Host of the all-Ireland junior cow competition, Charleville Show has a long-standing reputation for quality dairy cattle. Situated on the edge of north Cork, it draws cattle from all parts of the country, with this year being no exception.
Eighty cattle made their way to the showgrounds for the heavily sponsored competition, but it was one family who stole the show.
Bryan, John and Clody O’Connor, ably assisted by the new European junior stockperson champion, Paul Murphy, put down a day that won’t be forgotten too easily, claiming all-Ireland junior Friesian, champion Holstein, reserve champion Holstein, best udder and, to top it off, best group of three.
Taking centre stage in their success was the second-calver Clongowes Sid Almerie. Having scooped the junior all-Ireland and best udder in class earlier in the day, she later went on to claim overall champion.
Picked out by Bryan from a bunch of 200 heifers at the Clongowes sale three years ago, Sid Almerie previously won the Friesian heifer in milk class at Charleville last year for him.
Sired by Pine Tree Sid, she classified VG88 as a first-calver and currently has two daughters already on the ground from sexed semen.
Welsh judge Richard Thomas, who runs the successful Churchvale Holsteins, described the champion as a cow that would “stand and possibly win any class in Europe”.
First day out
Almerie, who produced over 9,000kg of milk at 4.2% fat and 3.3% protein in her first lactation, also went on to take the award for best udder on show.
Standing reserve in the championship was Grassvale Shuttle, again from the O’Connor family. The fourth-calver, bred by Ivan and Louise Dawson, Co Monaghan, claimed top spot and best udder in a strong senior cow class.
Last year, the Pictson Shuttle daughter produced over 10,000kg. This show marked the first day out for the six-year-old which classified EX92.
Not stopping there, the two joined forces with a homebred calf to secure the best group of three owned by the same exhibitor.
Having judged a number of major shows across Wales and England, Richard Thomas concluded the day by saying it was the best quality show he had ever judged and it was worth coming from Wales for the junior cow class alone.
Read more
Herd focus: Boroside Blues
Host of the all-Ireland junior cow competition, Charleville Show has a long-standing reputation for quality dairy cattle. Situated on the edge of north Cork, it draws cattle from all parts of the country, with this year being no exception.
Eighty cattle made their way to the showgrounds for the heavily sponsored competition, but it was one family who stole the show.
Bryan, John and Clody O’Connor, ably assisted by the new European junior stockperson champion, Paul Murphy, put down a day that won’t be forgotten too easily, claiming all-Ireland junior Friesian, champion Holstein, reserve champion Holstein, best udder and, to top it off, best group of three.
Taking centre stage in their success was the second-calver Clongowes Sid Almerie. Having scooped the junior all-Ireland and best udder in class earlier in the day, she later went on to claim overall champion.
Picked out by Bryan from a bunch of 200 heifers at the Clongowes sale three years ago, Sid Almerie previously won the Friesian heifer in milk class at Charleville last year for him.
Sired by Pine Tree Sid, she classified VG88 as a first-calver and currently has two daughters already on the ground from sexed semen.
Welsh judge Richard Thomas, who runs the successful Churchvale Holsteins, described the champion as a cow that would “stand and possibly win any class in Europe”.
First day out
Almerie, who produced over 9,000kg of milk at 4.2% fat and 3.3% protein in her first lactation, also went on to take the award for best udder on show.
Standing reserve in the championship was Grassvale Shuttle, again from the O’Connor family. The fourth-calver, bred by Ivan and Louise Dawson, Co Monaghan, claimed top spot and best udder in a strong senior cow class.
Last year, the Pictson Shuttle daughter produced over 10,000kg. This show marked the first day out for the six-year-old which classified EX92.
Not stopping there, the two joined forces with a homebred calf to secure the best group of three owned by the same exhibitor.
Having judged a number of major shows across Wales and England, Richard Thomas concluded the day by saying it was the best quality show he had ever judged and it was worth coming from Wales for the junior cow class alone.
Read more
Herd focus: Boroside Blues
SHARING OPTIONS: