The Irish-bred cow Clonagh Darling Eyes was earlier this year crowned Simmental Miss World. The seven-year-old cow bred by Garrett and Lyndsey Behan, Ballyfin, Co Laois, is no stranger to success in Ireland having been named the overall Simmental national champion for the last two years.

The Miss World competition is an online competition run by the Simmental breeder website and championoftheworld.net.

Darling Eyes now stands as the first animal from Europe to win the Simmental Champion of the World prize.

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The judging system involves a number of judges from across the world, as well as a public vote. A total of 105 national champion Simmental males and females from 60 countries were entered for judging.

Darling Eyes’ dam Senhorita was purchased as a 10-day-old calf with her recipient dam from John and Sandra Stone.

She is a daughter of Milton Hilary by Rosten Barney, making her a full sister to the then record-priced €21,000 Milton Majesty.

Five of Senhorita’s daughters have been sold to date, averaging €5,450 at less than a year old.

Senhorita had an illustrious show career, winning national titles as both intermediate heifer and junior cow, as well as being twice crowned the reserve overall female of the year and reserve overall female at the Royal Ulster Show in Balmoral in 2009. Five of Senhorita’s daughters have been sold to date, averaging €5,450 at less than a year old.

Darling Eyes’ sire, Banwy T-Rex, needs no introduction being the only animal to claim the overall breed title three times at the National Livestock Show in Tullamore. Further adding to this feat, his two daughters, Clonagh Darling Eyes and Clonagh Dora the Explorer, have won it a combined three times also.

Progeny from Clonagh Darling Eyes have to date won three national titles, with Clonagh Hazel Eyes winning two and Clonagh Hawk Eye winning the other. Clonagh Hawk Eye was also the junior male champion at the premier sale in 2017 selling for €7,600.

As part of the prize, the Behan family has now been invited to accept the award at the Farm Fair International Show in Canada.