The 36th Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Winter Fair, in association with sole sponsor Danske Bank, takes place on Thursday 8 December 2022 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn.
The one-day event, which opens at 9am and closes at 6pm, is an important showcase for the dairy industry in Northern Ireland (NI), usually attracting over 5,000 visitors each year. With around 190 trade stands spread across the two large exhibition halls at Balmoral Park, there is lots to interest farmers from all sectors.
Attendees can pay at the door or buy tickets online at www.winterfair.org.uk. Online tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £8 for over 65s and young people aged 12 to 18. Children under 12 get in free. There is ample free car parking at the site.
Programme
The judging programme gets under way at 9am, starting with the showmanship classes, followed at 10am by various breed classes across dairy Shorthorn, Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein. The programme culminates with the supreme championship taking place at 4pm.
The cattle judge this year is Pierre Boulet from Canada, who operates under the Pierstein prefix and has bred over 200 EX Holstein cows. He is also an auctioneer and co-owner of his family’s auctioneering company, Les Encans Boulet Inc.
Pierre has officiated at many shows across Canada and the US, as well as in France, Italy, Australia, Columbia, Ecuador and Argentina.
Top Cookie retired from the show scene
A new senior interbreed champion cow will be crowned at the 2022 Winter Fair. The accolade in 2021 went to the exceptional Jersey cow, Clandeboye Tequila Cookie.
Owned by Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, Co Down, Cookie was Jersey champion in 2017, 2019 and 2021, and also competed strongly in each of those years against other breeds in the interbreed championship.
Having received an honourable mention in 2017, she followed this up by being picked out as reserve champion in 2019 and finally took the top honour last year.
The RUAS Winter Fair Supreme Interbreed Champion in 2021 was Clandeboye Tequila Cookie. Shown by Richard Jones from Gorey, Co Wexford. Also pictured is judge Edward Griffiths from SouthYorkshire and Mark Logan, Clandeboye Estate. \ Houston Green
Now in her eighth year, Cookie is still in the herd but has officially retired from the show circuit, farm manager at Clandeboye Estate Mark Logan confirmed.
Previous winners
In the two years prior to Cookie taking the top prize, it was breeders from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) who scooped the interbreed title with Holstein cows.
With no show in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, Paul Hannan from Limerick won in 2019 with Lisnalty Megasire Rituel, while Co Dublin breeder Cyril Dowling was successful in 2018 with Baldonnel FM Sunshine.
Sam and John McCormick from Bangor won in 2017 with Hiltara Lauthority Echo 2.
BVD
With around 35% of exhibitors at the Winter Fair traditionally coming from ROI, there had been concerns that new rules around Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) would prevent animals coming north this year.
ROI has BVD-free status, which means that imported breeding animals must come from countries that are also BVD-free or have an EU-approved eradication programme.
With NI not yet BVD-free, it potentially meant any cows from the south competing at the Winter Fair could not return home.
A solution was found by way of a “return from show” arrangement, and to facilitate this, NI exhibitors at the event have to meet equivalent standards for a low-risk BVD herd in ROI.
The process has involved an assessment of the BVD status of all cattle coming to the show from NI herds, with various strict criteria to be met.
O’Keeffe to address pre-Winter Fair breakfast
Tirlán corporate affairs director Pat O’Keeffe is the main speaker at a breakfast event organised by the Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) on the morning of the Winter Fair.
The event is taking place at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) research farm at Hillsborough in Co Down (just a few minutes from Balmoral Park), with light refreshments served from 7.45am.
A graduate of University College Dublin, Pat was deputy editor of the Irish Farmers Journal before joining Glanbia Ireland as head of farmer relations.
The theme for the event is ‘The Dairy Sector – Direction of Travel’.
Pre-registration is required by emailing secretary@niias.co.uk. Registration closes on Monday 5 December. Cost is £10 per person and £8 for students.
Join us at
the IFJ stand
The Irish Farmers Journal stand at the Winter Fair is located in the middle of the main Eikon Building. Please drop by as we always welcome feedback from readers.
Read more
Balmoral back with a bang
Jerseys take three interbreeds at Winter Fair
The 36th Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Winter Fair, in association with sole sponsor Danske Bank, takes place on Thursday 8 December 2022 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn.
The one-day event, which opens at 9am and closes at 6pm, is an important showcase for the dairy industry in Northern Ireland (NI), usually attracting over 5,000 visitors each year. With around 190 trade stands spread across the two large exhibition halls at Balmoral Park, there is lots to interest farmers from all sectors.
Attendees can pay at the door or buy tickets online at www.winterfair.org.uk. Online tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £8 for over 65s and young people aged 12 to 18. Children under 12 get in free. There is ample free car parking at the site.
Programme
The judging programme gets under way at 9am, starting with the showmanship classes, followed at 10am by various breed classes across dairy Shorthorn, Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein. The programme culminates with the supreme championship taking place at 4pm.
The cattle judge this year is Pierre Boulet from Canada, who operates under the Pierstein prefix and has bred over 200 EX Holstein cows. He is also an auctioneer and co-owner of his family’s auctioneering company, Les Encans Boulet Inc.
Pierre has officiated at many shows across Canada and the US, as well as in France, Italy, Australia, Columbia, Ecuador and Argentina.
Top Cookie retired from the show scene
A new senior interbreed champion cow will be crowned at the 2022 Winter Fair. The accolade in 2021 went to the exceptional Jersey cow, Clandeboye Tequila Cookie.
Owned by Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, Co Down, Cookie was Jersey champion in 2017, 2019 and 2021, and also competed strongly in each of those years against other breeds in the interbreed championship.
Having received an honourable mention in 2017, she followed this up by being picked out as reserve champion in 2019 and finally took the top honour last year.
The RUAS Winter Fair Supreme Interbreed Champion in 2021 was Clandeboye Tequila Cookie. Shown by Richard Jones from Gorey, Co Wexford. Also pictured is judge Edward Griffiths from SouthYorkshire and Mark Logan, Clandeboye Estate. \ Houston Green
Now in her eighth year, Cookie is still in the herd but has officially retired from the show circuit, farm manager at Clandeboye Estate Mark Logan confirmed.
Previous winners
In the two years prior to Cookie taking the top prize, it was breeders from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) who scooped the interbreed title with Holstein cows.
With no show in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, Paul Hannan from Limerick won in 2019 with Lisnalty Megasire Rituel, while Co Dublin breeder Cyril Dowling was successful in 2018 with Baldonnel FM Sunshine.
Sam and John McCormick from Bangor won in 2017 with Hiltara Lauthority Echo 2.
BVD
With around 35% of exhibitors at the Winter Fair traditionally coming from ROI, there had been concerns that new rules around Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) would prevent animals coming north this year.
ROI has BVD-free status, which means that imported breeding animals must come from countries that are also BVD-free or have an EU-approved eradication programme.
With NI not yet BVD-free, it potentially meant any cows from the south competing at the Winter Fair could not return home.
A solution was found by way of a “return from show” arrangement, and to facilitate this, NI exhibitors at the event have to meet equivalent standards for a low-risk BVD herd in ROI.
The process has involved an assessment of the BVD status of all cattle coming to the show from NI herds, with various strict criteria to be met.
O’Keeffe to address pre-Winter Fair breakfast
Tirlán corporate affairs director Pat O’Keeffe is the main speaker at a breakfast event organised by the Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) on the morning of the Winter Fair.
The event is taking place at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) research farm at Hillsborough in Co Down (just a few minutes from Balmoral Park), with light refreshments served from 7.45am.
A graduate of University College Dublin, Pat was deputy editor of the Irish Farmers Journal before joining Glanbia Ireland as head of farmer relations.
The theme for the event is ‘The Dairy Sector – Direction of Travel’.
Pre-registration is required by emailing secretary@niias.co.uk. Registration closes on Monday 5 December. Cost is £10 per person and £8 for students.
Join us at
the IFJ stand
The Irish Farmers Journal stand at the Winter Fair is located in the middle of the main Eikon Building. Please drop by as we always welcome feedback from readers.
Read more
Balmoral back with a bang
Jerseys take three interbreeds at Winter Fair
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