Advantage Beef Programme
With a new prize fund of €36,000 to be distributed amongst the winning entrants, the championships aim "to reward the top pedigree bulls across all beef breeds," according to a statement from ABP.
This year marks a significant evolution in the Iverk Show's cattle programme with the expansion to all beef breeds under the ‘Beef Bull of the Future Championships’ - a new initiative from ABPintended to recognise and reward excellence in pedigree beef breeding across all breeds.
The championships are supported by Certified Irish Angus and Irish Hereford Prime, who will also be represented at the show.
ABP suppliers will also benefit from a €500 voucher, which can be used towards the purchase of the top-prize winners in selected Angus and Hereford classes in the event, "offering a real opportunity to invest in superior genetics", according to the food group.
Under a new format, the show will continue to offer an extended range of Bull Calf Championships and will incorporate five new championships to the three existing Angus Bull Calf Championships.
The five new championships this year are:
- Two new Hereford Bull Calf Championships;
- Limousin Bull Calf Championship;
- Two new Bull Calf Championships to accommodate all other beef breeds.
This year, the Angus Bull Calf Championships will be open to both the Irish Angus Cattle Society and the Irish Aberdeen Angus Association.
The culmination of the day will be a Supreme Bull Calf Championship being contested by the Champion and Reserve Champion of each of the eight Championships.
The decision to open the competition to all breeds "reflects the diversity of the Irish beef sector and the essential role each breed plays in a profitable and sustainable production system," the ABP statement said.
Commenting on this year's event, ABP's agri-sustainability manager, Stephen Connolly, said: "We are proud to support the Iverk Show again this year.
"By including all breeds in this year's Beef Bull of the Future Championships, it signals our recognition of each breed's strengths in Irish beef production.
"Breeding is central to improving carcass quality, and this show is a fantastic platform to highlight that."
"ABP's commitment to better breeding is built on a decade of research and results from our ABP Demonstration Farm in Co. Carlow, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025."
Findings from the farm show that calves born from genetically superior bulls can yield up to €500 more in carcass value.
"This evidence-based approach created ABP's Advantage Beef Programme, which sets minimum genetic standards for participating animals."
All bulls entered in the classes must meet the minimum genetic merit criteria for carcass weight and conformation within the Terminal Index or Dairy Beef Index (DBI).
"All bulls will be judged on their visual characteristics and breed traits to ensure the best bulls are crowned winners on the day," Connolly said.
The ABP Advantage Beef Programme farm liaison team will be on hand on the day to talk to farmers about the sustainability initiative and the benefits it offers to farmers.
Often described as 'Ireland's oldest agricultural event', the first Iverk Show was held in 1826. It remains a major event in the farming calendar, drawing over 25,000 visitors to the annual event in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny.