With a prize fund of almost €40,000 in this year's ABP beef bull of the future championships at Iverk Show on Saturday, breeders of all breeds of cattle traveled to the southeast for what was a glorious day in Piltown, Co Kilkenny.

This year, the event saw an additional seven female classes and an overall female championship, culminating in 15 mammoth classes.

Some of the country's best young show bulls and heifers battled it out from early morning in front of judges William Smith from Co Meath and Harry Emslie from Scotland.

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Castlebrock team

After making the long journey from Ballinalee, Co Longford, Martin and Gerard Davis and family enjoyed a day only dreams are made of, winning not only the overall male championship but the overall female championship title as well.

Securing the first title of the day was their outstanding senior heifer Castlebrock Victoria, a rising two-year-old daughter of Ampertaine Elgin out of the famous Scotchtown Esther.

A regular winner on the show circuit this year, Victoria withstood the challenge from all other breeds to claim the supreme female champion under judge William Smith.

Beef bull of the future

Securing the double for the well-known Limousin herd and winning the ABP beef bull of the future championship for 2026 was the September 2025-born bull Castlebrock Arthur ET.

Sired by Foxhillfarm Ourbest and out of Scotchtown Esther, he is a maternal brother to the overall female champion, Victoria.

Castlebrock Arthur ET, ABP beef bull of the future champion, shown by Cathal O'Meara with breeders Martin and Gerard Davis. \ Country Clicks

Saturday's win is one in a long string of accolades picked up by Arthur this summer, having won the overall male champion at the National Limousin Show in Tullamore just two weeks previous.

Standing reserve to him was the Belgian Blue bull Don Tyson, which came through in first place in the senior multi-breed class for Cork breeder Daniel O'Donovan.

Sired by the highly influential AI bull Boherard Overdose, this September 2025-born bull's mother is the Imperial daughter Don Oreo ET.

Don Tyson, senior multi breed champion and reserve champion ABP beef bull of the future, shown by Daniel O'Donovan.\ Country Clicks

Angus champion

Females dominated the Angus championship, winning the Tesco Finest best in breed champion and reserve titles.

Lifting the overall title and bringing it back to Co Tipperary was Luddenmore Ebony for Michael Sheahan. December 2024 born and bred from the herd's Ebony cow line, this powerhouse of a heifer is sired by the herd's stock bull Drumhill Lord Highway.

Luddenmore Ebony, reserve overall female champion and Tesco Finest best in breed champion, shown by Chris Vickery. \ Shane Murphy

Standing reserve to her was Saoirse Connell's junior Angus heifer champion Saoirois Bindaree.

A daughter of the UK sire Netherallen Peter Pershore and the former IAA all-Ireland champion Bellingham V Trish, Bindaree was fresh off her success at Tullamore, where she was reserve overall Angus champion.

Saoirois Bindaree, junior Angus heifer champion and reserve champion Angus shown by Cathal O'Meara with Saoirse and Oisin Connell. \ Shane Murphy

Other class winners

Angus

  • Eoin Robinson with Ballykilroe Justice sired by Laheens Alisder.
  • Joe McGarry with Clonguish Buster sired by Rawburn Ernan.
  • Keith Vickery with Carbery Lord Homer sired by Intelagri Matteo.

    • Hereford

  • Catherine Smyth with Ardmulchan Xylophone HH sired by Ballinveney Tiger.
  • Michael O'Keeffe with Gurteragh Daniel 1179 PH sired by Mullaghdoopoll 1 Finnian.
  • Edward Dudley with Kilsunny Lady Yasmin sired by Moyclare Winston.
  • Robert Roycroft with Springvilla Mandy 1221 HH sired by Corlismore Dafydd 151.

    • Multi-breed

  • Padraig Corrigan with Loughcrew Uzarok sired by Kubitus De Bray.
  • Martin Ryan with Goldstar Amaretto ET sired by Neptune.
  • Kieran and Conor Duffy with Corrcullen Annabelle ET sired by Ampertaine Elgin.