The National Hereford Calf Show took place on Saturday (November 19) at GVM Tullamore Mart.
The event was described by the Irish Hereford Breed Society as “a great success, with a high standard and high number of entries”.
With over 90 calves exhibited on the day, there was strong competition across all the classes.
Judges on the day were Steve Edwards from the Classic Hereford Herd in the UK and Nigel Heatrick of Glaslough Herefords, Co. Monaghan. Both had their work cut out selecting the winners in each respective class.
Edwards has worked with several Hereford herds in the UK down through the years and his son and daughter-in-law currently run the Classic Hereford Herd.
Edwards judged the pedigree classes on the day. A change to this years’ schedule was the inclusion of a Dairy Beef Index (DBI) calf class, whereby the 15 highest-DBI-value calves were automatically entered into a standalone class.
This class and the traditional commercial class were judged by Nigel Heatrick.
Both judges were described by the society as “meticulous in their decision-making and very fair with their time given the large classes on display”.
The calf show, once again this year, was part of the greater event that included the Next Gen Herefords Youth Competition on Friday night (November 18) and the Genetic Gems Heifer sale following the calf show.
Heifers
Winning the Senior Female Champion Calf title was Philip and Catherine Smyth’s entry Ardmulchan Clover 938, This October 2021-born heifer was sired by Church Preen Galileo and its dam is Ardmulchan Clover 610.
Matthew Goulding’s entry Gouldingpoll 1 Ravette 1262 was named the reserve champion in this category.
The Junior Female Champion title went to T and A Fitzgerald’s Griananpoll 1 Greta, while Elisa Drumm’s Crowenstown Darwin 2 took the reserve title.
Philip and Catherine Smyth’s Ardmulchan Clover 938 then went on to take the overall Female Champion Calf title.
The Fitzgerald’s Griananpoll 1 Greta took the Reserve Overall Female Champion Calf.
Bulls
In Class 11, John O’ Heney’s Brensha Paddy was awarded the red rosette for the bull calf born on, or between March 1, and April 30, 2022.
Paddy was sired by F.H. William and his dam is Rossacrowe Rosie. Certainly, a bull to watch in the future by all accounts.
The Senior Male Champion Calf was Peter Cooke’s Bonleapoll 1 Del Boy and John Appelbe’s Appel 1 Super Star took the reserve title in this class.
The Junior Male Champion title was won by Michael Molloy’s Moyclare Vidal 2 while Sinead Conry’s Rathnollag Ron was awarded the Reserve Junior Male Champion.
The Overall Male Champion title on the day went to Michael Molloy’s Moyclare Vidal 2.
Peter Cooke’s bull Bonleapoll 1 Del Boy took the Reserve Overall Male Champion title on the day.
Genetic gems
Following the National Calf Show, the second annual Genetic Gems Hereford Female sale took place.
The sale featured 14 heifers, with 12 of these selling to an average price of €6,079, and three embryo packages that averaged €983/embryo.
Topping the day’s trade was Gouldingpoll 1 Ravette 1262. This heifer was intended to be sold in two lots, with the option for the purchaser to double their final bid to own Ravette outright.
The hammer fell at €11,000 for a half-share of the animal and, as per the optional aspect, it was later agreed to sell both shares of Ravette for a total of €22,000 to one breeder, smashing the 2021 record price of €9,000.
Ravette 1262 is an 11-month-old heifer who sired by Panmure 1 Henry, while her dam is Gouldingpoll 1 Ravette going back to Dorepoll 1 Patriot.