The International Limousin Congress, which this year is being hosted by the Irish Limousin Cattle Society, kicked off last Sunday with over 200 international delegates hitting Irish soil. The week’s programme will see the delegates travel the length and breadth of the country to see some of the best Ireland has to offer.

On Monday last the group headed west to Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre where the North West Limousin Club hosted a standalone event to display the best of the west. The event played host to the club’s calf finals and saw a prize fund in excess of €2,000 which altogether attracted 109 animals across the pedigree and commercial sections.

Taking on the role of judge was John Phillips from Wales, who is currently chair of the British Limousin Cattle Society. First to come under his watchful eyes were the three commercial cattle classes broken up by weight over age. Securing overall championship in this section and further adding to his successful summer on the circuit was Derrick Forde with Olaf.

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This March calf is no stranger to the showring, having won the €1,300 super calf competition at Tinahely earlier this month, as well as two firsts at Tullamore. Sired by Milbrook Dartagnan and out of a Belgian Blue dam, his full sister “Elsa” has been a dominant force in the commercial scene all summer, winning a number of top accolades.

Derek Maxwell’s January-born Black Beauty took up the reserve spot. The Fieldson Alfy daughter is from a Belgian Blue cross cow and secured top spot in the only female class.

On to the pedigrees, where 60 calves fought it out for the title of northwest Limousin calf champion. Due to the large entry, classes were broken up into three sections for both bulls and heifers, meaning six calves made it to the championship lineup.

Taking home the top honour here was Joe Moran, Tourmakeady, Co Mayo, with his bull calf Cappaduff Lorenzo. This January 2016 Loosebeare Fantastic son is out of a Rocky-bred dam and came out on top of the youngest batch of bulls before being tapped forward as overall calf champion.

Padraig Golden was out in force in a number of calf classes and his junior heifer Clewbay Kerry went one step further to claim reserve championship honours. Born October 2015, she is sired by Huntershall Gladiator and again out of a Rocky-bred dam.

A number of senior animal classes also took place, with the red rosette winners for each join the calf champion for one last bout to decide the overall show champion. It was a day for the Mayo men when Gerard Walsh from Ballina was tapped forward with his heifer Derrygullinane Kimiko.

This 15-month-old heifer is sired by homebred Gerrygullinane Glen, a bull which was purchased by the highly regarded Wilodge herd as a calf for a high undisclosed figure. Kimiko is one of the first-born daughters in Ireland from the now AI bull Glen. Back in action and securing the reserve overall championship was the calf champion Cappaduff Lorenzo.