The Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition will take place on 23 August at the Virginia Showgrounds, Co Cavan, and carries a prize fund of over €10,000. Cash prizes are available across all categories, including a new junior cow category for cows in their second calf. Entries are now open from eligible breeders across Ireland.The top place of overall champion attracts a €2,500 prize, followed by €1,000 and €500 for reserve champion and honourable mention respectively. Cash prizes will also be awarded for highest protein content, best EBI, best exhibitor-bred cow and best junior cow. The popular best heifer in-milk category carries a fund of €1,700 – with first place worth €500.
The Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition will take place on 23 August at the Virginia Showgrounds, Co Cavan, and carries a prize fund of over €10,000. Cash prizes are available across all categories, including a new junior cow category for cows in their second calf. Entries are now open from eligible breeders across Ireland.
The top place of overall champion attracts a €2,500 prize, followed by €1,000 and €500 for reserve champion and honourable mention respectively. Cash prizes will also be awarded for highest protein content, best EBI, best exhibitor-bred cow and best junior cow. The popular best heifer in-milk category carries a fund of €1,700 – with first place worth €500.
Diageo Ireland’s head of corporate and trade communications, Hazel Chu said that the event “would once again shine a spotlight on the quality of Ireland’s dairy breeding excellence”.
Spotlight on the Irish herd
The prizes for EBI and best protein emphasise the most profitable factors for both breeding dairy herd replacements and milk production. Martin Tynan, general manager of Glanbia Ireland Virginia, explained that “the Diageo Baileys Champion Cow rewards breeders that combine good conformation in their animals with milk production capability. To be eligible for entry, the cow must first have produced 500kg of butterfat and protein in a 305-day lactation. Having a cow placed at the Baileys is, therefore, a great endorsement for any herd”.
Last year’s winner was Hallow Advent Twizzle 3, from Philip and Linda Jones, Gorey, Co Wexford. This KHW Kite Adventred-sired cow also secured the Emerald Expo championship at the same showgrounds earlier that year.
On the day, the five-year-old Twizzle was calved 12 months and had given 15,080kg the previous year, of which 1,659 were milk solids.
Entry forms for this competition are available by visiting the Virginia Show website, or by calling Brendan Smyth on 087-2560952.
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