"An excellent show with some top-end pedigree and commercial Limousin cattle that could compete anywhere", is how Scottish judge Stewart Bett, described the Rising Stars Calf Show, held in Ballymena Livestock Mart, recently.
Farm manager at the noted Grahams herd in Scotland, Bett has previously judged at Clogher Show and will be returning to Northern Ireland in May to take centre-stage in the Limousin ring at Balmoral.
Securing the supreme overall champion and taking home a cash prize of £1,000 was the striking black heifer, Mystic Meg, owned by the JCB partnership of Gareth Corrie, Charlie Beverland and Jonathan Neill from County Down.
Their yearling heifer, sired by Huntershall Rosco and out of a pedigree British Blue cow, was purchased for £5,200 from Chris McCrea, at the Royal Ulster Premier Beef and Lamb Championships in November.
Remarking on his champion, Bett, said, “The overall champion is a really stylish, well-balanced heifer. The kind of animal that I like to show.”
Pedigree champion
Claiming the reserve overall title was the senior and supreme pedigree champion, Frewstown Alpha, bred and exhibited by Derek Frew, and son Jason, from Kells, County Antrim. This thirteen-month-old heifer is sired by the herd’s stock bull, Jalex Simplysuperb, a full ET brother to Jalex Superb, which sold for 26,000gns at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, in 2022.
Her dam, Frewstown Pamela, sired by by Ballyrobin Landmark, is one of 20 cows in the herd, which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2026.
Jason Frew’s senior heifer Frewstown Alpha won the pedigree and reserve supreme championship awards. \ Chloe Goggins
The reserve senior champion and reserve pedigree champion was Glenmarshal Anastasia owned by Trevor Shields, Kilkeel. This fourteen-month-old daughter of the Irish-bred Carrickmore Schumacher is out of the herd’s 30,000gns show cow, Dinmore Sensation, interbreed champion and supreme champion of champions at Balmoral Show in 2024.
Securing the junior championship award was Cranmoney Annie, a nine-month-old Trueman Idol daughter, bred by Mark and Mairead McCartan from Crossgar, County Down. She is out of the Foxhillfarm Lordofthering daughter, Cranmoney Redlady.
Runner-up for the junior championship was Keith and Niall’s Forsythe’s Claragh Ann. Bred by John and Paul Rainey, this May 2025 born heifer is by the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin, and bred from the Homebyres Vanhee daughter, Claragh Roxy.
Commercial classes
There was a good entry of Limousin-sired commercial cattle at the show. Taking the reserve championship ribbons was Luna Noir, a Mereside Lorenzo daughter owned by James Alexander, Randalstown. Born in June 2025 and bred from a British Blue cow, this heifer was purchased at the Winter Fair in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Keith and Niall Forsythe won the award for the best pair of Limousin. Their winning duo were the home-bred heifer, Ballybrick Astarisborn, and the reserve junior champion, Claragh Annie.
Mrs Lynsey Bett judged three fantastic classes of junior, intermediate and senior handlers. For her champion handler she chose the intermediate class winner Ellie McCauley; while the runner-up award went to Meabh Donnelly, who was the second placed competitor in the intermediate class.
Pick up a copy of next week's Irish Farmers Journal to read all about it.
"An excellent show with some top-end pedigree and commercial Limousin cattle that could compete anywhere", is how Scottish judge Stewart Bett, described the Rising Stars Calf Show, held in Ballymena Livestock Mart, recently.
Farm manager at the noted Grahams herd in Scotland, Bett has previously judged at Clogher Show and will be returning to Northern Ireland in May to take centre-stage in the Limousin ring at Balmoral.
Securing the supreme overall champion and taking home a cash prize of £1,000 was the striking black heifer, Mystic Meg, owned by the JCB partnership of Gareth Corrie, Charlie Beverland and Jonathan Neill from County Down.
Their yearling heifer, sired by Huntershall Rosco and out of a pedigree British Blue cow, was purchased for £5,200 from Chris McCrea, at the Royal Ulster Premier Beef and Lamb Championships in November.
Remarking on his champion, Bett, said, “The overall champion is a really stylish, well-balanced heifer. The kind of animal that I like to show.”
Pedigree champion
Claiming the reserve overall title was the senior and supreme pedigree champion, Frewstown Alpha, bred and exhibited by Derek Frew, and son Jason, from Kells, County Antrim. This thirteen-month-old heifer is sired by the herd’s stock bull, Jalex Simplysuperb, a full ET brother to Jalex Superb, which sold for 26,000gns at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, in 2022.
Her dam, Frewstown Pamela, sired by by Ballyrobin Landmark, is one of 20 cows in the herd, which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2026.
Jason Frew’s senior heifer Frewstown Alpha won the pedigree and reserve supreme championship awards. \ Chloe Goggins
The reserve senior champion and reserve pedigree champion was Glenmarshal Anastasia owned by Trevor Shields, Kilkeel. This fourteen-month-old daughter of the Irish-bred Carrickmore Schumacher is out of the herd’s 30,000gns show cow, Dinmore Sensation, interbreed champion and supreme champion of champions at Balmoral Show in 2024.
Securing the junior championship award was Cranmoney Annie, a nine-month-old Trueman Idol daughter, bred by Mark and Mairead McCartan from Crossgar, County Down. She is out of the Foxhillfarm Lordofthering daughter, Cranmoney Redlady.
Runner-up for the junior championship was Keith and Niall’s Forsythe’s Claragh Ann. Bred by John and Paul Rainey, this May 2025 born heifer is by the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin, and bred from the Homebyres Vanhee daughter, Claragh Roxy.
Commercial classes
There was a good entry of Limousin-sired commercial cattle at the show. Taking the reserve championship ribbons was Luna Noir, a Mereside Lorenzo daughter owned by James Alexander, Randalstown. Born in June 2025 and bred from a British Blue cow, this heifer was purchased at the Winter Fair in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Keith and Niall Forsythe won the award for the best pair of Limousin. Their winning duo were the home-bred heifer, Ballybrick Astarisborn, and the reserve junior champion, Claragh Annie.
Mrs Lynsey Bett judged three fantastic classes of junior, intermediate and senior handlers. For her champion handler she chose the intermediate class winner Ellie McCauley; while the runner-up award went to Meabh Donnelly, who was the second placed competitor in the intermediate class.
Pick up a copy of next week's Irish Farmers Journal to read all about it.
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