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• Lisglass Heifer wins Senior Championship
• Haystar Revolver lifts the Junior Championship
Northern Ireland Simmental breeders were out in force at the fourth staging of the NI Club’s Annual Calf Show held on Saturday 30th November, at Ballymena Livestock Market. Fourteen breeders from around the province exhibited with a catalogue of close on fifty calves, and with strong support for the young handler classes. The event is held within the 4 Breed Calf Show that in addition to the Simmental breed, comprises of classes from the British Blue; British Blonde; and Saler breeds respectively.
Judge for the day was Cara Moore from Beragh ,Co Tyrone who farms at home with her parents John and Diane on their family farm, breeding pedigree Simmentals under the noted Omorga Simmental prefix. In the Young Handlers section, the judge for the day was Molly Bradley of the Dernasigh Herd, Armagh, Co Armagh.
Dermody Royal Lucy Senior Champion
Winning the first female class of the day and going on to take the Senior Championship was Dermody Royal Lucy from the Lisglass herd of JL & CJ Weatherup, Ballyclare, Co Antrim. This September 2023 heifer, purchased in August at the Reduction Sale of Irish breeder Mr N Jagoe, is by the prolific Saltire Impressive and is out of Dermody Lucy 2, a Dermotstown Delboy (ET) EX 92 daughter. Commenting, the judge Cara Moore said: “My choice of Senior Champion just caught my eye immediately she came into the ring. She’s a very stylish, correct heifer and had great power.” In her class, Dermody Royal Lucy got the nod ahead of her stablemate Lisglass Panache, an October 2023 born Omorga Volvo daughter.
Lisglass Ruby
It was a strong day’s showing for the 35-cow Lisglass herd who also took a red ticket in the second heifer class with the February 2024 born Lisglass Ruby, a Mullynock Gallant 15 (ET) daughter. Ruby is a sister of Lisglass Primrose, who had a successful show season in 2023, and who herself is aimed at being a part of next year’s show team.
Haystar Revolver Junior Champion
In the Juniors it was a Championship win for ‘top gun’ Haystar Revolver from G Hayes & Son, Upper Ballinderry, Lisburn, Co Antrim. This April 2024 born bull calf is sired by Lissadell Nailer, and is the second daughter out of Raceview Lively HW Nicolet, by Clonagh Tiger Gallant, and who was purchased from a Raceview reduction sale. Of her Junior Champion, Haystar Revolver, Cara Moore said: “I thought this Junior Champion was just a super calf with plenty of shape and who moved extremely well.” Revolver is due to be weaned in the next month and forward plans include aiming him for next year’s NI Simmental National Show, and beyond that possibly the 2025 Stirling October Sale. Again in a strong class of ten calves, it was a one-two for the 15-cow Haystar herd with Haystar Round One taking second place. May 2024 born, this calf is another by Lissadell Nailer, who is producing ‘consistently good calves in the herd’, and is out of the Cleenagh Flasher daughter Haystar Wonder 6.
Judge Cara Moore
Of the overall show, and her day judging, Cara Moore went on to say: “I was delighted to be asked to judge this increasingly high profile calf show. There was a fantastic turnout of calves which is a great credit to the NI breeders and to the work and efforts of the NI Simmental Club.”
Craigy Paddington Reserve Senior Champion
Back in the seniors and lifting the Reserve Senior Championship was the winner of the day’s first class in the shape of the November 2023 born bull Craigy Paddington from Mr WJ Dodd, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Co Down. This calf is another by Saltire Impressive and is out of the heterozygous polled Craigy Jessica K2 (P), a Keeldrum Fabregas 14 daughter. With a bit of a track record behind him, Craigy Paddington has met with no little success through 2024. In his first time out at Armagh Show in June he took the Simmental Male Champion at only seven-months-old. The following month he stood as Reserve Overall Simmental at Castlewellan, and on the back of these successes he also qualified for The Northern Ireland Shows competition, Young Bull of the Year for 2024. The Dodd’s plan to offer him for sale sell him at a sale in the Spring of next year if not sold privately prior to that.
Ballinalare Farm Ritz Reserve Junior Champion
Taking the Reserve Junior Championship was the winner of the day’s final class and in the shape of Ballinalare Farm Ritz from the 65-breeding-female herd of Joe & Alan Wilson, Dorans Hill, Newry, Co Down. May 2024 born this young heifer is the first calf shown by the imported Bighill Magic who was purchased by the Wilson’s for €11,000 from Rosscommon in October 2021. She is out of Ballinalare Farm Ladybird, a Denizes Fantastic 14 daughter, whose first calf Polly, was sold at the herd’s recent Production Sale for 4900gns. Still on her mother, it is very much hoped that Ritz, described as a ‘lovely, sweet female, with a good square back end, length, and plenty of style’, will be the herd’s main show heifer in 2025.
Further success for the Craigy herd came in the All-Breeds Young Handlers section when brothers, and prolific young handler winners, Lewis and Jamie Dodd, won their respective classes for eight to twelve year old, and thirteen to sixteen year old. Prolific competitors and winners, both boys ‘ love working with cattle, both the daily aspects and the showing, and they love attending the Young Handler events at the local shows’! Winning the seventeen to nineteen years of age class was Russell Kelly. Commenting, the Young Handlers judge, Molly Bradley said: “It was great to see so many young handlers being very professional in the ring, competitive, and keen to learn. Well done to all.”
NI Simmental Calf Show 2024 – Ballymena
Judge: Cara Moore, Omorga Herd
Class BS (BULL BORN 01/09/23 – 21/12/23)
1ST CRAIGY PADDINGTON
CLASS HS (HEIFER BORN 01/09/23 – 21/12/23)
1S T DERMODY ROYAL LUCY
2ND LISGLASS PANACHE
3RD HAYSTAR STELLA
4TH MILLCOMB POPPY
Drumacritten Robbie
CLASS BJ (BULL BORN 01/01/24- 31/03/24)
1ST DRUMACRITTEN ROBBIE ET
2ND DRUMAGARNER REBEL
3RD POINTFARMS RANGER
4TH POINTFARMS RUSTLER
CLASS HJ CLASS A (HEIFER BORN 01/01/24- 31/03/24)
1ST LISGLASS RUBY
2ND WHITEDRUM GOLDENGIRL ET
3RD CRAIGY BEATRICE R1
4TH CRAIGY BAMBI R3
Hiltonstown Roxy
CLASS HJ CLASS B (HEIFER BORN 01/01/24- 31/03/24)
1ST HILTONSTOWN ROXY
2ND BREAGHY VIDA R536
3RD MULLYKNOCK RUTH
4TH BREAGHEY VIDA R545
CLASS BC (BULL CALF BORN ON OR AFTER 01/04/24)
1ST HAYSTAR REVOLVER
2ND HAYSTAR ROUND ONE
3RD BRIDGEWATER FARM RALPH
4TH SCRIBBY FARMS RIZZ
CLASS HC (HEIFER CALF BORN ON OR AFTER 01/04/24)
1ST BALLINALARE FARM RITZ
2ND BREAGHEY #CLASS R552
3RD LISGLASS ROSE
4TH CRAIGY BEATRICE R6
Pairs – Breaghey Vida R536 & Vida R545
CLASS PP PAIRS
1ST BREAGHEY (Breaghey Vida-R536 & Breaghey Vida-R545)
2ND HILTONSTOWN
3RD CRAIGY
SENIOR CHAMPION -DERMODY ROYAL LUCY
RESERVE SENIOR CHAMPION – CRAIGY PADDINGTON
JUNIOR CHAMPION – HAYSTAR REVOLVER
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION – BALLINALARE FARM RITZ
ALL BREEDS YOUNG HANDLERS
Judge: Molly Bradley, Dernasigh Herd
Lewis Dodd Young Handler 13 -16
8-12 YEARS
1st Lewis Dodd
2nd Owen Farrell
3rd Danny Clarke
Jamie Dodd Young Handler 13 – 16
13 -16 YEARS
1st Jamie Dodd
2nd Caitlin McGartland
3rd Oliver Taggert
17-19 YEARS
1st Russell Kelly
2nd Bethany Small
3rd Joseph McGinn
