Showbusiness is big business. Gone are the days where you would halter a calf out of the field and land it to a summer show for a bit of craic and sport. It’s a lot more serious now with some big players and big money involved.

All eyes were on the €18,000 heifer last week in Balmoral. She was purchased at the winter fair in Carrick-on-Shannon last November and is destined for stardom.

As one lad said around the ring, you couldn’t draw her better. She picked up a second rosette and went on to take the reserve in the commercial championship, no mean feat on the cattle lawns in Balmoral.

One of the classes had a strong lineup of southern Irish cattle with the total purchase price for the first three cattle coming in at €31,000. I think I’ll stick to the suck calves.