The Irish Simmental Cattle Society held its 23rd National Show in conjunction with the Tullamore National Livestock Show, which saw a record entry of over 160 cattle. Showing kicked off at 10am with a strong entry in the FBD Insurance senior and junior champion young handlers classes. Judge Joy Lowry, Lanark, Scotland, tapped forward Ciaran Kinahan, Christopher Farrell and Linda O’Hara as her respective winners in the senior section. In the juniors, James Kelly retained his title having also been placed top in 2015, followed by Sarah Murray and Adam Brady.
Judging honours for the cattle went to David Lowry of the well -nown Keeldrum Herd, Lanark, Scotland. David had a tough task ahead of him with up to 20 entries in some classes.
His female champion went to the national junior cow Clonagh Dora the Explorer from Garrett and Lyndsey Behan, while reserve female champion went to the national junior champion heifer Tawley Gretta from Kieran and Paul Mullarkey.
Bulls
In the bulls, the overall male title went to the national weanling bull Seaview Gladiator for Tony O’Leary, followed by the February 2016 bull calf class winner Rathnashan Hunzo from Nigel Hogan taking reserve overall male at just four months old.
Finally, it was two females who claimed the overall championship honours. Clonagh Dora the Explorer picked up this title for the second time, having also been supreme champion in 2014, where she was the national junior heifer champion. Tawley Gretta, owned by Kieran and Paul Mullarkey, was reserve champion of champions. Gretta is also no stranger to winning, having got off to a good start this summer winning the overall Simmental championship at the Balmoral Show in May.
Next up for the Simmentals is their national calf finals held at Strokestown Show in September, with four national titles to be decided, attracting 40 entries.