The cancellation of Balmoral Show, Northern Ireland’s premier agricultural show, is a major blow for pedigree breeders looking to showcase some of the country’s best livestock genetics.

Breeders affected by the cancellation include the Rodgers family from Co Down, who run the noted Hillhead herd of Blonde d’Aquitaine and Draperhill Limousins.

A lot of work goes into showing cattle

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Geoffrey Rodgers said the show’s cancellation was a huge disappointment for the whole family, as both a social event and from a commercial perspective.

“When the show was delayed to August, we continued to feed and prepare our show cattle up until the start of May, at which point it was cancelled.

“A lot of work goes into showing cattle. We started preparing animals last October. We have a Blonde heifer that is one of the best animals we’ve ever bred and had a great chance of winning championships.

“Unfortunately, this animal will not be shown now which is disheartening. We also had a Blue heifer that we planned to sell at the show, along with embryos from the same animal.

“We also had a Limousin bull entered for the show. Hopefully, we will still get a chance to show this bull at a breed society sale in the autumn before it is sold.

For us, Balmoral is a great opportunity to talk to our customers, both old and new, and promote our breeding stock. But, at the end of the day, cancelling the show is in the best interest of the country.”