THE IRISH MOILED INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SHOW – A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
The year 2020 was to see all Agricultural Shows cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic leaving a huge void in the heart of the farming community. During lockdown it was decided to run an online virtual show for the Irish Moiled breeders, in which 3 photographs and a short video of each animal on the move could be captured within the boundaries of the owners farm, with most exhibitors making good use of their very own front lawn during the dry weather of lockdown. Never did the organising committee think they would have got the response that they did, with one of the largest ever entries of Irish Moiled cattle into a show on record. One hundred and sixty-five entries were presented from breeders from the three constituencies in NI, GB and ROI making a tremendous line up for Judge Mark Logan, farm manager at Clandeboye Estate, Bangor.
The breeders were able to showcase their animals through the website Cloud lines shows, an online virtual showing platform having been set up in the wake of Covid-19. The breeders had to upload their 3 photos and a short video to the relevant class.
To make sure that all breeders had the chance to enter, the virtual show was divided into a haltered and non-haltered section, it was open to novices and young handlers and there was also an Irish Moiled half-bred section.
Commencing at 9am on show day was the haltered section with a total of 68 entries and after 11 classes and 5 championships later, under the expert eye of Judge Mark Logan, a tremendous five year old senior cow, Curraghnakeely Pandora 7th with a calf at foot exhibited by N & M Moilies (Nigel Edwards and Michelle McCauley) and C. Ball was crowed the overall haltered champion. It was a double success for this cow and calf team with the cow’s calf at foot, a daughter, Burren Princess Pandora beating off some very stiff competition winning her class and going on to win the haltered calf championship. This adds to the large portfolio of prizes won by Curraghnakeely Pandora 7th, the most notable being the overall traditional and rare breed Interbreed championship at the Royal Three Counties show in England in 2017. Success was not to stop with the cow and calf duo for N & M Moilies when a homebred junior bull Curraghnakeely Dandy 0505 won the junior bull class and reserve junior haltered champion. Three other top spots in the haltered section were clinched by N & M Moilies, 1st prize in the relevant class was won with; the junior cow Ballyreagh Lilly 6691, the autumn born bull calf Curraghnakeely Morris Minor and the spring born heifer calf Curraghnakeely Penny-Lee 0557.
The reserve overall haltered champion went also to a senior cow, a fabulous cow, Aughnakealie Bonnie exhibited by Tully Farm. Aughnakealie Bonnie a 11-year-old cow bred by retired breeders Margaret and Armour Kennedy is by no means a stranger to the show scene winning several championships around the N. Ireland show circuit as a senior heifer and a junior cow. Bonnie followed closely on the heels of the overall champion all during the show, Bonnie came 2nd to Pandora in the senior cow class, she then won reserve senior champion to pandora in the senior championship and finally was crowned reserve overall haltered champion to Pandora in the overall championship.
The haltered intermediate champion went to a very stylish well marked young bull with a lot of potential – Ravelglen Ruben exhibited by Brian O’Kane. In 2019 Ruben was a strong contender in the showring winning numerous red rosettes and championships. Ravelglen Ruben along with Ravelglen Dolly also won the pairs class for Brian O’Kane. The bulls from the herd of Brian O’Kane really caught the judge’s attention – their stock bull Woodbine Casper won the senior bull class, Ravelglen Ruben won the intermediate bull class and Ravelglen Kane won the spring born bull calf class, such was the style and presence of this young calf that Judge Mark Logan made him reserve haltered calf champion.
Not long into breeding Irish Moileds, but with a good eye for an animal, Rachel Armour’s Beagh herd made its mark when her homebred junior heifer Beagh Belle won first in her class and took the junior championship title.
Beechmount Anne a strong powerful heifer exhibited by Robert Boyle won the intermediate heifer class and reserve overall haltered intermediate champion. Another very notable success for team Beechmount was when Robert’s grandson Cole Hogg won the Brian Burnett Cup for Champion Young Handler.
Overall Champion N&M Moilies- Curraghnakeely Pandora 7th
Reserve Overall Champion; – Tully Farms- Aughnakealie Bonnie
Intermediate Champion- B. O’Kane – Ravelglen Ruben
Reserve Intermediate champion – Robert Boyle – Beechmount Ann
Junior Champion – Rachel Armour- Beagh Belle
Reserve Junior Champion;- N&M – Curraghnakeely Dand 0505
Calf Champion;- N&M – Burren Princess Pandora
Reserve Calf Champion;- B. O’Kane – Ravelglen Kane
1st place spring heifer calf- N&M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Pandor 557
1st place senior bull. B.O’Kane -Woodbine Casper
1st place atumn bull calf N&M Moilies- Curraghnakeely Morris Minor
1st prize senior Heifer;- N&M Moilies- Ballyreagh Lily 6691
Winner of the pairs was Brian O’Kane
Young Handler Champion was won by Cole Hogg
Judge – Mark Logan’s comments
“I would like to thank the organisers of the first Irish Moiled online show for giving me the opportunity to judge such an amazing event. I will admit judging in this format is considerably more challenging than having the animals parading in front of you. I have tried to make my decisions taking into account both the photos and the video as in some cases the animal appeared much better in one format. That said the video often gives a better overall view of any animal particularly when it comes to locomotion and loin strength.
The quality of the animals presented was outstanding and is a testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of Irish Moiled breeders. There has been a marked improvement in the conformation of the breed over the last twenty years which bodes well for its future in these challenging times.
There were a great many remarkable individuals in the show. Many of the class winners would have made superb champions and I hope you agree that the champions and class leaders are of similar type having not only the conformation we are looking for in the breed today but also the locomotion and style that gives them an edge over their competitors.
Such was the quality of the senior championship winners that I felt unable to look past them when it came to the haltered section supreme award.
In the haltered section Curraghnakeely Pandora 7 for me is an outstanding example of the breed. Her overall conformation, correctness through her top line and rump and her style gave her the edge over the 11-year-old Aughnakealie Bonnie, a cow I admire for her quality of udder and amazing locomotion.
What a show this would have been if all these animals were parading around a show ring. I can only imagine what a thrill it would be to step into the centre of a ring to place all these terrific Irish Moiles. In the strange times we are living in this has been the next best thing and I would thank each and every exhibitor who competed in this show. You have done an amazing job promoting your herds and the breed in general and should be immensely proud of what you have achieved.
The organising committee of the Irish Moiled Cattle Society would like to thank Mark Logan for judging this event, to all the exhibitors for taking the time to enter and support the show. Cloud Lines show for providing the opportunity of having an online show and to Aidan McAuley owner of the Ballyknock Herd of Irish Moiled cattle who sponsored the rosettes.”
Next on the Irish Moiled Cattle Society calendar will be the sale of pedigree Irish Moiled elite breeding stock which will be conducted by Harrison & Hetherington, Auctioneers, Carlisle by an online timed auction from noon on Thurs 24th September 2020 concluding at noon on Sat 26th September 2020. Anyone wishing to enter registered pedigree Irish Moileds or find out more about the sale please contact Irish Moiled breed secretary Gillian by email
secretary@irishmoiledcattlesociety.com
Results
Haltered Section
Senior Bull Class
1st Brian O’Kane – Woodbine Casper
2nd Anthony Gilsenan – Ravelglen Rocky
3rd Annamarie Stone – Prestwood Panda
4th Annamarie Stone – Prestwood Stewart
Senior Cow Class
1st N & M Moilies & C Ball – Curraghnakeely Pandora 7th
2nd Tully Farms – Aughnakealie Bonnie
3rd N & M Moilies – Glassdrummond Cherry 58th
4th Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Shelly
5th Sam Smiley – Glassdrummond Cherry 74
Senior Heifer/ Junior Cow class
1st N & M Moilies – Ballyreagh Lily 6691
2nd Andrew McConnell- Derrypark Rose
3rd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Kiera
4th Caroline Lyons – Beechmount Daisy 6
5th Violet McKeown – Ardcroagh Elizabeth
Intermediate Bull
1st Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Ruben
2nd Robert Boyle- Beechmount Ragnor
3rd N & M Moilies – Glassdrummond Brexiteer
Intermediate Heifer
1st Robert Boyle – Beechmount Anne
2nd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Dolly
3rd N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Pandora 0490
4th James & Ciara White – Woodbine Dawn
5th Alison Boyle – Beechmount Connie
Junior Bull Class
1st N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Dandy 0505
2nd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Rodan
3rd Patrick Ferry – Fairy Glen Cuchulainn
4th Tannaghmore Open Farm – Silverwood Hornbeam
5th Tannaghmore Open Farm – Silverwood Bramble 3
Junior Heifer Class
1st Rachel Armour – Beagh Belle
2nd N & M Moilies – Samsonagh Daisy
3rd N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Pennylee 0525
4th Robert Davis – Ballyvesey Nesta
5th Gerard McCloskey – Meencraig Peggy
Autumn Born Bull Calf
1st N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Morris Minor
Autumn Born Heifer Calf
1st N & M Moilies – Burren Princess Pandora
2nd N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Cherry 0535
3rd Robert Boyle – Beechmount Eve
4th Alison Boyle – Beechmount Lizzie
5th Alison Boyle- Beechmount Bonnie
Spring Born Bull Calf
1st Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Kane
2nd N & M Moilies – Castlecoole Craig
3rd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Rubicon
Spring Born Heifer Calf
1st N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Penny-Lee 0557
2nd N & M Moilies – Ballyreagh Lily 6730
3rd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Jill
4th William Edwards – Curraghnakeely Pandora 0558
5th Annamarie Stone – Woodhouse Belle
HALTERED SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
1st N & M Moilies & C. Ball – Curraghnakeely Pandora 7th
2nd Tully Farms – Aughnakealie Bonnie
HALTERED INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Ruben
2nd Robert Boyle – Beechmount Anne
HALTERED JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
1st Rachel Armour – Beagh Belle
2nd N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Dandy 0505
HALTERED CALF CHAMPIONSHIP
1st N & M Moilies – Burren Princess Pandora
2nd Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Kane
OVERALL HALTERED CHAMPIONSHIP
1ST N & M MOILIES & C. BALL – CURRAGHNAKEELY PANDORA 7TH
2ND TULLY FARM – AUGNAKEALIE BONNIE
Young Handlers Section
Young Handlers – 16 and under – NI constituency
1st Cole Hogg and winner of the
2nd Jayne Birch
3rd James McCauley
YOUNG HANDLERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion Young Handler – winner of the Brian Burnett Cup – Cole Hogg
Reserve Champion Young Handler – Jayne Birch
Pairs Class
1st Brian O’Kane – Ravelglen Ruben & Ravelglen Dolly
2nd Robert Boyle – Beechmount Eve & Beechmount Bonnie
3rd N & M Moilies – Curraghnakeely Penny-Lee 0557 & Curraghnakeely Pandora 0558