Show season is almost over, with just a few left in the calendar.

Autumn pedigree cattle sales are about to kick off and first out of the blocks is the Galloway Cattle Club of Ireland and the Belted Galloway Club of Ireland.

It will hold its first ever premier show and sale of black cattle and belted cattle in Ballymena Mart on Friday 6 September at 11am, with 67 entries forward for the sale.

Taking a trip down memory lane, there were 14 Galloway bulls at the spring show and sale in Ballymena in 1952, with the first prizewinner Sportsman 2nd of Buckna, from William Thompson selling for 72gns, while the second prize winner was Trueman of Cairncastle from Andrew Hunter, sold for 80gns. It didn’t say who the judge was.