The inter-breed sheep championship at Limavady Show 2024 was awarded to an eye-catching North Country Cheviot ram, owned by Mark and Lorraine Warnock, from Plumbridge in Co. Tyrone.
The event always attracts a tremendous turnout of sheep, and 2024 was no different in this regard.
Judging the final sheep class of the day was Jim Aiken, form Dromara in Co. Down.
He described his champion as an outstanding sheep with great ring presence and significant physical stature, adding: “He is a ram with a bright breeding future.”
The Warnocks are new entrants to the sheep sector. The inter-breed championship victory, secured at Limavady, represents an extremely positive start to their new enterprise.
Meanwhile, the poor weather in no way diminished what was a great turnout of exhibitors and visitors at Limavady Show 2024.
Competition was particularly keen in the livestock rings, with the inter-breed cattle championship secured by the Crawford family from Co. Fermanagh, with their elite Limousin heifer, Rathkeeland Tendresse.
The 29-month-old animal looked an absolute picture in the ring. She is in calf to the elite Limousin bull, Toplimmymaverick
Tendresse has been catching the eye of judges for the past two years. The heifer had a successful career as a calf and has carried this momentum into 2024, with excellent performances at Balmoral and Lurgan Shows.
She also won the beef inter-breed title at this year’s Newry Show. The heifer is due to calve down for the first time next January.
The Crawfords’ pedigree Limousin herd comprises 100 breeding cows. Already in 2024, they have secured many of the top prizes and accolades, which agricultural show societies across Northern Ireland can offer.
A case in point, was the family’s winning of the Northern Ireland Shows’ Association (NISA) inter-breed bull championship at this year’s Castlewellan Show.
Limavady Show
The inter-breed dairy champion at Limavady Show is Slatabogie Kandie. The red and white Holstein second calver immediately caught the eye of the judge, Karl Munden, from Victoria in south Australia.
He described his champion as an excellent example of the Holstein breed, adding: “She has fantastic ring presence, excellent mobility and an excellent mammary system.”
The victory secured at Limavady now means that Slatabogie Holsteins now has four cows qualified for the NISA daisy cow of the year final, taking place at next Saturday’s Antrim Show.
The Maghera based herd is owned by the Paul family.
Alan Paul commented:
“Kandie calved for the second time four months ago. She is home-bred and is giving 42L of milk per day.
“We are delighted with her performance over recent months. Kandie also won her class at this year’s Balmoral Show.”
