Ballinalare Farm Nikita makes history in Antrim

Ballinalare Farm Nikita, from Joe and Alan Wilson, Dorans Hill, Newry, Co Down, continued her trophy-laden show career last weekend winning the 2024 NI Simmental National Show championships, held at the Randox Antrim Show, at Shane’s Castle, Randalstown Road, on Saturday 27 July.

This latest win for the February 2022-born heifer saw her retain her NI Simmental National Show title that she won last year, and followed on from her win at the 2024 Balmoral Show in May, which was also a defence of that title. This double win is thought to be a first for a Simmental in Northern Ireland.

Ballinalare Farm Nikita, sired by the €16,000 Saltire Impressive, is out of Ballinalare Farm Ilyssa whose granddam is a full sister of the noted Ballinalare Farm Nightrider.

Judge for the day was Jim Goldie of the Newbiemains Herd at Annan, Dumfries. Commenting on his champion, Jim said: “This heifer is just naturally very wide. She has power, is in good condition and is very feminine with it. Just a terrific representative of the Simmental breed.”

Later in the day, Ballinalare Farm Nikita, which is in-calf to Omorga Murray, placed overall reserve in the individual interbreed judged by John Finlay, Blackcraig, Castle Douglas.

Speaking afterwards, a delighted Joe Wilson said: “Ballinalare Farm Nikita is just a special heifer but we could never have imagined winning both the RUAS Balmoral and NI Simmental national titles in consecutive years. It’s a great honour to have done so and against such a high standard of animals.”

On Saturday 7 September, the Ballinalare Herd is having an export sale at Rathfriland Mart with around 25 head for sale, including full-embryo siblings to Ballinalare Farm Nikita, and also Banhill Farm Masterpiece.

Also selling on the same day will be 20 breeding females, including 15 heifers, from the Ranfurly Herd of David and Jonny Hazelton, Cohannon House, Dungannon.

The Ranfurly Herd took the reserve overall, male and junior championship titles with their young bull Ranfurly Principal P12, which will feature in the sale in September.

Entirely homebred, Ranfurly Principal P12 23, is an AI calf by Ranfurly Limelight L11 20, which was sold for €13,000 at Stirling in February 2022, and is out of the Raceview King daughter Ranfurly Weikel 13th EH17 EX90.

Further progeny from Ranfurly Limelight L11 20 will also be for sale in September. Ranfurly Principal P12 arrived at Antrim with a good show pedigree behind him having stood second in his class to the male champion at the 2024 RUAS Balmoral Show, and having been male champion and reserve supreme at Omagh Show.

Of this April 2023-born calf, the judge Jim Goldie said: “This is a really stylish calf, again with natural width, shape and conformation. He’s a modern bull that will continue to improve and develop, and has a good future ahead of him.”

Later in the show, Ranfurly Principal 12 powered on to win the Pedigree Beef Bull Stakes for all pedigree bulls in show, born on or after 1 January 2023, and judged by Raymond Irvine, Banffshire.

Standing reserve female champion to the overall supreme was another stylish heifer in the shape of Dermody Princess 2 from JL and CJ Weatherup, Ballyclare, Co Antrim. Bred by Cork man Noel Jagoe, this September 2022-born heifer by Saltire Impressive and out of Dermody Kandy, a Glebedale Tyson daughter, was purchased by the Weatherups at Roscommon for €9,200 in October 2023.

In May this year, Dermody Princess 2 stood reserve female champion at the 2024 RUAS Balmoral Show and again to Ballinalare Farm Nikita. She was artificially inseminated six weeks ago to Raceview King and will now go out to grass with the herd’s 35 breeding females.

Taking the reserve male championship and overall reserve junior championship was the stylish October 2023-born Coolcran Pharaoh 23 from Shane and Paul McDonald, Coolcran, Tempo, Co Fermanagh.

This calf is by Islavale Miami, and is out of Coolcran Cinderella’s Gucci, an Ashland Brandy daughter, which shares the same maternal line as the €30,000 Coolcran Heidi’s Noreen.

Enjoying a strong show Pharaoh’s stablemate, and class winner, Coolcran Peroni won the bull performance for the bull, born on or after 1 January 2023, scoring highest points combining self-replacing index and physical attributes.

The July 2023-born Coolcran Peroni is also by Islavale Miami, and is out of the Carnkern Titan daughter Ranfurly Weikel 38th L5 (ET), which was purchased at the Ranfurly herd production sale in 2020.

Coolcran Peroni has a self-replacing index of +128 putting him in the breed’s top 5%, and with a maternal (milk) figure of +14, a breed top 1% figure for this trait.

Both Pharaoh and Peroni are from the first crop of calves by the herd stock bull Islavale Miami 21, purchased privately in the summer of 2022.