Balmoral 2024
After such a wet harsh winter breeders were hoping for a bit of dry weather and luck would have it, that the rain finally stopped, and the sun shone making Balmoral Show a very enjoyable occasion for everyone. Smiles could not be taken away from that of Caroline and Ryan Maxwell who secured their first Irish Moiled Supreme breed championship at Balmoral.
Beechmount Daisy 6 bred by Robert Boyle of Millisle, Co. Down, owned by Caroline and Ryan Maxwell of Keady, Co. Armagh first appeared at Balmoral Show in 2018 when she took junior champion, since then she has continuously been in the prizes and now as a six year old cow with a beautiful heifer calf at foot she won the cow class, followed by the female champion accolade and finally and fully merited – Beechmount Daisy 6 was given the top honour of overall supreme Irish Moiled breed champion and the Pennielea perpetual cup.
Curraghnakeely Sportsman 0633 bred at Tempo, Co. Fermanagh by Nigel Edwards exhibited by N & M Moilies (Nigel Edwards and Michelle McCauley) of Dungannon. Co. Tyrone followed the footsteps of his dam, Curraghnakeely Sylvia The First, a previous Balmoral Irish Moiled breed champion winner and grand-dam Rose Hall Lizzy who also took overall reserve Irish Moiled champion at Balmoral. Curraghnakeely Sportsman 0633 took 1st in the junior bull class, junior champion, male champion, and overall reserve Irish Moiled breed champion and winner of the Massey Cup.
Burren Royal Pandora bred at Ballynahinch, Co. Down by Michelle McCauley exhibited by N & M Moilies, was a calf at the foot of her mother Burren Princess Pandora who was crowned overall Irish Moiled breed champion in 2023. Burren Royal Pandora then to come back one year later to take 1st in the senior heifer class and take the reserve female champion award which was truly a great accomplishment for such a young animal.
Beauty Hill Mabel bred and exhibited by Albert Baxter, Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, a very stylish junior heifer class winner and reserve junior champion winner is another animal with a strong pedigree in her background, her maternal grandsire, Beauty Hill Brigadier was junior champion at Balmoral in 2013 and was overall Irish Moiled breed champion in 2016 followed by winning senior male champion in 2017.
Glassdrummond Maestro bred by Sam Smiley, Ballynahinch, Co. Down exhibited by Brian O’Kane, Martinstown, Co. Antrim won 1st prize in the senior bull class and was crowned reserve male champion is sired by Curraghnakeely Masterpiece EX94 out of Ballylinney Harry EX93 sired Glassdrummond Cherry cow.
Champion pair along with the Tully Cup was won with a cow and senior heifer pair exhibited by Caroline and Ryan Maxwell. Reserve champion pair was won with a junior bull and junior heifer pair exhibited by N & M Moilies.
A new breeder of Irish Moileds and first time showing at Balmoral, Glyn Surgenor from Drumlough, Hillsborough had a very successful week taking home 6th place in the senior heifer class with Castlecoole Maisy and fourth place in the pairs class with two of his senior heifers.
Judges’ Comments – Dan Bull
I have judged numerous different breeds of cattle over the years, but nothing gave me more pleasure than placing the Moilies on their home turf in Northern Ireland. Credit and thanks must be given to all the exhibitors for bringing out a superb display of quality cattle.
I was looking for structural correctness, masculinity in the males, femininity in the females, style and full of breed characteristics.
Males
Senior. Albeit a youngster, Glassdrummond Maestro brought out by Brian O’kane, good length, width, and great locomotion in his ‘’working clothes” but a worthy winner, then progressed to be reserve male champion.
Junior. N + M Moilies exhibited Curraghnakeely Sportsman, a cracking young bull, very difficult to fault, having all the attributes I was looking for, and great presence as soon as he walked into the ring, in my opinion at 15 months old is one of the best young Irish Moiled bulls I have seen, and if he grows out I believe will be an asset for the future of the Moilie breed. After winning this class I made him junior champion, male champion and then reserve overall champion.
Females
Cows. The Maxwells 7-year-old cow, Beechmount Daisy 6 with calf at foot was just quality throughout, created a look at me presence in the ring, length, width, style, and a superb udder. I gave her 1st in the cow class, female champion, and then supreme champion overall, a great credit to Caroline and Ryan, well done.
Heifers, I am talking about these as a whole, as I think the senior and junior heifer classes demonstrated a very high quality on offer from the breed and even though I picked out my winners from the senior and junior classes with N+M Moilies and the Baxter family, on another day with a different judge the majority on offer in both classes could have come out winners.
Once again, I would like to congratulate and thank all the exhibitors for their dedication and hard work in bringing the cattle to the show, and thanks to the stewards for helping it all run smoothly and created a most enjoyable day.
The Irish Moiled Cattle Society would like to thank all the exhibitors who put forward a fantastic display of cattle. To Judge Dan Bull for taking time out to come over to Northern Ireland to judge, to the stewards who kept the day running smoothly and to the organisers and sponsors at Balmoral Show for their constant attentive and diligent work in running a most enjoyable agricultural show.
The next Irish Moiled Cattle Society organised event will take place at Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, Co. Down on Saturday 29th June 2024 from 3pm. Anyone wishing to attend please either contact breed secretary Gillian at secretary@irishmoiledcattlesociety.com or go to the Irish Moiled Cattle Society facebook page and book through Eventbrite.
Results
Cow class
1st C & R Maxwell – Beechmount Daisy 6
2nd Albert Baxter – Gortluchra Macmann
3rd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Kelly
Senior Heifer class
1st N&M Moilies – Burren Royal Pandora
2nd Albert Baxter – Beauty Hill Lisnafin
3rd C & R Maxwell – Glassdrummond Crocus 32
Junior Heifer class
1st Albert Baxter – Beauty Hill Mabel
2nd N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Cherry 0632
3rd N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Penny-Lee 0626
Senior Bull class
1st Brian O’Kane – Glassdrummond Maestro
2nd R&L Davis – Curraghnakeely Crackerjack
3rd Violet McKeown – Ardcroagh Tony
Junior Bull class
1st N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Sportsman
2nd Albert Baxter – Beauty Hill Maverick
3rd C & R Maxwell – Ravelglen Owney 2
Pair Class
Champion pair – C & R Maxwell
Reserve champion pair – N&M Moilies
Female Championship
Female champion – C & R Maxwell – Beechmount Daisy 6
Reserve female champion – N&M Moilies – Burren Royal Pandora
Male Championship
Male champion – N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Sportsman
Reserve male champion – Brian O’Kane – Glassdrummond Maestro
Junior Championship
Junior champion – N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Sportsman
Reserve junior champion – Albert Baxter – Beauty Hill Mabel
Overall Irish Moiled breed Championship
Overall Champion – C & R Maxwell – Beechmount Daisy 6
Reserve overall champion – N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Sportsman
