The Irish Moiled Cattle Society decided that during the Centenary year of the Irish Moiled herdbook it was fitting to run an Irish Moiled Cattle Society Young Handlers online competition to celebrate the next generation of young farmers, with winners being announced by well-known young handler judge, Maggie McQuisten from Saintfield, Co Down. Maggie’s comments reflected the dedication and remarkable contribution the young handlers have made to the Irish Moiled breed.
Judges’ comments by; Maggie McQuiston
“The Irish Moiled Centenary Herdbook Young Handlers Competition was a tremendous showcase of skill, preparation and pride in the breed. Every competitor put on an excellent performance, making for a stiffly contested line‑up and a superb spectacle befitting such a historic milestone.
In judging the classes, I was looking for young handlers who were well presented, confident in the ring, and demonstrated strong ring craft. A key part of this was attentiveness to their animal – keeping it settled, balanced and correctly positioned – paired with awareness of where the judge was, so the animal was always being shown to best advantage. This blend of calm control and ring awareness is what really lifts a handler’s presentation. Correct placement when standing, and safe, effective use of halters and ropes – whether working with a nose ring or snaffle – were also important. Throughout, I valued handlers who shared clear, accurate information about their animals and the Irish Moiled breed.
My champion came from the 8 years and under class, Ruby Delaney (NI), whose presentation was exceptional for her age. She showed remarkable balance in her ring etiquette, maintained a lovely connection with both her calf and the judge, and demonstrated fabulous knowledge and passion for the breed. Ruby is a young handler with tremendous potential for the future.
The reserve went to Olivia Salisbury (GB) in the 16 – 24 years old class, an accomplished young show person who presented her animal beautifully and with great professionalism.
To round off the competition, the novelty section brought wonderful creativity and fun. I placed sisters Evie and Olivia Ferris first for their brilliant portrayal of celebrations from 100 years ago – they brought the centenary spirit to life, sharing their love for Moileys and showcasing how they feed and care for them. Second place went to Sommer Garrett, who clearly had great fun stepping into the role of a yesteryear farmer, even straddling her cow in true horsemanship style.
A fantastic celebration of heritage, youth, and the future of the Irish Moiled breed.
A huge thank you to our Sponsors;
– Threads Restaurant at Hilden Brewery, Lisburn.
– G A Hogg, Car Sales, Kilrea.
– R J Hardware, Keady.
– John Bell Animal Feeds, Kilrea.
RESULTS
Class 1 (8 years and under)
1st Ruby Delaney (NI)
2nd Cerys O’Kane (GB)
3rd Douglas Delaney (NI)
Class 2 (9 -15 years)
1st Olivia Heyward (GB)
2nd Sommer Garrett (NI)
3rd Aine Hyland (ROI)
Class 3 (16-24 years)
1st Olivia Soulsby (GB)
2nd Joint Annabelle (GB)
2nd Joint Hollie O’Rourke (NI)
3rd Keith Barry (ROI)
Class 4 (Young person needing a little extra help)
1st George Maxwell (NI)
Class 5 Fancy Dress & Novelty Class
1st Evie and Olivia Ferris (NI)
2nd Sommer Garrett (NI)
Overall Young Handler Champion and winner of the N & M Moilies Cup – Ruby Delaney (NI)
Overall Reserve Champion Young Handler and winner of the Dan Bull Silver Salver Trophy – Olivia Soulsby (GB).
Over the next couple of months there will be several celebratory events, commencing on Thursday 17th September where the Irish Moiled Cattle Society has been shortlisted as a NI Farming Life Awards Finalist – Farming Society of the Year! There are also several other Irish Moiled breeders who have been nominated…Mervyn and Rachel Garrett (Loughside Farm) have been shortlisted for Farm Shop of the Year award. Robert Davis (Laurelview Farm) has been shortlisted for the unsung hero award for social farming. Sandra and David Scott – (Moyletra Irish Moiled’s) have been shortlisted for Sustainable Farm of the Year award and they are also short listed for Farm Shop of the Year award. All finalists will be attending the NI Farming Awards Ceremony at Culloden Hotel, Belfast.
The Irish Moiled Cattle Society Centenary Breeders Day will be taking place on Saturday 19th September commencing at 2;00pm at Dermot McGeady’s Farm in Derry/Londonderry viewing the Tullyarden herd of Irish Moiled’s. There will be several Irish Moiled Society directors giving talks on classification, genomics condition scoring, weight recording and a question-and-answer session. Anyone attending the day will then head to Brook Hall Estate and Gardens around 5;00pm where they will get to hear from Professor John Gilliland and the Lo and Slo Barbeque School which will be showcasing the cooking of Irish Moilie beef for tasting for everyone to indulge. The chosen charity for the day is the Air Ambulance. Please contact the breed secretary ++44 7842 185008 by 11th September if you would like to attend the Irish Moiled Cattle Society breeder’s day to reserve your space.
The Centenary Irish Moiled Centenary Autumn Timed Auction of pedigree Irish Moiled cattle will take place online through Ballyjamesduff Mart commencing from 16th Oct concluding 19th Oct. Entries close for those selling cattle in the sale on 15th September.
To conclude the special 100th year of the Irish Moiled Cattle Society herdbook celebrations, a special Black-Tie Gala Dinner with music from Alistair Scott Ceilidh and award presentations will take place on Sat 24th Oct at the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim. Tickets are available to purchase on the Irish Moiled Cattle Society website. Tickets are also available to purchase on the website for the raffle of a commissioned painting by artist Liam Reilly, framed by Edenbane Art Gallery. The draw of the raffle will take place at the Gala Dinner. All proceeds of the raffle will be split between three charities;
– Unique (Rare Chromosome Disorder)
– RABI (the farmers charity)
– Ronald McDonald House Charity.
Full details available on the IMCS website.