“You get out what you put in”

Paul Murphy is a farmer at heart, but didn’t grow up on a farm. This didn’t hold him back as he spent most of his summers working on the dairy farm of his good friends Billy and Joanne Buckley. There he caught the showing bug and, after starting his career in the ring in 2006 at the age of 10, Paul went on to become champion handler at the World Conference Dairy show in Millstreet a mere two years later.

He said: “I was trampled and everything by the heifer my first day out. You just have to get stuck in though – that’s how you learn.”

Grooming

Sooner rather than later he decided to join the Irish Holstein Friesian Young Members Association (IHFA YMA). This ended up being one of his best decisions as it led to Paul realising his knack for cattle grooming and presentation. As well as claiming top spots in a number of Irish events, he has represented Ireland at weekend rallies held around Europe. Although he is a top-class shower, it is in fitting (clipping and grooming) the animals for show that his real passion lies.

“I’m kind of gone from the handling part these days. I do a lot of clipping now. I’d get more of a thrill out of clipping a champion than I would if I won champion handler title.”

Top class

Not only recognised as a top-class clipper in Ireland, Paul has travelled all corners of the world to clip some of the best cattle around.

“The weekend of Tralee show, I’ll probably have one or two to clip as well as showing one of my own on the Sunday. I’m off to Poland then the following morning to clip cattle for breeders over there.”

Paul’s talents as a cattle man don’t end there. At only 14 years of age he went to try to source a show champion for himself. He found this in the form of a six-week-old heifer calf that went on and achieved all that could be asked of her.

“I wanted something to call my own, and I got very lucky with my first one. She was first and junior champion in Tullamore as well as achieving an all-Ireland award in 2011 and then got junior champion in Clonakilty the following year too.”

When it comes to advice for younger showers hoping to get out and about this summer, Paul has some solid advice: “When getting cattle ready for show, you get out what you put in – so stick with it. As regards showing, try to be confident, take your time while always keeping an eye on the judge.”

Paul is currently in first year of Agricultural Science in CIT and hopes to secure a job as a dairy farm manager when finished.