Show finale for Simmental breeders at Enniskillen

by | Aug 12, 2014


Enniskillen Simmental 2

Simmental enthusiasts turned out in force for the continental breed’s show season finale at Fermanagh County Show.

The Enniskillen venue has a long-standing tradition of hosting the Male and Female of the Year awards, which have been sponsored by Danske Bank (formerly Northern Bank) for almost twenty years; and the Merial-sponsored Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year final which is now in its ninth year.

The Simmental entry dominated the cattle section at the show, with County Laois judge Garrett Behan taking over three hours to make his judgements in the various classes.

The junior bull class winner Omorga Eli, bred by John Moore, Beragh, emerged as the day’s male and supreme overall champion. Shown by Moses Irwin, and John’s daughter Cara, this eighteen-month-old entry was sired by Ashland Brandy and is out of a home-bred dam. Destined for Stirling in October, this bull was Simmental and interbreed beef champion at Omagh Show in July.

Claiming the reserve position on the winners’ podium was the second prize winning junior bull Slievenagh Extra Special, bred by the Boyd family – Robin, Darla, Christopher and Jamie, who run a herd of 25 cows at Portglenone. Born in April 2013 he was sired by Kilbride Farm Bantry.

Seven pairs of cattle turned out for the final of the prestigious Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year competition. They qualified over the past few months at nominated shows across the country.

After careful consideration Garrett Behan awarded the 2014 plaudits to the junior bull duo Slievenagh Emperor and Silevenagh Extra Special bred and exhibited by Robin Boyd and family. They qualified at Balmoral Show in May.

Merial Animal Health’s area manager Philip Clarke was on hand to congratulate the winners and present the prizes. “We are proud of our long association with the NI Simmental Club. It has been another fantastic competition, with seven exceptional pairs of cattle qualifying for today’s final. Well done to everyone involved.”

The reserve award in the pairs competition went to Duncan McDowell from Newtownards, who exhibited the home-bred heifers Castlemount Modesty and Castlemount Bianca. They qualified at Lurgan Show in June. Bianca was born in October 2012 and is by Curaheen Tyson, while the September 2012 born Modesty is a daughter of Arkmill Franklyn.

Once again the Simmental Male and Female of the Year awards sponsored by Danske Bank were hotly contested, with breeders notching up points throughout the show season. “

Club chairman Richard Rodgers explains:”“Prizes mean points, as the winners are determined using a scoring system which is collated at nominated shows throughout the summer months. Points are awarded to individual animals, and the higher the animal’s accolade in the show ring the bigger the points it earns.”

The 2014 Male of the Year award went to the Boyd family’s Slievenagh Emperor. Born in March 2013, he was sired by the 9,200 Euro Curaheen Apostle ET – an outcross sire featuring north Amercian genetics, while his dam is the home-bred Slievenagh Aileen.

This bull has secured numerous accolades including junior, reserve male, exhibitor-bred and reserve supreme champion a Balmoral, reserve male champion at Ballymena, and supreme overall champion at Lurgan and Castlewellan.

His herd mate Slievenagh Extra Special took the reserve Male of the Year award. He stood second in his class to Emperor at several shows, and was reserve male champion at Lurgan Show.

The January 2013 born Ballinlare Farm Empress secured the Female of the Year award for Joe Wilson, and sons, Keith, Neill and Alan, from Newry.  She was sired by the herd’s 20,000gns stock bull Auchorachan Wizard.

This heifer was reserve junior and reserve female champion at Balmoral, and winner of the 2014 Woodcraft Kitchens junior heifer derby. She also won the breed’s reserve supreme championships at Lurgan and Castlewellan, and was supreme champion at Armagh Show.

Narrowly beaten by one point to take the Reserve Female of the Year award was the senior heifer Ranfurly Weikel 11th from David and Jonny Hazelton’s herd at Dungannon. Sired by Hillcrest Champion, she is bred from the herd’s noted brood cow South Park King Kong Weikel 2nd.

Her show record includes reserve supreme champion at Ballymena and Armagh, supreme champion at Antrim, reserve female champion at Lurgan and Clogher, and female champion at Enniskillen.

The crystal awards were presented by John Henning, Danske Bank’s head of agricultural relations, who was assisted by Rodney Brown, Matthew Johnston and William Noble.

The NI Simmental Club’s Young Stockperson of the Year Award went to new breeder Jason Whitcroft from the Whitdrum herd at Middletown in County Armagh.

Richard Rodgers concluded:”I am delighted to see a good turnout of cattle at Enniskillen, and an even bigger turnout of supporters from as far away as County Cork. A sincere thank you to our sponsors for their continued support.

“Shows act as a shop window for our breed, and thank you to all of the exhibitors who took part in the Simmental classes at the provincial shows. Congratulations to the winners on their achievements, especially the Boyd family whose hat-trick included the pairs championship, and the male and reserve male of the year titles.”

DATE: 6th August 2014 JUDGE: Mr G Behan
CLASS & POSITION NAME OF ANIMAL SIRE DAM EXHIBITOR
Supreme & Male Champion OMORGA ELI 13 ASHLAND BRANDY 10 OMORGA BAMBI 5TH MR H J W & J C MOORE
Reserve Supreme & Reserve Male Champion SLIEVENAGH EXTRA SPECIAL 13 KILBRIDE FARM BANTRY 10 SLIEVENAGH SARAH MR R J BOYD
Female Champion RANFURLY WEIKEL 11TH D3 HILLCREST CHAMPION SOUTH PARK KING KONG WEIKEL 2ND MR W D HAZELTON
Reserve Female Champion CASTLEMOUNT BIANCA CURAHEEN TYSON STRALONGFORD BIANCA DAVID DUNCAN MCDOWELL
Cow, born before 01.01.11, in-calf or in milk, having had at least one calf 1. WOODFORD PAULA BALLINTLEA KING WOODFORD KATE MRS T H GORMAN
Cow or Heifer, born in 2012, in-calf or with calf at foot, having had a calf by three years old 1. RANFURLY WEIKEL 11TH D3 HILLCREST CHAMPION SOUTH PARK KING KONG WEIKEL 2ND MR W D HAZELTON
2. DRUMACRITTEN DIANNA DRUMLONE ANCHOR 09 DRUMACRITTEN ANDREA MR W E NELSON & MR G E NELSON
Heifer, born on or after 01.07.12 and on or before 31.12.12 1. CASTLEMOUNT BIANCA CURAHEEN TYSON STRALONGFORD BIANCA DAVID DUNCAN MCDOWELL
2. CASTLEMOUNT MODESTY ARKMILL FRANKLYN SLIEVENAGH BELLE 10 DAVID DUNCAN MCDOWELL
3. SCRIBBY FARMS DAISY DRUMLONE ANCHOR 09 SCRIBBY FARMS AMIRA A NELSON
4. ASHLAND LADY ANN 2ND ASHLAND BRANDY 10 ASHLAND LADY ANN MR P KELLY
Heifer, born on or after 01.01.13 1. BALLINALARE FARM EMPRESS AUCHORACHAN WIZARD BALLINALARE FARM ROSE 2ND MR J WILSON
2. CLEENAGH ELIZA DRUMLONE ANCHOR 09 CLEENAGH ANNA 2ND MR L A RICHARDSON
3. ASHLAND ELLA BEAUTY KILBRIDE FARM AHOGHILL 09 ASHLAND BEAUTY 2ND MR P KELLY
4. COOLCRANNEL ESSIE DRUMLONE ANCHOR 09 COOLCRANNEL ANNA MR W PHAIR (BROTHERS)
Bull, born on or after 01.01.13 1. OMORGA ELI 13 ASHLAND BRANDY 10 OMORGA BAMBI 5TH MR H J W & J C MOORE
2. SLIEVENAGH EXTRA SPECIAL 13 KILBRIDE FARM BANTRY 10 SLIEVENAGH SARAH MR R J BOYD
3. ARD-MACHREE EXCELLENT 13 DRIPSEY SUPER KING ET STRALONGFORD TESS A & O QUIGLEY
4. DRUMLONE EVERREADY 13 RACEVIEW KING BALLAGAN REBECCA K C VEITCH
Heifer or Bull Calf, born on or after 01.09.13 1. CLEENAGH EGBERT 13 OMORGA MURRAY CLEENAGH TRUDIE MR L A RICHARDSON
2. BALLINALARE FARM ESMERELDA OMORGA MURRAY MONADUFF MONA MR J WILSON
3. WHITDRUM EVEREST 13 DRUMLONE ANCHOR 09 OMORGA EMPRESS 9TH MR JASON WHITCROFT
4. DERRYCALLAGHAN ERNEST 13 KILBRIDE FARM NEWRY DERRYCALLAGHAN BEAUTY 10 MR H C STUBBS & A A BURLEIGH
Heifer Calf, born in 2014 1. CLEENAGH FANCY WHITEMIRE KING KONG CLEENAGH TRUDIE MR L A RICHARDSON
2. OMORGA FREYA DERMODY BUTCHER FEARNA BELLE MR H J W & J C MOORE
3. LETTERGESH FIONA CELTIC DICEMAN P(ET) CELTIC CARAMEL MR D GALLAGHER
4. WOODFORD PENNY KILBRIDE FARM NEWRY WOODFORD PAULA MRS T H GORMAN
Ivomec Super Pairs – Champion SLIEVENAGH EMPEROR 13 CURAHEEN APOSTLE (ET) SLIEVENAGH AILEEN MR R J BOYD
SLIEVENAGH EXTRA SPECIAL 13 KILBRIDE FARM BANTRY 10 SLIEVENAGH SARAH MR R J BOYD
Ivomec Super Pairs – Reserve CASTLEMOUNT MODESTY ARKMILL FRANKLYN SLIEVENAGH BELLE 10 DAVID DUNCAN MCDOWELL
CASTLEMOUNT BIANCA CURAHEEN TYSON STRALONGFORD BIANCA DAVID DUNCAN MCDOWELL
Group of Three 1. MR W E NELSON & MR G E NELSON
2. MR J WILSON
3. MR L A RICHARDSON
4. MRS T H GORMAN

NI Simmental Cattle Breeders' Club chairman Richard Rodgers is pictured with Philip Clarke, Merial Animal Health, sponsor of the Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year competition.

Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year runners-up were Castlemount Bianca and Castlemount Modesty owned by Duncan McDowell, Newtownards, and shown by Richard McKeown and Fiona Sloan. Included are sponsor Philip Clarke, Merial Animal Health; judge Garrett Behan, Portlaoise; and NI Simmental Club chairman Richard Rodgers.

Ivomec Super Simmental Pair of the Year winners were Slievenagh Emperor and Slievenagh Extra Special shown by Christopher and Jamie Boyd, Portglenone. Included are judge Garrett Behan, Portlaoise; Philip Clarke, Merial Animal Health, sponsor; and Richard Rodgers, chairman, NI Simmental Club.

Reserve male and reserve supreme Simmental champion was Slievenagh Extra Special shown by Christopher Boyd, Portglenone.

Danske Bank Reserve Simmental Female of the Year was Ranfurly Weikel 11th shown by Jonny Hazelton, Dungannon. Included are sponsors William Noble and Matthew Johnston, Danske Bank.

Danske Bank Reserve Simmental Male of the Year was Slievenagh Extra Special shown by Christopher Boyd, Portglenone. Adding their congratulations are Rodney Brown and Matthew Johnston, Danske Bank, sponsors.

Enniskillen Simmental judge Garrett Behan from Portlaoise.

Male and supreme overall Simmental champion was Omorga Eli shown by Cara Moore, Beragh.

Danske Bank Simmental Female of the Year was Ballinlare Farm Empress shown by Alan Wilson, Newry. Pictured at the Enniskillen Show presentation are Rodney Brown and John Henning, Danske Bank, sponsors.

The Danske Bank Simmental Male of the Year award was won by Slievenagh Emperor bred by Robin Boyd, Portglenone, and shown by son Jamie. Making the presentation are sponsors John Henning and Rodney Brown, Danske Bank.