With a total prize fund of over €165,000 on offer, Tullamore Show and AIB National Livestock Show is set to gather large numbers of both exhibitors and spectators on Sunday 10 August.

Again this year, there will be over 45 national titles up for grabs in the various areas of the show. The AIB National Livestock Show classes have a total prize fund of over €85,000 across dairy, pedigree cattle, commercial cattle and sheep.

The most prestigious awards on the day are the gold medal for the champion and silver medal for the reserve champion.

Dairy

There are 43 dairy classes in total, the first kicking off at 10am in ring two with Jerseys where there are two national finals up for grabs.

The dairy Shorthorn section has three national finals, while the Holstein and pure Friesian categories have several national finals.

There is a confined class specifically for breeders from Laois, Offaly and Westmeath. There will be two large top prize funds of €2,500 for the national Holstein in-milk heifer class and the National Livestock Show senior in-milk cow class. International judges will again be involved in these classes.

Pedigree

The pedigree category will consist of a massive 183 individual classes across 12 breeds: Irish Moiled cattle, beef Shorthorn, Simmental, Charolais, Limousin, Belgian Blue, Angus, Hereford, Salers, Aurbrac, Blonde d’Aquataine, Aubrac and there is also a section for beef stockpersons.

With a large number of national finals taking place in this section, the quality of stock on the day is expected to be extremely high as pedigree breeders battle it out for the top positions within each breed.

Commercial cattle

This year, there are 30 classes in the commercial cattle section of the show, up one from last year. As always, there will be strong competition right across the commercial cattle classes.

There are five bullock classes, six heifer classes, 11 calf classes, cow classes and young stock person competitions. The top prize in the category is a massive €3,000 for the all-Ireland commercial steer.

The competition, sponsored by Dunbia, is only for steers from 500kg to 700kg in weight who are under 30 months of age. Entrants must be Quality Assured to enter the competition.

There will also be two National Livestock Show young stockperson of the year competitions, one for stockpersons from 12 to 16 years of age, with the second from 16 to 26 years of age.

There is also a class for the Kepak Beef factory animal of the future and for the Moyvalley Meats commercial beef pairs champion. One other class with a high prize fund of €2,000 is the Dawn Meats-sponsored factory heifer championship.

Sheep

The sheep section contains 72 classes across 12 breeds: Texel, Vendeen, Suffolk, Charollais, Rouge de l’Ouest, Galway, Beltex, Jacob, Belclare, Zwartbles, and Border Leicester.

For young people, there will be the Tullamore Show junior sheep stock person of the AIB National Livestock Show competition, along with an additional nine commercial classes.

Sheep shearing

In recent years, the sheep shearing element at the show has grown. This year, there are four classes that competitors will partake in: the confined class, blade shearing and there will also be two classes in the blade shearing section.

In addition, there will be two sheepdog trial classes, the open competition and the young handler arena.

Horses

In the horse section, there are 88 various classes with participants due to travel from all parts of the country. The programme will include show jumping for all grades.

Entries for the show jumping and pony sections show real promise and last year’s new location made a great difference to the events. Again this year, there are a host of miniature classes, which are attracting entries from far and wide.

Macra Farmskills

Macra holds its all-Ireland Farmskills competition at the show, which attracts large crowds of onlookers and supporters. This event is sponsored by FBD Insurance. This year, six clubs from around the country will take part, battling against one another, showing their practical skills for all present.

Rare breeds and pets corner

Kids have to be entertained on the day and visiting the rare breeds and pets corner may be one sure-fire way to help keep them occupied and give them a day to remember. The display will show birds and other various unusual animals.

Loy Digging Championships 2014

The show will also be host to the all-Ireland Loy Digging Championships for under 14s and under 16s. There will be separate competitions for boys and girls and the winners will be presented with plaques. The competition will kick off at 2.30pm and will run to 5.30pm. Entries will be taken on the day.

Forestry and sustainable living

This year will see the further expansion of the forestry and energy village at the show.

This has built on several successful years of interest and growth, and has now become a big attraction at the show. This year, the section is being located in the main trade stand area.

Vintage

Like most other sections, the vintage section continues to grow year-on-year. It consists mainly of vintage machinery and has become a big crowd puller, especially with the more mature members attending the show, allowing them to reminisce on the old farming practices.