This year’s Balmoral Show was one for the history books with it being its 150th year. To mark the occasion, event organisers decided to go down the route of appointing all female judges for the competitions which took place over the four-day show.

History was also made across the livestock rings, with the dairy Shorthorn and Zwartbles breeds securing interbreed titles in the cattle and sheep rings, two firsts for the show.

Leading the way in the dairy ring, claiming the overall dairy Shorthorn championship and eventually dairy interbreed championship was Ballytrain Bloom 30th. This five-year-old cow was bred and brought out by James Lambe, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. Prepared by Brendan Greenan and shown by Georgia Kerr, the stylish EX91-classified cow ticked all the boxes for judge Wendy Young in the Shorthorn championship before parading in front of Lisa Window Walker for the interbreed title. Currently in her fourth lactation having calved in January, Bloom is giving 45kg per day. This comes off the back of a 9,300kg lactation of 3.89% fat and 3.57% protein. Sire behind the champ was Brieryside Golden Sand, while the dam was homebred Ballytrain Laura 5th.

While this marks Bloom’s biggest win to date, she is not a debutante to the show ring, having secured the overall breed championship at Tullamore last year and the junior and reserve overall breed title at the same show 12 months previous. This title win marks an exceptional achievement for both the breeder and the breed and is only fitting to happen in a year of such importance.

Reserve dairy interbreed title went the way of the Jersey with Fleming family’s Quintrell Kyros Indigo. Balmoral marked this five-year-old’s first show outing and what a way to start, claiming the Jersey championship and reserve interbreed title.

Classified EX92, this young cow is out of Sunset Canyon Kyros ET, while the dam is Quintrell Comerica Cerulean. Fresh off her fourth lactation, having calved three weeks ago, she is currently giving 40 litres a day. The Co Down-based Fleming family are no strangers to success, having secured numerous breed and interbreed championships at Balmoral previously.

Sheep

It also proved a week to remember in the sheep rings, when a Zwartbles sheep won the prestigious Balmoral interbreed title for the first time. Fort Elouise, a shearling ewe bred and exhibited by Cyril Cromie, Ballynahinch, Co Down, was the sheep to do it.

Sired by Brooklands Boris, the shearling is also a regular prizewinner, having collected the breed championship at the show on two previous occasions. Judge Carol Watson said Elouise was one of the nicest Zwartbles she had ever seen, with great body, style and skin.

Reserve interbreed plaudits went to the long wool champion, a homebred two-shear Border Leicester ewe. Owned by Harold Dickey and shown by Johnny Aiken, this ewe was by a Ditton ram. This year’s Balmoral Show marked the 51st year Mr Dickey has exhibited stock from his Rosanga flock.

Beef

In the beef rings, the Savage family from Newry were out in front to make it two beef interbreed titles in a row. Their 13-month-old Trueman Noreen came out in front of one of the biggest and most impressive lineups of any breed in the Limousin ring on Wednesday.

Having topped that ring, the powerful stylish heifer was again out in front Friday morning to claim the junior beef interbreed before finally securing pole position in the overall beef interbreed championship that evening.

Described by the judge as “perfection on legs”, Noreen is an April 2017-born heifer sired by the 140,000gns world record-priced Trueman Jagger, while the dam is homebred Trueman Euphonium, the 2011 national champion.

Euphonium, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter, has been a consistent breeder in the herd since she started producing. So much so, two further full ET sisters to Noreen also placed top of their respective classes at this year’s Balmoral.

This tops another magnificent year for the Savage family, who also swept the board at last year’s Balmoral, securing the junior and overall beef interbreed with Trueman Lute.

Following Noreen in both the junior beef interbreed and overall interbreed championships to claim the reserve sashes was the commercial champion Flo-Jo.

This all-black heifer was bred and exhibited by the Small family, Kilkeel, Co Down, and coincidently featured a similar breeding to the interbreed champion.

Sire of Flo-Jo was the 17,000gns Trueman Idol, who is a maternal brother to Trueman Noreen, with the sire being Ampertaine Elgin.

Dam of the stylish commercial champion is the well-known show cow Chanelle, a Charolais Blue-cross cow who collected nearly every top accolade in southern Ireland for breeder Sean O’Brien.

The Small family own the Strathearn commercial herd and the commercial championship win was the first for the exhibitors, who have displayed the reserve champion on a number of occasions. Their steer, a full brother to Flo-Jo, also claimed top spot in the commercial male section.

Close behind the interbreed champion and reserve to claim second reserve beef interbreed title was the overall Charolais champion Drumshane Mademoiselle. From the Bostonia herd of Brendan Feeney in Co Sligo, brought out by herd manager Darragh McManus, Mademoiselle ticked all the boxes for Charolais judge Tracey Nicoll before going on to claim the third top position.

This rising two-year-old is sired by Inverlochy Gurka, while the dam is Drumshane Freesia. No stranger to winning ways, Mademoiselle was junior champion at the Highland Show and reserve junior champion at the Yorkshire Show in 2017 before being bought by the Bostonia outfit.

The herd exhibited four heifers in the same class that the champion won, with two of their other exhibits also placing second and fourth respectively. This marked the Bostonia herd’s second time exhibiting at the show, having picked up the reserve overall title last year.

Other beef breed champions

Numbers in the Angus section were slashed, with just 30 animals being presented for show. However, judging went on and the two-year-old Taugh Blane Blackbird Special was awarded the championship.

This stylish heifer was exhibited by Iain Colville, Newtownards, Co Down. Sired by Rawburn Boss Hogg, Blackbird’s mother was born as a result of ET and was a former champion at Balmoral herself.

Reserve championship honours in the Angus ring went to the Parke family with Coolermoney Frances. This February 2017-born heifer is sired by Hallington Edition, while the dam comes from the famous Frances line at Netherton.

This was top of a good day for the Parke family, who also secured the male Angus championship with Coolermoney Samson. This Cloghogmill-sired yearling bull also secured the junior championship at the NI calf fair in November.

The McCordie family were out in front in the Hereford ring with Solpoll 1 Perfection ET. This win marked the yearling’s first time out to a show and what a way to start.

Sired by the herd’s stock bull Panmure 1 Henry, she is out of a daughter of the three-time Balmoral champion Solpoll 1 Dynamite. This topped an exceptional day for the family, who also secured another first placing, a second and two thirds, all with Panmure 1 Henry progeny.

Following behind to claim the reserve Hereford championship was Barnburn 1 Priscilla from Greer Watson. Born October 2016, this stylish heifer is sired by Pinmoor 1 Kingsley, while the dam is homebred Barnburn 1 Juliette.

Simmental

Ranfurly Simmentals, owned by the Hazelton family, secured the top spot in the Simmental breed. Their January 2017-born bull Ranfurly Impeccable 14th was the animal in front and he was sired by old reliable Raceview King.

This marks the first show Impeccable was exhibited at, but hopes are high for some other shows before he is brought to Stirling for sale in October.

Cleenagh Ivy from A and C Richardson went on to claim the female and reserve overall championships in the Simmental ring. Ivy, a January 2017-born heifer, is sired by three-time Balmoral breed champion Dermotstown Delboy, while the dam is Stralongford Courtney.

This heifer also claimed the junior title at last November’s calf show for breeder L A Richardson before being bought at the Northern club sale in March for 3,000gns.

William McElroy topped the British Blonde section with Classic Miss Belle. This heifer was purchased privately and is out of Budore Utah, while the dam is Classic Isabelle.

Mr McElroy is no stranger to championship wins at Balmoral, having picked up the overall title on no less than five other occasions, most recently in 2014.

John Eliot and Sons continued their reign on top in the Salers sections. Having secured both male and female championships last year, he was again out in force in 2018 to claim the male and overall championship.

Top of the line was the four-year-old homebred bull Drumlegagh Hamish. This bull is again no stranger to success, having claimed the overall championship at Balmoral last year, as well as the male championship at the Royal Highland the same year. Sire behind the champion is homebred Drumlegagh Ferdinand.

Reserve champion honours went the way of Pearse O’Kane with Brookfields Eva. This two-year-old heifer was purchased privately last year and this marks the first big win for Mr O’Kane, who only started showing two years ago. Sired by Brownhall Laurence, Eva is out of Moygara Kathryn.

Shorthorn

Roscommon breeding duo Noel and Lisa Dowd did one better on last year’s appearance by securing the overall Shorthorn championship with Creaga Heidi.

This six-year-old cow has claimed all the top accolades, including Tullamore championship, all-Ireland wins at all ages and just last year was crowned champion of Europe. Sired by homebred Creaga Dazzle, she is out of Creaga Prada, an all-Ireland champion in her own right previously.

The Creaga outfit didn’t stop there, with Heidi’s bull calf from last year, Creaga Noble Art, going on to win his class and secure the junior breed championship.

In reserve overall spot was Tommy Staunton of the Galway-based Caramba herd with his stock bull Bushypark Jumbo. Originally bred by Johnny Keane, this all-white bull was sired by Rowanberry Francis, while the dam was Bushypark Roisin. Making it an all Irish-bred championship, a heifer Tommy sold in 2017, purchased and exhibited by Libby Clarke, went on to claim the reserve female and reserve junior championships. Caramba Libbys Lady was this one’s name and she was sired by Bushypark Ultra, while the dam was Uppermill Rothes Moonstone.

Both the overall Belgian Blue championship and reserve went to James and Sam Martin’s Springhill herd.

Out in front was the seven-year-old cow Springhill Golden Girl. This cow needs no introduction, having previously won the beef interbreed title at Balmoral. Sired by Du P’Tit Mayeur, she is out of homebred Springhill Country Girl. In the reserve spot was Springhill Milly, a 16-month-old daughter of Ballygrange Vinney.

Friesian

The senior cow class winner and eventual Friesian champion was Drumlina Atwood Megan from the syndicate of Boyd, Greenan, O’Neill, Timlin and Moore.

This five-year-old calved in January and is currently giving 50 litres, with a projected yield of 12,000 litres of 4.27% fat and 3.56% protein. Sired by Maple-Downs IG Atwood, the EX92-classified winner is no stranger to success, having secured the reserve championship at both Millstreet and the Emerald Expo in 2016.

The reserve champion also came from the senior cow class, with Priestland 5446 Shot J Rose following Megan all the way to the end. This five-year-old was bred and exhibited by the McLean family and went one step further than last year where she claimed the honourable mention.

Having calved in November, she is currently giving 60 litres with a massive projection of 15,000kg for the current lactation. Classified EX93, Rose also secured the reserve breed championship at last year’s RUAS winter fair.

Honourable mention in the Friesian section went to Kildare-based Brochan Cocoman with Kilwarden Fever MB class. This second-calver calved two months ago and is currently giving 54 litres. Making her show debut, the VG86-classified heifer is sired by Crackholm Fever.