The wet weather on Sunday failed to put a dampener on the spirits of exhibitors and spectators at Nobber Show in Meath where numbers in the cattle section are believed to have more than tripled from last year's event.
With classes to suit all types of cattle, including two very attractive classes for a pedigree calf and a commercial calf with a €2,000 prize money forward for each class, the northeast-based show also boasted the first-ever haltered class for Highland cattle in Ireland.
The task of judging the entire cattle section fell to the hands of Scottish man Andrew Ewing, who had many tough decisions to make.
Top pick
He selected Carrickmore Tina as his top pick, with the plaudits going to brothers Karl and John Connell from Oldcastle, Co Meath.
The September 2022-born pedigree Limousin heifer was sired by Elgin and out of the World Congress champion Baileys Ice Princess. Tina also won the Limousin heifer class, the interbreed heifer class and the Nobber Show pedigree calf championship.
The reserve pedigree championship was won by Michael and Brodie Molloy with their Belgian Blue heifer calf.
Breeders' choice
Nobber Show also hosted one of the first Irish Shows Association breeders' choice traditional four-star or five-star breeding heifer classes of the year, which was won by Noel and Lisa Dowd from Creggs, Co Galway, with their March 2022-born Shorthorn heifer Creaga Una, which was sired by Napolian of Upsall.
Second prize in the breeders' choice was won by Eamon and John McKiernan with their Angus heifer and Michael Bird finished in third with his Hereford heifer.
Commercial
In the commercial classes, the top spot was awarded to Wicklow-based brothers Aaron and Pauric Whelan with their January-born Limousin-cross calf Dream.
Dream was purchased just two weeks ago by the Whelans at the elite commercial heifer sale in Stranorlar, Co Donegal, for €8,600 after being brought forward for sale by Laois man Sean Ramsbottom.
The Wicklow men also stepped up to secure the Nobber Show non-pedigree calf championship.
Sneaking in to scoop the reserve champion title was the father and son duo Pat and Mike Rosengrave from Crusheen, Co Clare, with their October 2022-born Limousin-cross bull calf Bundee, which has already secured one championship and one reserve championship this showing season. This calf was also bred by Sean Ramsbottom.
Aaron and Pauric Whelan with their heifer calf Dream that won the commercial championship and Nobber Show non-pedigree calf championship. \ S Kinahan
Sally Towey with the breeders' choice champion and first-prizewinner in the Shorthorn heifer class, Creaga Una for Noel and Lisa Dowd. \ S Kinahan
Pat and Mike Rosengrave with their Limousin-cross bull calf Bundee that won the reserve commercial championship and placed second in the Nobber Show non-pedigree calf championship. \ S Kinahan
Scottish man Andrew Ewing had the difficult task of judging the cattle section at Nobber Show on Sunday. \ S Kinahan
Brodie Molloy, senior young stockperson winner, with her Nobber Show pedigree reserve champion Belgian Blue calf. \ S Kinahan
Sean Callan pictured with his first-prize winning Simmental heifer calf, Thornford Peachy (P). \S. Kinahan
Pat and Mike Rosengrave pictured with their Limousin-cross heifer that won the all-Ireland non-pedigree suckler type heifer qualifier. \ S Kinahan
Billy Gubbins' first-prizewinning Simmental bull calf Cush Pronto. \ S Kinahan
James McNally, Shane and Harry Cassidy pictured with their first-prizewinning Belgian Blue calf Dunbeggan Qball. \ S Kinahan
Grace Kelly and Rachel, Aaron and Pauric Whelan with the commercial champion and Nobber Show non-pedigree calf champion Dream. \ S Kinahan
Billy Gubbins' first-prizewinning commercial heifer Sasha. \ S Kinahan
Andrew Agnew pictured with his first-prizewinning Highland heifer Iolair of Woodlock. \ S Kinahan
Sean Callan with his first-prizewinning Simmental heifer Thornford Juliette (PP). \ S Kinahan
Elisa Drumm with her first-prizewinning Hereford bull calf. \ S Kinahan
Andrew Agnew with his first-prizewinning Highland heifer Iolair of Woodlock. \ S Kinahan
Senior young stockperson second-prizewinner Sally Towey with her little helper Erin Maxwell. \ S Kinahan
Martin Hughes exhibiting his first-prizewinning Charolais bull Tonyglasson Tyson. \ S Kinahan
Interbreed pedigree bull calf class line up at Nobber Show. \ S Kinahan
The wet weather on Sunday failed to put a dampener on the spirits of exhibitors and spectators at Nobber Show in Meath where numbers in the cattle section are believed to have more than tripled from last year's event.
With classes to suit all types of cattle, including two very attractive classes for a pedigree calf and a commercial calf with a €2,000 prize money forward for each class, the northeast-based show also boasted the first-ever haltered class for Highland cattle in Ireland.
The task of judging the entire cattle section fell to the hands of Scottish man Andrew Ewing, who had many tough decisions to make.
Top pick
He selected Carrickmore Tina as his top pick, with the plaudits going to brothers Karl and John Connell from Oldcastle, Co Meath.
The September 2022-born pedigree Limousin heifer was sired by Elgin and out of the World Congress champion Baileys Ice Princess. Tina also won the Limousin heifer class, the interbreed heifer class and the Nobber Show pedigree calf championship.
The reserve pedigree championship was won by Michael and Brodie Molloy with their Belgian Blue heifer calf.
Breeders' choice
Nobber Show also hosted one of the first Irish Shows Association breeders' choice traditional four-star or five-star breeding heifer classes of the year, which was won by Noel and Lisa Dowd from Creggs, Co Galway, with their March 2022-born Shorthorn heifer Creaga Una, which was sired by Napolian of Upsall.
Second prize in the breeders' choice was won by Eamon and John McKiernan with their Angus heifer and Michael Bird finished in third with his Hereford heifer.
Commercial
In the commercial classes, the top spot was awarded to Wicklow-based brothers Aaron and Pauric Whelan with their January-born Limousin-cross calf Dream.
Dream was purchased just two weeks ago by the Whelans at the elite commercial heifer sale in Stranorlar, Co Donegal, for €8,600 after being brought forward for sale by Laois man Sean Ramsbottom.
The Wicklow men also stepped up to secure the Nobber Show non-pedigree calf championship.
Sneaking in to scoop the reserve champion title was the father and son duo Pat and Mike Rosengrave from Crusheen, Co Clare, with their October 2022-born Limousin-cross bull calf Bundee, which has already secured one championship and one reserve championship this showing season. This calf was also bred by Sean Ramsbottom.
Aaron and Pauric Whelan with their heifer calf Dream that won the commercial championship and Nobber Show non-pedigree calf championship. \ S Kinahan
Sally Towey with the breeders' choice champion and first-prizewinner in the Shorthorn heifer class, Creaga Una for Noel and Lisa Dowd. \ S Kinahan
Pat and Mike Rosengrave with their Limousin-cross bull calf Bundee that won the reserve commercial championship and placed second in the Nobber Show non-pedigree calf championship. \ S Kinahan
Scottish man Andrew Ewing had the difficult task of judging the cattle section at Nobber Show on Sunday. \ S Kinahan
Brodie Molloy, senior young stockperson winner, with her Nobber Show pedigree reserve champion Belgian Blue calf. \ S Kinahan
Sean Callan pictured with his first-prize winning Simmental heifer calf, Thornford Peachy (P). \S. Kinahan
Pat and Mike Rosengrave pictured with their Limousin-cross heifer that won the all-Ireland non-pedigree suckler type heifer qualifier. \ S Kinahan
Billy Gubbins' first-prizewinning Simmental bull calf Cush Pronto. \ S Kinahan
James McNally, Shane and Harry Cassidy pictured with their first-prizewinning Belgian Blue calf Dunbeggan Qball. \ S Kinahan
Grace Kelly and Rachel, Aaron and Pauric Whelan with the commercial champion and Nobber Show non-pedigree calf champion Dream. \ S Kinahan
Billy Gubbins' first-prizewinning commercial heifer Sasha. \ S Kinahan
Andrew Agnew pictured with his first-prizewinning Highland heifer Iolair of Woodlock. \ S Kinahan
Sean Callan with his first-prizewinning Simmental heifer Thornford Juliette (PP). \ S Kinahan
Elisa Drumm with her first-prizewinning Hereford bull calf. \ S Kinahan
Andrew Agnew with his first-prizewinning Highland heifer Iolair of Woodlock. \ S Kinahan
Senior young stockperson second-prizewinner Sally Towey with her little helper Erin Maxwell. \ S Kinahan
Martin Hughes exhibiting his first-prizewinning Charolais bull Tonyglasson Tyson. \ S Kinahan
Interbreed pedigree bull calf class line up at Nobber Show. \ S Kinahan
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