Given recent trends in dairy breeding, it’s the exception – rather than the rule – for a Shorthorn cow to win an inter-breed show title in a modern competition setting.
But there was no doubting the quality of the overall dairy champion selected by judge Mark Logan at Omagh Show 2023.
The Dairy Shorthorn in question – Denamona Conrad Molly – was bred and exhibited by the Irwin family, from Fintona in Co. Tyrone.
Logan explained why the Shorthorn cow stood out from the crowd at the Northern Ireland show.
“The cow had tremendous balance, frame and locomotion. I couldn’t fault the quality of her mammary system.
“And the fact that she was a fifth calver added to her presence in the ring,” he said.
Molly is one of 170 Dairy Shorthorn and Ayrshire cows, milked by the Irwin family, which is Alan and Gillian and their daughter Lauren.
She peaked at 50L/day during her current lactation. Molly is back in calf again to the elite Shorthhorn sire: Churchroyd Victor.
Meanwhile, Omagh Show 2023 also saw the Muholland family, from Aghalee in Co. Antrim, winning their third beef inter-breed beef championship of the year with the elite heifer: Deerpark Shakira.
She went on to win the overall cattle championship at the event.
Raymond Stirling, a livestock auctioneer from Stirling in Scotland, judged the beef classes at Omagh.
He described his champion as an elite example of the Limousin breed and said she “has tremendous length, breadth and muscling”.
Shaun Irvine, owner of Ballymena Mart, also had the opportunity of assessing the heifer while judging the overall cattle championship class at Omagh.
According to Irvine, she has a great future ahead.
He added: “She has tremendous presence.
And the fact that the heifer is so young points to the strong probability of her enjoying a very successful breeding career in the years ahead.”
The plan is to take to take Shakira to Castlewellan and Antrim Shows over the coming weeks and following that, she will be put in calf.
The heifer is a daughter of the elite Limousin sire, Wilodge Vantastic.
Separately, the Sheep Inter-Bred championship at Omagh was won by Draperstown couple, Patrick and Veronica Fullerton, with a three-year-old Lanark Blackface ewe.
Judge, Archie Hamilton, described his champion as an almost perfect example of the breed and said that the “ewe caught my eye as soon she entered the ring”.
Omagh Show 2023 also saw a total of 120 Jacob sheep taking part in a range of competition classes.
This is, possibly, the largest breed turnout ever recorded at a competition event, held in Northern Ireland.