NATIONAL CHAROLAIS SHOW 2011 4/10/2011

An overcast sky interspersed with very heavy showers did nothing to dampen the atmosphere at the 2011 National Charolais Show in Tullamore on Saturday last (October 1^st.)  Held under cover, Charolais breeders turned out a real quality line up of males and females.  Big winners on the day,  in the pedigree section, were Kevin Foley from Co. Cork, John D McElchar from Co. Donegal, Brendan Canning from Sligo, Jon Regan from Leitrim, Annemarie Butler from Tipperary and Michael Sheahan from Limerick.  In the commercial section top honours went to Pearse MacNamee from Donegal, Niamh & Michael Barron from Kilkenny and George Hagerty from Longford.

The Show had exhibitors from 23 different counties with the biggest number coming from Donegal, followed by Mayo and Leitrim.  In all there were 300 pedigree and 44 commercial entries.  Progeny was shown from virtually every top sire in Ireland and France.  The most popular being the AI sire “Major”, (his progeny received 4 firsts, 4 seconds, 3 thirds and 1 fourth prize rosettes) followed by “Bova Sylvain” (progeny received 4 firsts and 2 second prize rosettes) and “Texan-Gie” (progeny received 1 first, 2 seconds, 2 thirds and 1 fourth prize rosettes). 

FEMALES

Female classes were judged by Esmor Evans owner of the well known Maerdy Charolais Herd based in Flintshire in Wales.  Judging commenced with the young heifer calves and the first red rosette of the 2011 show was awarded to Seamus McCann, Bealinstown, Swords, Co. Dublin for his April born calf TOPNOTCH GAGA by “Jupiter”.

Winner of class 2 (Heifer calves born from 16^th Feb. – 15^th March 2011); BALLYLAST GORGEOUS went on to take the Junior Heifer Calf Championship for breeder John D. McElchar, Ballylast, Castlefin. Co. Donegal.  Born 25^th February, by “Pedro” she is out of “Ashleigh Venus” by “Major” and is a full sister to last year’s Reserve Junior Heifer Calf Champion, Ballylast Eleanor.

The red rosette in class 3 went to BALLYDAVIS GORGEOUS bred by Kathleen & Michael Hargroves, Ballydavis, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.  Going one better than her second place rosette at the Tullamore Livestock show she is by “Bova Sylvain” and out of the home bred “Ballydavis U3” who is by “Indurain”.

Class 4 winner (Heifers born 16^th Dec. to 15^th January) KILCUMREAGH GRIMALDI took the Reserve Junior Heifer Calf Championship.  Bred by Damian Kelly, Rosemount, Moate, Co. Westmeath she is by “Roundhill Cameron” and out of “Kilcumeragh Denise” by “Achille”.  She was also a first prize winner at the Tullamore Livestock Show.

Class 5 was for heifers born from 16^th November to 15^th December and Richard Hackett, from Coolistuige, Clonlara, Co. Clare, received another red rosette for his December born heifer LIMKILN FRANCES. She is by “Enfield Plexus” and out of the home bred “Limkiln Una” by “Mozart”.

Next into the female ring were heifers born from 16^th October to 15^th November.

Following on from his red rosette at last year’s National Show, Ronan Carey from Killucan, Co. Westmeath once again secured a red ribbon and went one better, receiving the Reserve Senior Heifer Calf Championship for his young heifer SIONHILL FRACTION. By “Bova Sylvain” she is out of the home bred dam “Sionhill Vera” by “Doonally New”.

Class 7 (heifers born from 16^th September to 15^th October) produced some really outstanding young heifers.  After a long deliberation, Judge Esmor Evans tapped forward the October born heifer SAGESSE FLORIENNE to the delight of her owners Brendan & Niall Canning from Rosses Point in Sligo.  She later went on to take the Senior Heifer Calf Championship making it three in a row for the very popular Canning family.  By “Oldstone Egbert” she is out of “Sagesse Brillante” by “Uranus”.  (The Cannings took the Junior Female Calf Championship at the 2009 National Show with Sagesse Ella and the Senior Male Calf Championship at the 2010 National Show with Sagesse Eco who is out of the same dam as this year’s champion.)

Class 8 (heifers born from 16^th August to 16^th September) gave their first (of three) red rosettes to the Luddenmore team when LUDDENMORE FLEUR VERONICA took top placing. By “Major” she is out of “Ballymartle Veronica” by “PTI Prince”.

Moving on to the more senior female section; first class into the ring was for heifers born

from 1st January to 15^th August 2010.  In another outstanding class the red rosette was awarded to SHANNON FLORENCE a first prize winner from the 2010 National Show.   Bred by J.J. Melody, Bunratty, Co. Clare she is by “Major” and out of “Bunratty Rosemarie” by “Indurain”.

In the intermediate heifer class the well fancied LISNAGRE EVONNE did not disappoint and once again received a red rosette.  She was Reserve Senior Female Calf Champion at the 2010 National Show and Reserve Overall Champion at the 2011 Tullamore Livestock Show.  Bred by Jim Geoghegan, Streamstown, Mullingar, she is by “Major” and out of “Ballydownan Violet” by “Jupiter”.

The senior heifer class was described by the judge as the outstanding class of the show.   Six of the eight heifers competing were major prize winners at shows throughout 2010 and 2011.  Once again it was the superb GOLDSTAR DOLCE who was tapped forward for the red rosette.  Bred by the Ryan Family from Cabra, Thurles, she is by “Major” and out of “Roundhill Tamaris” by “Nectergerc”.   In addition to her top placings at the 2009 and 2010 National Shows “Goldstar Dolce” was the Interbreed Champion at Beef Expo 2010 and the Overall Charolais Champion at Tullamore Livestock Show 2011.

In the cow class the judge is required to give 40% of the marks for the calf.  And it was three in a row for the Foley family from Killeagh in Co. Cork when their great cow ROYAL VICTORIENNE took the Senior Female Championship for the third year in a row.  Born November 2004 she is by “Royal Mozart”, out of “Bova Operatrice” by “Hermes”.

MALES

Presiding in the male ring was Murray Lyle from Dunblane, Perthshire in Scotland. No stranger to judging in Ireland, Murray judged the Christmas Cracker sale and the National Livestock Show in Tullamore in 2010.

Such was the huge entry in the baby bull class that it had to be split in two.

First into the ring were bull calves born from 2^nd April – 2^nd May 2011.  The red rosette went to the youngest calf in the class RIVERSDALE GENERAL bred by Kevin Maguire, Navan, Co. Meath.  By “Bova Banker” he is out of “Kilbline Tres Beau” by “Nevers.”   This stylish young calf certainly took the judge’s eye and he went on to receive the Reserve Junior Male Calf Championship sash.

Next were bull calves born from 16^th – 30^th March and the long journey from Convoy in Donegal for Ian Maxwell was very worthwhile when he received his red rosette for DEELVIEW GOVERNOR by “Limkiln Bosco” and out of the home bred “Deeleview Olivia” by “Jupiter”.

The third class of young bulls was won by DERESKIT GOLDFINGER for his owner Basil Bothwell, Dereskit, Killeshandra, Co. Cavan.  By “Sesame” and out of the home bred “Dereskit Rosetta” (she had already produced a Champion and a Reserve Champion at previous National Shows) by “Meillard”.

Class 4 in the male calf section for calves born from 16^th Jan – 15^th February was won by Kieran McKenna, Emyvale, Monaghan with his February born EOINRUA GISMO by “Ashleigh Victor” and out of “Rotary Amarillo” by “Derryharney Outstanding”.

The Junior Male Calf Champion LISCALLY FIVESTAR came from class five.  Bred by Jon Regan, Liscally, Castlegal, Co. Leitrim, he is by “Domino” and out of an imported cow “Maerdy Vena” by “Maerdy Super”.   The 2011 win was one step on for Jon who took the Reserve Male Calf championship in 2010.  The judge described his junior champion as a very stylish young calf, very good on his feet and legs.

Class 6 produced the Reserve Senior Male Calf Champion BREHONY FINTAN.  Bred by Anthony Brehony, Knockrockery, Roscommon.  By “Limkiln Bosco” he is out of “Clare Tamara” by “Mozart”.

The Senior Male Calf Championship went to the winner of class 7, the very highly regarded COTTAGE FREY.   By “Texan Gie” and out of “Cottage Adel” (Oscar/Farmleigh Lourda) he is bred by Annemarie Butler, Ballymore Cottage, Gooldscross, Cashel, Co. Tipperary.   Breeder of “Cottage Devon” Annemarie also received a third prize rosette for a full brother of “Cottage Devon” who was competing in the same class as the champion.

Class 8 for bull calves born from 16^th September to 15^th October was won by CROSSDRUM FELIX bred by Peter Farrelly, Oldcastle, Co. Meath.  By “Bova Sylvain” he is out of the home bred dam “Crossdrum Biddy” by “Dromiskin Stallone”.

The last class for bull calves (born from16th August – 15^th September) was won by GOLDSTAR FLAMBEAU  bred by the Ryan family, Cabra, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.  A first prize winner at numerous summer shows he is by “Nevers” and out of “Goldstar Alizee” by “Theodat”.

The Junior Bull Class went to LEAGAUN EUSTACE by “Sang D’Or” and out of “Macetown Matilda” by “Erudit”.  Shown by owner Seamus McCann, Swords, Co. Dublin he also took the Reserve Senior Male championship.

The Senior Male championship went to ROYAL DESCARTES shown by the Foley Family from Killeagh in Co. Cork.  By “Univers” he is out of “Royal Urne” by “Major”.

A good show for the Luddenmore team, from Co. Limerick, led by owner Michael Sheahan along with stockman Brano Kollat and new recruit young Christy Hanley was confirmed with red rosettes in the junior pairs and exhibitor bred classes in addition to the red rosette received for LUDDENMORE FLEUR VERONICA in the heifer calf section.

Taking the senior pairs title was an outstanding pair shown by the Foley family.

COMMERCIAL SECTION

Under the keen eye of Judge Alan Veitch from Northern Ireland, major honours in the commercial section went to Pearse MacNamee, Convoy, Co. Donegal who took the Overall and Female Championships plus the commercial pairs’ championship.

Reserve Overall and Reserve Female Championship went to Niamh and Michael Barron, The Rower, Co. Kilkenny.

Male championship went to George Hagerty, Dublin Rd., Longford and first prize in the Heifer calf class went to Gerry Jones from Newport, Co. Mayo with first in the male calf class going to Roy and Clive Stevenson, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.