The first day of the 44th FBD National Dairy Show took place in the Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Co. Cork today (Friday, October 9).

The two-day event, a highlight of the showing calendar, provides the ultimate stage for breeders to showcase their dairy cows and young stock.

Some of the country’s top young handlers also have a chance to display their talents and skill on the main stage after months of hard work.

European Commissioner Michael McGrath was present in Millstreet to officially open the event this afternoon.

National Dairy Show

The showing got underway with the national finals of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) Young Members’ Association (YMA) Showmanship League.

The handlers qualified to compete at Millstreet by collecting points over a number of shows throughout the year.

The finals were judged by Izzy Jones, who hails from the UK, but has being farming in Co. Wexford for a number of years.

Izzy has won just about everything she could win under the Holstein Young Breeders (HYB) club, the UK’s version of the YMA.

She now spends her time breeding, fitting, showing, mentoring, and judging.

The top three handlers selected by Jones from each YMA class are named below:

Class A: Handler aged 12 years and under on January 1, 2026, exhibiting a Holstein or Jersey calf:

Georgina Hynes;
Elsie Kelly;
Cora Corridon.

(L-R). Cora Corridon; Elsie Kelly; Georgina Hynes; Izzy Jones, judge; Molly Kenny, FBD; Mike Laffan, IHFA.

Class B: Handler aged 13 to 16 years on January 1, 2026, exhibiting a Holstein or Jersey calf:

Clodagh Kennelly;
Rosin Cronin;
Cathal McLoughney.

(L-R) Cathal McLoughney; Roisin Cronin; Clodagh Kennelly; Izzy Jones, judge; Molly Kenny, FBD; Mike Laffan, IHFA.

Class C: Handler aged 17 to 26 years inclusive on January 1, 2026, exhibiting a Holstein or a Jersey calf:

Jennifer Harty;
Becky Hynes;
Sarah Shannon.

(L-R). Laurence Feeney, IHFA; Sarah Shannon; Becky Hynes; Jennifer Harty; Izzy Jones, judge; Molly Kenny, FBD; Michael Berkery, FBD.

Handler Championship

Next up was the FBD National Dairy Show Showmanship classes, which were judged by Scotland’s Jane Steel, a familiar name to pedigree breeders.

Steel is known for her work as a livestock photographer across the globe, with her photos appearing in almost every pedigree catalogue.

She breeds pedigrees herself and has a stacked CV when it comes to judging, meaning the young handlers entering the ring were under a watchful eye.

The winners of the handler classes judged by Steel are as follows;

Class 1A: Handler aged under 11 on January 1, 2026, exhibiting a Holstein or Jersey calf born in 2026:

John Hickey;
Harriet Cashman;
Ben Jones.

(L-R). Ben Jones; Harriet Cashman; John Hickey; Michael Thornton (ICMSA), Jane Steel, judge.

Class 1B: Handler aged 11-13 on January 1, 2026, exhibiting a Holstein or Jersey calf born in 2026:

John Barrett;
Eva Hickey;
Anna McLoughney.

(L-R). Anna McLoughney; Eva Hickey: John Barrett; Jane Steel, judge; Padraig Madden, Agriflow.

Class 2: Novice Handler aged 14 to 18 years inclusive on January 1, 2026, exhibiting a Holstein or a Jersey calf:

Josephine Kelleher;
Aoife Prunty;
Kate Jones.

(L-R). Kate Jones; Aoife Prunty; Josephine Kelleher; Jane Steel, judge; Rory Horgan, Smaxtec.

Handler Championship

Steel then had the difficult task of choosing a handler champion.

First and second place from each of the three handling classes returned for the championship, which meant it was like splitting hairs for Steel to pick a winner.

Nonetheless, a job had to be done as the handlers lined up in the ring.

After a brief moment of suspense, joy filled the face of John Barrett, as Steel tapped him out as the Champion Handler.

The title of reserve champion went to Josephine Kelleher, while Aoife Prunty picked up the honourable mention.

(L-R) John O’Donovan ,FBD; Aoife Prunty, honourable mention; Josephine Kelleher, reserve champion; John Barrett, champion handler; Jane Steel, judge; Paul O’Connell, Dairygold; Fintan McSweeney, Dairygold.

Junior Jersey Champion

The junior Jersey classes also took place today at the FBD National Dairy Show with Mark Logan taking to the ring.

Logan hails from Co. Antrim’s, and has a world of experience in the show ring.

That experience led him to choose Rathard Classic Khassidy exhibited by the Hynes family of Co. Cork as his Junior Jersey Champion.

She is sired by Blondin Classic and her dam is Rathard Choco Khalessi.

Reserve champion went to another Hynes bred Jersey, with Rathard Ghost Kohana picking up the title.

She is sired by Unique Ghost Et and her dam is Rathard Kasey.

Honourable mention went to Moorshill Goldorak Twinkle, exhibited by Denis and Louise Cashman – she is sired by Dulet Goldorak and her dam is Moorshill Twinkle ENG.

(L-R). Avril Helen, Jersey Cattle Society; Molly Kenny, FBD; Harriet Cashman; Georgina Hynes; Ben Jones; Mark Logan, judge.

A full list of Jersey class winners are outlined below:

Class 3J: Jersey heifer born on or after January 1, 2026:

Rathard Classic Khassidy;
Rathard Ghost Kohana;
Moorshill Goldorak Twinkle.

(L-R). Harriet Cashman; Georgina Hynes; Ben Jones; Mark Logan, judge; Connie Horne, McDonnell Bros.

Class 4J: Jersey heifer born before December 31, 2025, not in milk:

Rathard Choco Kalani;
Rathard Sting Kaela.

(L-R). Aoife Prunty; Becky Hynes; Mark Logan, judge; Glenn Pollin, CID Lines.

There is a big day of judging ahead of us tomorrow, with the 2026 FBD National Dairy Show Supreme Champion to be named in the evening, so make sure to tune into Agriland for the latest results and action.

National Dairy Show

Handler Championship

Handler Championship

Junior Jersey Champion

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