After the successful 2017 show, the Charolais, Limousin, Simmental and Hereford breeds will again host their annual national shows at Tullamore for 2018. Last year, these four attracted over 400 cattle with a similar number destined for this year’s show.

Limousin

This year the Irish Limousin Cattle Society will host its 29th national show at the Blueball showground. It is expected that over 100 exhibits will again line out to compete for the coveted title of overall national champion and their share of the €8,000 prize fund. Last year’s supreme Limousin champion was Meelickaduff Honda ET, exhibited by Owen Hester, Castlerea, Co Roscommon. Honda is a daughter of Wilodge Vantastic and the noted French donor dam Etole. No stranger to the show ring, Honda holds the RDS Champion of Champions title for 2016 and 2017. However, with Meelickaduff Honda ET not competing at this year’s national show, competition will be hot to take her place.

This year’s final sees a new plan in place for the calf classes. Working on a trial basis, the calf classes will be decided on what entries arrive on the day. There will be three classes of bulls and three of heifers as usual. Calves will be numbered in the show schedule in age order but the calves present on the day will be divided into three classes determined by age.

In the event of more than 30 calves of either sex arriving at the show, an extra calf class will be held in each section.

Tasked with judging the national show is Scottish breeder Robert Graham who runs the well-known Grahams herd. His herd has experienced unrivalled success this summer, claiming the Limousin championship at all of the major UK shows.

On top of the national finals, the Irish Limousin cattle society are again continuing their support for commercial classes, sponsoring two Limousin cross classes to a total prize fund of €2,100.

Charolais

Following its phenomenal success last year, the National Charolais Show will return to the FBD Tullamore Livestock Show in Tullamore this year. There are 22 pedigree Charolais classes and six championships up for grabs. The total prize fund for the pedigree Charolais classes is €13,500. With over 130 pedigree Charolais competing on the day, there will be two judging rings running side by side. Last year’s overall champion Charolais was awarded to Sagesse Martha ET, bred and exhibited by the Canning family from Rosses Point, Co Sligo.

Taking centrestage in the male ring will be Peter Donger of the Seawell herd based in Northamptonshire in the UK. A former chair and president of the British Charolais Cattle Society, Peter is a well-respected and accomplished Charolais judge. He has judged Charolais cattle throughout the UK and internationally including France, Hungary and Canada.

Iain Millar who runs the Lochend herd in Stirling, Scotland, will take care of proceedings in the female ring. One of Scotland’s leading stockmen for many years, Iain has enjoyed numerous successes under the Lochend prefix, which includes selling bulls to 22,000gns at the Stirling bull sales.

Three commercial Charolais classes, which took place for the first time last year, will be competed for once again this year, comprising a whopping prize fund of €3,800. They are best Charolais cross male under 425kg, best Charolais cross female under 385kg and best Charolais cross heifer or bullock with no more than two permanent teeth.

Hereford

For over 20 years, the Irish Hereford Breed Society has held its national show in Tullamore. Before this, it was held in Strokestown and, previously, it was Mullingar Showgrounds that facilitated the annual event.

Judging the 2018 Hereford national show is Des Kelly, vice-president of the UK Hereford Cattle Society and owner of the successful Hereford Lurgacullion Horned and Mullin Polled herds located in Ballygawley, Co Tyrone.

Des is a well-travelled and widely experienced Hereford judge, having adjudicated numerous Hereford events such as the National Tenbury Show last year, a major Hereford event for all UK breeders and also the Royal Meath Show back in 2016, as well as numerous other shows in previous years.

The lineup of classes is almost a carbon copy of last year’s schedule with minor changes to the young handlers’ section, which will now be split into junior and senior categories with the Denis Collins Memorial Trophy and WJ Twomey Memorial Trophy presented at the show again this year.

A group of Hereford breeders from the UK youth programme have arranged a trip to the national show with some planning on participating in the young handlers’ classes also.

The groups of three and pairs classes are set to take place after the young handlers’ classes, according to the schedule, but seeing as the show went on much longer than anticipated last year it has been agreed that the groups of three and pairs classes will take place at the end after the selection of the national Hereford champion.

Last year’s champion was Solpoll 1 Lawman, which was also the recipient of the National Hall of Fame Award. Owned by John Appelbe, this bull attracted huge amounts of interest when he was exhibited on the Hereford stand during the National Ploughing Championships the following month.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, the grand prize money for this year is in excess of €8,000, which should secure a large number of entrants yet again.

Last year, the society experienced the largest numbers entered to date for its national show, and expects similar interest again this year with somewhere in the region of 140 to 150 cattle expected to be exhibited.

Simmental

The Irish Simmental Cattle Society will again return to Tullamore Show, this year celebrating its 25th national show. This year’s prize fund extends to over €7,000, with an expected attendance of over 140 cattle.

Last year’s overall national championship went the way of Clonagh Darling Eyes from recognised breeder Garrett Behan, Ballyfin, Co Laois. The Behan family are no strangers to winning at the national finals having won the overall championship, on numerous occasions in recent years. It is expected that the Behan brigade will again be out in force with a big entry in a bid to claim the prize once again.

The Simmental section is divided across 12 national Simmental classes plus a further four calf classes. Tasked with judging the large entry is Vikki Wood from the famous Popes herd, which is located just outside Preston in England. Vikki, along with her husband Jimmy and family, is no stranger to the show ring having recently won the UK National Simmental Show at Yorkshire.

The young handlers’ classes, which take place at 10am, will again kickstart proceedings in the Simmental ring.