.”

Haystar Romeo, Reserve Male Champion, 2025 RUAS Balmoral Show

Speaking to this bull the judge said:  “A bull with plenty of muscle, he’s a tremendous terminal, carcase type Simmental, and with all the potential to go on to be a top end commercial bull at the least.”  The Haystar herd presently comprises of seventeen cows.

Winning the Pairs Championship was Nigel Glasgow, Cookstown, Co Tyrone with the August 2023 born heifer Bridgewater Farm Wisteria 4^th, a Simply Like A Legend 20 (ET) daughter; along with Bridgewater Farm Rocky, a July 2024 born bull by Ranfurly Klinker 19.

Simmental Pairs Champions Bridgewater Farm Wisteria 4, and Bridgewater Farm Rocky

2025 Balmoral Show Simmental Results

Cow in calf or in milk having had calf by age of three years
1^st         J & A Wilson                   145       Ballinalare Farm Nikita

Heifer born on or after 1st July 2023 and on or before 31^st Dec 2023
1^st          JL & CL Weatherup        150       Lisglass Panache

Lisglass Panache

2^nd         J N Glasgow                     148       Bridgewater Farm Wisteria 4
3^rd          JL & CL Weatherup        149       Dermody Royal Lucy
4^th          S P Macdonald 147       Coolcran Lady Penelope

HEIFER, born on or after 1st January 2024 and on or before 30^th April 2024

1^st         WD & JD Hazelton      154       Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5

2^nd         Andrew Clarke             155       Breaghey Vida-R536

3^rd         Andrew Clarke             156       Breaghey Vida-R454

Breaghey Vida R454

4^th         Mr W J Dodd                 152       Craigy Beatrice R1
5^th         Mr W J Dodd                  151       Craigy Beatrice R2

HEIFER, born on or after 1st May 2024 and on or before 31^st December 2024

1^st         JL & CL Weatherup    158       Lisglass Rose

Lisglass Rose

2^nd         J & A Wilson                  157       Ballinalare Farm Ritz

Bull, born on or after 1^st January 2024 and on or before 30^th April 2024
1^st          G Hayes & Son 160       Haystar Romeo 2024
2^nd         G Hayes & Son 161       Haystar Revolver 2024

Bull, born on or after 1^st May 2024 and on or before 31^st December 2024
1^st          JL & CL Weatherup        165       Lisglass Real Deal 2024
2^nd         G Hayes & Son 162       Haystar Round One 2024
3^rd          Mr J N Glasgow 163       Bridgewater Farm Rocky 2024

Pair of animals, bona fide the property of one exhibitor and entered in the classes for which they are eligible

1^st         Mr NJ Glasgow Bridgewater Farm

2^nd         JL & CL Weatherup Lisglass

3^rd         G Hayes & Son Haystar

Supreme Champion

Ballinalare Farm Nikita          J & A Wilson

Reserve Supreme Champion

Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5          WD & JD Hazelton

Junior Champion

Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5          WD & JD Hazelton

Reserve Junior Champion

Breaghey Vida-R536                Andrew Clarke

Female Champion

Ballinalare Farm Nikita          J & A Wilson

Reserve Female Champion
Ranfurly Weikel 56^th R5          WD & JD Hazelton

Male Champion
Lisglass Real Deal 2024             JL & CL Weatherup

Reserve Male Champion
Haystar Romeo 2024                  G Hayes & Son