Following on from their rousing success in 2025, the Irish Shows Association (ISA), along with FBD Insurance and the Irish Farmers Journal, have launched the Young Shepherd/Shepherdess and Young Stockperson competitions for 2026.

The competitions will take the same format as last year, with a prize fund of over €6,000 up for grabs in both sections.

Qualifiers for both competitions have commenced and are taking place at agricultural shows across the country. Participants must qualify at one of these shows to progress to the overall finals.

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The final of the Young Shepherd/Shepherdess competition is set for Ossory Show on Sunday 26 July, with the final of the Young Stockperson scheduled for the Royal Meath Show on Sunday 6 September.

Young Stockperson

At qualifying shows, competitors in the Young Stockperson competition will be judged based on their ability to handle and lead an animal in the showring, their general knowledge of the animal, stock judging and personal presentation. This competition will be broken into three age categories, eight to 12-year-olds, 13 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 25-year-olds. A total of 13 participants will qualify in each age category for the final at the Royal Meath Show, where a more intense judging process will take place.

Young Shepherd/Shepherdess

The Young Shepherd/Shepherdess competition will take a similar format, albeit with a slight change in the age categories.

The junior, intermediate and senior sections here will broken into eight to 11-year-olds, 12 to 16-year-olds and 17 to 22-year-olds.

Once again, participants must qualify at one of a number of shows being held across the country this summer. At these qualifiers, they will be assessed based on their ability to present a sheep in the showring, their general knowledge about the sheep, stock judging and personal presentation.