The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) held its Emerald Expo in Virginia over the weekend, which resulted in another successful outing for the Dublin-based Dowling family. Judge Helen Herd tapped out the second-calver Baldonnel FM Sunshine as her overall champion.
This continues Sunshine’s success, having been awarded the interbreed championship at December’s Winter Fair at Balmoral, as well as securing the champion heifer-in-milk at the 2017 Baileys competition.
This stylish cow calved last October and comes from six generations of EX-classified cows. Homebred on both sides, the four-year-old’s dam was the result of an embryo imported from North America. FM Sunshine also produces it in the parlour, having given over 10,000kg in her first lactation, of which 660kg were solids.
Standing reserve overall champion was Victor Jackson with his homebred cow Crossnacole Attwood Precious.
The FBD Insurance senior supreme champion and the Glanbia exhibitor-bred champion at Emerald Expo 2019 held at the Virginia Show Centre, Co Cavan, was Baldonnel FM Sunshine, with John and Cyril Dowling, Baldonnel, Co Dublin. \ Maria Kelly
The EX94-classified fourth-calver is sired by Maple Downs Attwood, with Picston Shottle also in the lineage. Bred for production, this stylish February 2012-born cow gave over 15,500kg in her last 305-day lactation, of which nearly 1,500kg were solids.
Securing the honourable mention in the supreme championship was Des Grands Trix Harmonica from Aidan and Seamus Foody.
This fifth-lactation cow is no stranger to winning ways, having stood second in the €2,500 senior cow in milk class at last year’s Tullamore Show.
Judge Helen Herd giving her reasons on her final lineup in the ring at Emerald Expo 2019, Virginia Show Centre, Co Cavan.\ Maria Kelly
Born May 2013, Trix Harmonica also came up trumps in the production class confined to cows having produced over 50,000kg of milk or 3,000kg lifetime combined fat and protein. Having calved in January, she has a projected 305-day milk yield of nearly 12,000kg.
It proved a highly successful day for Victor Jackson, who, along with claiming reserve supreme championship, also walked away with the overall junior championship.
His bought heifer Ingleden Goldwyn Charlie ticked all the boxes for judge Helen Herd. This June 2017-born heifer is a potentially 10th generation EX-classified cow in the making. She’s also backed by production, with her dam giving over 16,000kg in her last 305-day lactation, of which 4.4% was fat and 3.8% protein.
Standing reserve junior champion was Lynbrook Atwood Erin ET from Timlin, Morely and O’Neill.
This heifer has a proven track record, having already claimed the reserve junior champion title at the Ulster Winter Fair and first place at the Irish National Dairy Show. Sired by Maple Downs Attwood, she is out of EX94-classified Leagh Sebastian Erin.
Taking the honourable mention in the juniors was the August 2018-born Dalevalley GWY Aiko from Roy Cromie.
Emerald Expo 2019 handler championship honourable mention Will Jones; reserve champion Hannah Williamson; champion handler Rebekah Williamson; with Louella Lang of sponsors Volac; judge Helen Herd; vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness; and IHFA CE Charles Gallagher. \ Maria Kelly
Intermediate champion
Last year’s junior honourable mention, Hallow Doorman Abrakazoo, was back out in force for 2019 and went all the way to claim overall intermediate champion title.
Bred by Philip Jones, the October 2016-born heifer was exhibited by new owners Paul Flanagan, Leo Collins and Alan Dorian. Classified VG87 as a first calver, she calved last November and has a projected yield of 7,500kg.
Paul Flanagan was also behind the reserve intermediate champion with his own-bred Tubbertoby Doorman Joy. Another Doorman daughter, Joy also calved in November and is classified VG87 as a first-calver.
The previously mentioned Aidan and Seamus Foody were back in the limelight when they secured the honourable mention intermediate heifer with Sprucegrove Diamond Peggy.
In the coloured championship, Edwin and Pat Gaynor were out in front with Mullaghlands Pride Starlight. This young Jersey cow also placed first in the heifer in milk class and was reserve overall Jersey champion at last year’s National Dairy Show.
Emerald Express
This year’s Emerald Expo also contained a select offering of young stock. The express sale was met with strong demand, with the average settling at €1,550. There was a 60% clearance rate. The top price was €2,400, with buyers from both north and south of the border.
Handler championship
- sponsored by Volac
Champion: Rebekah Williamson.
Reserve champion: Hannah Williamson.
Honourable mention: Will Jones.
Emerald Expo Volac junior
championship and reserve
Champion: Ingleden Goldwyn Charlie, Victor Jackson.
Reserve champion: Lynbrook Atwood Erin ET, R Timlin, C Morely & D O’Neill.
Honourable mention: Dalevalley GWY Aiko, Roy Cromie.
Coloured breed junior
championship
Champion: Threemile Mandella Pam, Christian Keenan.
Reserve champion: Threemile Pam Rocks, Christian Keenan.
Honourable mention: Mullaghlands Success Swiss, Edwin & Pat Gaynor.
Coloured breed championship,
reserve and best udder
Champion: Mullaghlands Pride Starlight, Edwin and Pat Gaynor.
Reserve champion: Rapidbay-UK Rummens Red Shiloh, Michael Freeney.
Honourable mention: Bruhlof FB Karona, John Moore.
Emerald Expo intermediate
championship
Champion: Hallow Doorman Abrakazoo, Paul Flaagan, Leo Collins & Alan Dorian.
Reserve champion: Tubbertoby Doorman Joy, Paul Flanagan.
Honourable mention: Sprucegrove Diamond Peggy, Aidan & Seamus Foody.
IHFA production class judged on conformation and confined to cows having produced over 50,000kg of milk or 3,000kg lifetime combined fat and protein
1. Des Grand Trix Harmonica, Aidan & Seamus Foody.
2. Barbie ET, John Moore.
EBI championship judged on conformation from the highest EBI animal per class
1. Hallow Doorman Abrakazoo, Paul Flaagan, Leo Collins & Alan Dorian.
2. Redhouse 1633 Goodwhone Isa, Padraic Greenan.
3. Monamore Moguls Miss Elly, Tom & James Kelly.
Best group of three females owned by the exhibitors
1. Hallow Holsteins - Philip Jones.
2. Tubbertoby Herd - Paul Flanagan.
3. Monamore Herd - Tom & James Kelly.
The IHFA best udder of show
Ballyelly Mogul Carmen, Sean Faulkner.
The Glanbia exhibitor-bred
champion
Baldonnel FM Sunshine, John & Cyril Dowling.
Emerald Expo premier breeder
Hallow Holsteins - Philip Jones.
Emerald Expo premier exhibitor
Hallow Holsteins - Philip Jones.
The FBD Insurance senior cow
supreme championship
Seamus Kelly Perpetual Trophy
Champion: Baldonnel FM Sunshine, John & Cyril Dowling.
Reserve champion: Crossnacole Atwood Precious, Victor Jackson.
Honourable mention: Des Grand Trix Harmonica, Aidan & Seamus Foody.
The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) held its Emerald Expo in Virginia over the weekend, which resulted in another successful outing for the Dublin-based Dowling family. Judge Helen Herd tapped out the second-calver Baldonnel FM Sunshine as her overall champion.
This continues Sunshine’s success, having been awarded the interbreed championship at December’s Winter Fair at Balmoral, as well as securing the champion heifer-in-milk at the 2017 Baileys competition.
This stylish cow calved last October and comes from six generations of EX-classified cows. Homebred on both sides, the four-year-old’s dam was the result of an embryo imported from North America. FM Sunshine also produces it in the parlour, having given over 10,000kg in her first lactation, of which 660kg were solids.
Standing reserve overall champion was Victor Jackson with his homebred cow Crossnacole Attwood Precious.
The FBD Insurance senior supreme champion and the Glanbia exhibitor-bred champion at Emerald Expo 2019 held at the Virginia Show Centre, Co Cavan, was Baldonnel FM Sunshine, with John and Cyril Dowling, Baldonnel, Co Dublin. \ Maria Kelly
The EX94-classified fourth-calver is sired by Maple Downs Attwood, with Picston Shottle also in the lineage. Bred for production, this stylish February 2012-born cow gave over 15,500kg in her last 305-day lactation, of which nearly 1,500kg were solids.
Securing the honourable mention in the supreme championship was Des Grands Trix Harmonica from Aidan and Seamus Foody.
This fifth-lactation cow is no stranger to winning ways, having stood second in the €2,500 senior cow in milk class at last year’s Tullamore Show.
Judge Helen Herd giving her reasons on her final lineup in the ring at Emerald Expo 2019, Virginia Show Centre, Co Cavan.\ Maria Kelly
Born May 2013, Trix Harmonica also came up trumps in the production class confined to cows having produced over 50,000kg of milk or 3,000kg lifetime combined fat and protein. Having calved in January, she has a projected 305-day milk yield of nearly 12,000kg.
It proved a highly successful day for Victor Jackson, who, along with claiming reserve supreme championship, also walked away with the overall junior championship.
His bought heifer Ingleden Goldwyn Charlie ticked all the boxes for judge Helen Herd. This June 2017-born heifer is a potentially 10th generation EX-classified cow in the making. She’s also backed by production, with her dam giving over 16,000kg in her last 305-day lactation, of which 4.4% was fat and 3.8% protein.
Standing reserve junior champion was Lynbrook Atwood Erin ET from Timlin, Morely and O’Neill.
This heifer has a proven track record, having already claimed the reserve junior champion title at the Ulster Winter Fair and first place at the Irish National Dairy Show. Sired by Maple Downs Attwood, she is out of EX94-classified Leagh Sebastian Erin.
Taking the honourable mention in the juniors was the August 2018-born Dalevalley GWY Aiko from Roy Cromie.
Emerald Expo 2019 handler championship honourable mention Will Jones; reserve champion Hannah Williamson; champion handler Rebekah Williamson; with Louella Lang of sponsors Volac; judge Helen Herd; vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness; and IHFA CE Charles Gallagher. \ Maria Kelly
Intermediate champion
Last year’s junior honourable mention, Hallow Doorman Abrakazoo, was back out in force for 2019 and went all the way to claim overall intermediate champion title.
Bred by Philip Jones, the October 2016-born heifer was exhibited by new owners Paul Flanagan, Leo Collins and Alan Dorian. Classified VG87 as a first calver, she calved last November and has a projected yield of 7,500kg.
Paul Flanagan was also behind the reserve intermediate champion with his own-bred Tubbertoby Doorman Joy. Another Doorman daughter, Joy also calved in November and is classified VG87 as a first-calver.
The previously mentioned Aidan and Seamus Foody were back in the limelight when they secured the honourable mention intermediate heifer with Sprucegrove Diamond Peggy.
In the coloured championship, Edwin and Pat Gaynor were out in front with Mullaghlands Pride Starlight. This young Jersey cow also placed first in the heifer in milk class and was reserve overall Jersey champion at last year’s National Dairy Show.
Emerald Express
This year’s Emerald Expo also contained a select offering of young stock. The express sale was met with strong demand, with the average settling at €1,550. There was a 60% clearance rate. The top price was €2,400, with buyers from both north and south of the border.
Handler championship
- sponsored by Volac
Champion: Rebekah Williamson.
Reserve champion: Hannah Williamson.
Honourable mention: Will Jones.
Emerald Expo Volac junior
championship and reserve
Champion: Ingleden Goldwyn Charlie, Victor Jackson.
Reserve champion: Lynbrook Atwood Erin ET, R Timlin, C Morely & D O’Neill.
Honourable mention: Dalevalley GWY Aiko, Roy Cromie.
Coloured breed junior
championship
Champion: Threemile Mandella Pam, Christian Keenan.
Reserve champion: Threemile Pam Rocks, Christian Keenan.
Honourable mention: Mullaghlands Success Swiss, Edwin & Pat Gaynor.
Coloured breed championship,
reserve and best udder
Champion: Mullaghlands Pride Starlight, Edwin and Pat Gaynor.
Reserve champion: Rapidbay-UK Rummens Red Shiloh, Michael Freeney.
Honourable mention: Bruhlof FB Karona, John Moore.
Emerald Expo intermediate
championship
Champion: Hallow Doorman Abrakazoo, Paul Flaagan, Leo Collins & Alan Dorian.
Reserve champion: Tubbertoby Doorman Joy, Paul Flanagan.
Honourable mention: Sprucegrove Diamond Peggy, Aidan & Seamus Foody.
IHFA production class judged on conformation and confined to cows having produced over 50,000kg of milk or 3,000kg lifetime combined fat and protein
1. Des Grand Trix Harmonica, Aidan & Seamus Foody.
2. Barbie ET, John Moore.
EBI championship judged on conformation from the highest EBI animal per class
1. Hallow Doorman Abrakazoo, Paul Flaagan, Leo Collins & Alan Dorian.
2. Redhouse 1633 Goodwhone Isa, Padraic Greenan.
3. Monamore Moguls Miss Elly, Tom & James Kelly.
Best group of three females owned by the exhibitors
1. Hallow Holsteins - Philip Jones.
2. Tubbertoby Herd - Paul Flanagan.
3. Monamore Herd - Tom & James Kelly.
The IHFA best udder of show
Ballyelly Mogul Carmen, Sean Faulkner.
The Glanbia exhibitor-bred
champion
Baldonnel FM Sunshine, John & Cyril Dowling.
Emerald Expo premier breeder
Hallow Holsteins - Philip Jones.
Emerald Expo premier exhibitor
Hallow Holsteins - Philip Jones.
The FBD Insurance senior cow
supreme championship
Seamus Kelly Perpetual Trophy
Champion: Baldonnel FM Sunshine, John & Cyril Dowling.
Reserve champion: Crossnacole Atwood Precious, Victor Jackson.
Honourable mention: Des Grand Trix Harmonica, Aidan & Seamus Foody.
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