I farm: “Alongside my father, Tom, on 30ac of land. My father mainly looks after the livestock day-to-day, while I’m on the road hoof paring.”

Belgian Blues: “We bred our first Belgian Blues in 1994 and we never looked back since. They’re a lovely animal. We have around 30 cattle in total, made up of six pedigree Belgian Blue cows, as well as a few recipients and calves.”

Breeding: “We AI them in December and April, in order to have them calving down in September and January. This suits us best with the show season. We always used conventional AI, but now we’re starting to use sexed semen – because there’s more demand out there for breeding heifers. We nearly always breed from the cows themselves, but the odd time we use recipients. Maradona and General would be two bulls that we have been using. They have the muscle and bring the black and white colour, which customers like.”

Showing: “We showed this year in Rathdowney, Tullamore, Clonaslee and Clonmel. We got third with a bull and a heifer. The heifer was third in the breeding heifer class in Tullamore and Rathdowney. Castlecuffe Rubin is the bull I was third with this year in Tullamore and he’s by General.”

Hoof paring: “I’m on the road six days a week hoof trimming and I travel the country – everywhere from Laois, Offaly, Kilkenny, Cork, Westmeath, Tipperary. There’s plenty of demand for it, it’d be mostly dairy stock I’d do, but I cover them all. I have the roll-over crate and it’s a mighty job. I’m at it now for the last 15 years.”

\ Claire Nash

\ Claire Nash

\ Claire Nash

\ Claire Nash

Denis and his father, Tom. \ Claire Nash