Balmoral Show consistently throws up livestock champions that live long in the memory for all the right reasons.
And, without doubt, the 15-month-old Simmental heifer, Ballinalare Farm Nikita, falls into this category.
Bred and exhibited by Alan and Joe Wilson, from Rathfriland in Co. Down, she looked an absolute picture in the show ring.
Not surprisingly, she was selected by the Simmental judge, Stewart Stronach, as his breed champion.
“She looked amazing in the ring. The heifer has tremendous breed qualities. She stands out as an elite representative of her breed,” he said.
Stronach hails from Keith in northeast Scotland. A Simmental breeder of note himself, this was his first time judging at Balmoral.
“The general standard of cattle coming into all the show rings was immense,” he said.
Nikita was sired by the elite Simmental bull, Saltire Impressive.
“He’s an amazing bull,” Joe Wilson commented.
“Buying a selection of straws was one of the best investments we ever made.”
Day one of Balmoral Show 2023 saw a number of beef breed champions selected.
It also provided breeders with an opportunity to bring out a number of younger cattle, many of which will make their mark as breeding stock of note over the coming years.
A case in point was the selection of Ballykeel Sensational as the Salers junior champion.
The embryo transfer (ET)-bred calf was exhibited by another Co. Down breeder, Seamus Connell.
“She is 14-months-old and has looked an absolute picture from the get-go,” he said.
There are 25 cows in the Connell herd.
“We have been breeding up the herd for the past number of years,” Connell explained.
“Sensational’s performance is the best result that we have ever achieved at Balmoral Show.”
There were a number of other notable results notched up in the beef rings on the first day of Balmoral Show 2023.
The Aberdeen Angus championship was won by Alwyn Armour, from Ballynahinch in Co. Down with the 14-month-old heifer, Woodvale Delia.
The reserve championship was awarded to Fintan Keown, from Belleek in Co. Fermanagh, with his bull, Home Farm Erne.
The Hereford champion and reserve were both exhibited by the McMordie family, from Newtownards in Co. Down. The respective animals were, Solpoll 1 Wolf and Shancorpoll 1 Oll1 Uakea.
The Irish Moiled championship was won by N and M Moilies from Dungannon in Co. Tyrone. The winning animal was Burren Princess Pandora.
The reserve title went to R and C Maxwell, from Armagh with Beechmount Daisy 6.