BURREN PRINCESS PANDORA WINS THE 2025 IRISH MOILED (NI) NATIONAL AT ANTRIM SHOW

Antrim Show provided the stage for the Irish Moiled 2025 (NI) national show. A busy ringside crowd included sponsors from Ulster Bank, Laurel View Equestrian and Moyletra Irish Moileds watched as Burren Princess Pandora with calf at foot, lifted the overall Irish Moiled supreme championship.

Judge Lynden Bustard, a beef breed specialist classifier of Holstein UK awarded top spot of overall Irish Moiled champion to N&M Moilies (Nigel Edwards and Michelle McCauley) based at Dungannon, Co. Tyrone with the impressive 4th calver, coming 6-year-old cow and 8-month-old bull calf outfit, Burren Princess Pandora and Burren Bertie. Burren Princess Pandora, no stranger to the show ring won the cow class and senior champion before being tapped out for top spot. Burren Bertie, as well as helping his mother clinch the overall championship had great success himself winning the bull calf class and was crowned Irish Moiled calf champion. Success didn’t stop here for N&M Moilies when also their heifer calf exhibit, Curraghnakeely Sylvia 0683 won the heifer calf class and picked up reserve calf champion and was also part of the heifer calf pair that won reserve champion Irish Moiled pair making it an unbelievably memorable day indeed for team N&M Moilies.

Reserve overall Irish Moiled champion was awarded to Brian O’Kane of Martinstown, Co. Antrim with the heavy weight senior stock bull, Woodbine Casper, bred by J&C white of Co. Wexford. Woodbine Casper is also no stranger to the show ring having won multiple titles in previous years. Brian O’Kane and family had a very successful day when they also won reserve junior champion with Ravelglen Ramona 584 and won the senior heifer class with Ravelglen Romona 422, both full sisters and daughters of the winning stock bull Woodbine Casper.

New Irish Moiled breeder and the first time to exhibit cattle at a show was Emily Rea of Crumlin, Co. Antrim with Curraghnakeely Cherry 0651, bred by Nigel Edwards of Co. Fermanagh. Emily purchased Cherry 0651 at the spring 2025 Magnificent Moilie online sale at a joint top price of the sale, and was beautifully presented to the showring,Curraghnakeely Cherry 0651 won the junior heifer class and was crowned junior Irish Moiled champion.

R&C Maxwell of Keady, Co. Armagh won the Irish Moiled champion pair with their nicely balanced pair comprising of a typically coloured junior heifer, Magheratimpany Delilah and a typically coloured junior bull, Magheratimpany Bart. Bart also collected 1^st prize in the junior bull class.

Special mention to Robert Davis, Templepatrick, Co. Antrim, his team of animals from the Ballyvessey herd, followed in second place to the first-place winners in the cow class, senior bull class, senior heifer class and in the calf class.

In the young handler class, it was Ciara Watt from Loughgall, Co. Armagh who collected champion young handler closely followed by Emily Scott of Coleraine. Co. Londonderry who collected the reserve champion young handler spot.

Alongside Judge Lynden Bustard was apprentice Judge Cian Elliott from Gloucestershire, England who gained valuable experience listening and being involved in discussions on why the animals were placed as they were.

Judges’ comments “It was a great pleasure to Judge the Irish Moiled’s at the National Show in Northern Ireland. Antrim Show is held in a great location. My overall champion and reserve champion are fantastic examples of the breed and stood out to be the outright winners. The junior heifer is a heifer that very much caught my eye, I am sure this young heifer will have a massive future ahead of her.

The (NI) Irish Moiled Cattle Society national show provides an excellent promotional window at shows. Thank you to judges Lynden Bustard and Cian Elliott who made the trip over from GB. A huge well done to all the exhibitors who took the time to support and compete in the national at the perfect setting in the grounds of Antrim Castle. There is a lot of hard work put in by the show organisers and cattle committee to put on an agricultural show and on behalf of the Irish Moiled Cattle Society we would like to express our sincere thanks to you all.

Upcoming events are the ROI IMCS national being held at Tullamore Show and GB IMCS national which will be held at Westmorland show. Irish Moiled stands will be at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and the Fields Good Festival at Glenarm. The International Online Show results will be announced on 6^th Sept. The H&H Autumn Magnificent Moilies Online Sale will take place from Sept Sept 25^th – Sept 27^th. Full details can be found on the Irish Moiled Cattle Society website or Irish Moiled Cattle Society Facebook page.