Emerald Expo, an all-breeds dairy cattle show takes place on Saturday, April 23, in the Virginia Show centre, Co. Cavan.
Father and son team Cyril and John Dowling, Baldonnel Holsteins, are looking forward to exhibiting at the show which will be the first dairy show to take place in the Republic of Ireland since October 2019.
Emerald Expo is organised in conjunction with the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) and the title sponsor is FBD Insurance.
The Dowlings won Emerald Expo Supreme Champion the last time that the show took place in 2019 when Baldonnel F M Sunshine winner of the Senior cow class was tapped forward for the ultimate honours.
The Baldonnel team are one of many families of IHFA breeders taking part at Expo with categories for judging across classes for Young Members (YMA) showmanship, youngstock classes, coloured dairy breeds, an EBI (economic breeding index) Championship and Junior and Senior Holstein Friesian in-milk classes.
A generous prize fund in excess of €28,000 is on offer across the show day.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary year of the local Breffni Oriel Holstein Friesian breeders club a special class confined to Cavan Monaghan Holstein Friesian breeders will also take place.
Baldonnel: Where city and country meet
Cyril Dowling has been breeding top quality stock throughout his life having proudly established the Baldonnel herd fifty years ago in 1972.
For forty-five years home has been Kingswood Farm, Baldonnel in Clondalkin, a mere nine miles from Dublin’s O’Connell Street, the heart of the capital’s bustling centre.
Cyril’s father was a successful and progressive pig farmer before starting a dairy herd. Cyril’s early and formative dairy breeding years were helped hugely through the expertise and generous support of Seamus (J.J.) Kelly, Moneymore herd, Drogheda.
With a life-long passion for quality Holstein Friesian breeding he has an unambiguous ethos of using North American Holstein pedigrees and bloodlines.
Showing has always been a hugely important benchmark of herd development serving as both a shop window for exhibiting and marketing Baldonnel stock.
Cyril has won it all in terms of breeding and exhibiting the top national show champions including:
- Seven times winner of the Baileys All Ireland Champion Cow;
- Winner of the RDS Spring Show in 1985;
- Two-time winner of the National Dairy Show;
- Winner of the Tullamore National Livestock Show;
- Emerald Expo Supreme Champion 2019.
In 2006 he was presented with the IHFA National Hall of Fame award.
She was National Dairy Show Champion & Best Udder in 2017.
Her classification composite scores are EX97 Rump, EX96 Frame, EX96 Body, EX95 Mammary, EX94 Feet & Legs
Son John has enthusiastically taken charge of the management of the herd with plans to eventually milk 90 -100 cows.
“I am aiming for a herd average production of 9,000kg with over 650kg milk solids,” he said.
“Baldonnel Super Bonny EX91 is a fitting example, in her third lactation last year she recorded 9,448kgs milk, 773kgs milk solids, 4.65% fat, 3.53% protein in a 276-day lactation with an SCC of just 49.
“She is classified EX (Excellent) on conformation scoring which is the top category score. She is the seventh generation Baldonnel bred VG/EX dam.”
The herd comprises forty-two cows scored to VG (Very Good)/ EX (Excellent) standard of conformation
A talented breeder and show man, John is a member of the IHFA Recommended Judges Panel.
A new chapter begins in the Royal County
For the Baldonnel herd the past twelve months has been a year of immense change. The purchase of a new farm located in Kilmurry, Trim in Co. Meath, enabled the herd to move from the family home in the crowded and industrial Dublin suburbs. A distance of 51km along the M4, John completed the big move on April 1, 2021.
The high-quality land in Kilmurry where the farm is laid out in one large block is an immensely advantageous blank canvas for continued herd development and progression into the future.
“Cyril has the important job of helping to rear the next generation nucleus of the herd. I send the weaned heifers up to him at home in Baldonnel to rear up to bulling age at which stage they return back here to Kilmurry,” said John.
“While it is the beginning of a new chapter for the herd and for me its vitally important that Cyril continues to contribute in his own characteristic way.”
Looking ahead to Emerald Expo on Saturday, April 23, John said that excitement is building.
“Showing is our passion. It’s what we work towards, and day to day management of the herd is geared towards optimal performance on show day. It is a major yardstick to work towards,” he said.
“The social aspect is very important also. It’s a great way to meet up and chat to fellow exhibitors to find out what’s working for them, what sires they are currently using and so on. Showing is a great learning experience and opportunity for growth in so many ways.”
