Lurgan hosts 107th agricultural showcase
Thousands basked in the sunshine at the County Armagh event, which featured a packed schedule for visitors of all ages.
Among the spectators were DUP MLA Carla Lockhart, and four-week-old son Charlie; ABC Council’s Lord Mayor Mealla Campbell, and deputy Margaret Tinsley; DAERA’s Dr Eric Long; and UFU president Ivor Ferguson.
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Hide AdMichele Doran, who was celebrating 20 years in the role of show secretary, confirmed a strong entry across the various home industry, poultry, equine and livestock classes. “It has been another great show, and we’ve been very lucky with the weather.
“A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our 107th annual show, especially ABC Council, Translink and principal sponsor ABP. We are also indebted to the many individuals who give so freely of their time to organise the show.”
The cattle and sheep sections attracted a variety of continental, native and traditional breeds.
Leading the cattle parade and securing the award for the supreme champion of champions was the Holstein cow Glasson Goldfish Form Erle VG88 from Philip and Simon Haffey’s 150-cow herd at Portadown. A second prize winner at Balmoral Show, she calved her third in March and is producing 42 litres of milk every day. Originating from the noted Erle family at Smiddiehill, her granddam was the 76,000gns Field of Dreams Formation Erle.
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Hide AdThe Haffey family have won seven successive Holstein championships at Lurgan Show. Interbreed cattle judge Cyril Millar, Coleraine, described the overall show champion as a spectacular specimen of the breed. “It’s never an easy task judging beef cattle against dairy cattle, and the exhibitors deserve credit for putting on a tremendous show of quality animals.
“Today’s overall winner is a flashy dairy cow with great power and scope. She has a big open frame, a well attached udder, and walks well on sound legs and feet.”
Taking the reserve supreme award was the interbreed beef winner, an Aberdeen Angus heifer from Richard and Fiona McKeown’s Herd at Templepatrick. This home-bred heifer was born in April 2017, and secured the reserve breed titles at Balmoral and Lurgan.
Cyril Millar added: “This heifer is a peach of a beast, and a very close second. She oozes breed character from head to toe, and has great conformation and muscle.”
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Hide AdRunner-up in the interbreed beef line-up was the two-year-old Charolais heifer Summervilla Nikki exhibited by Nigel and Gail Matchett from Portadown.
Claiming top honours in the rare breed cattle section was the Dexter champion Rathnafishogue T Bone owned by Ryan Laverty from Aghalee. The rare breed sheep section was led by a South Down ewe owned by Alice Cochrane, and grandfather RJ McAuley.
A Hampshire Down shearling ram owned by Sean and Gillian Doyle, Ballyward, scooped the interbreed sheep championship award. He was a first prize winner at Balmoral Show a few weeks ago. Taking the reserve interbreed award was Texel ram lamb owned by Owen Donohoe from Enniskillen.
Results from the 107th Lurgan Show include:
CATTLE SPECIALS
Harrison Centennial Show Championship Cup, for the supreme interbreed cattle champion: Philip and Simon Haffey (Holstein). Reserve: Richard and Fiona McKeown.
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Hide AdQualifier for Thompsons and NISA Dairy Cow Championship: Philip and Simon Haffey.
Qualifier for Linden Foods and NISA Pedigree Beef Heifer Championship: Richard and Fiona McKeown (Aberdeen Angus), and Matchett Family (Charolais).
Lurgan Milling Co Cup, for the best pair of dairy females: Philip and Simon Haffey.
Best pair of pedigree beef animals: Matchett Family (Charolais). Reserve: Sean Savage (British Blonde).
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Hide AdO’Hare Perpetual Cup, for the best dairy female in show: Philip and Simon Haffey.
David Riley Memorial Cup, for the champion beef animal in show: Richard and Fiona McKeown (Aberdeen Angus). Reserve: Matchett Family (Charolais).
Holstein
Champion: Philip and Simon Haffey. Reserve: Philip and Simon Haffey.
Maiden heifer: 1, 2 and 3, Philip and Simon Haffey.
Cow in-milk, any age: 1, Philip and Simon Haffey.
Aberdeen Angus
Champion: Matchett Family. Reserve: Richard and Fiona McKeown.
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Hide AdHeifer born in 2017: 1, Matchett Family; 2, Richard and Fiona McKeown; 3, Fiona Troughton.
Heifer born in 2018: 1, and 2, Brian Johnston and Hylda Mills; 3, Emily Peters.
Bull born in 2018: 1, Brian Johnston and Hylda Mills; 2, Fiona Troughton.
Bull or heifer calf: 1, Matchett Family.
Pair, property of exhibitor: 1, Brian Johnston and Hylda Mills; 2, Fiona Troughton.
British Blonde
Champion: Sean Savage. Reserve: Sean Savage.
Bull over one-year-old: 1, Sean Savage; 2, Gary McClelland.
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Hide AdHeifer over one-year-old: 1, Sean Savage; 2, Johnston Farms.
Bull or heifer calf, under one-year-old: 1, Molly Bradley; 2, Gary McClelland; 3, Johnston Farms.
Young handler, aged 14 to 23-years-old: 1, Victoria Johnston; 2, Gary McClelland; 3, Molly Bradley.
British Blue
Champion: Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh. Reserve: Sam Robinson and Sons.
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Hide AdBull born on or after 01/01/18: 1, James Boyd; 2, Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh.
Cow or heifer, born on or before 30/09/17: 1, Chelsea Best.
Heifer born between 01/10/16 and 30/05/18: 1, Sam Robinson and Sons; 2, Chelsea Best.
Bull or heifer calf under one-year-old: 1, Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh; 2, James Boyd.
Pair, property of exhibitor: 1, James Boyd.
Charolais
Champion: Matchett Family. Reserve: Matchett Family.
Bull born on or before 31/12/17: 1, Matchett Family.
Heifer born on or before 31/12/17: 1, Matchett Family.
Hereford
Champion: James Graham. Reserve: Marcus Murdock.
Bull born on or after 01/09/17: 1, James Graham; 2, Kathryn Greenaway.
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Hide AdCow, born prior to 01/01/17: 1, Marcus Murdock; 2, John Taggart; 3, Uel Shaw.
Heifer born between 01/01/15 and 31/08/17: 1, James Graham.
Heifer born between 01/01/16 and 31/08/18: 1, Marcus Murdock; 2, James Graham; 3, John Taggart.
Calf, born on or after 01/09/18: 1, John Taggart; 2, Uel Shaw.
Limousin
Champion: R and C Mulholland. Reserve: Martin McConville.
Heifer born between 01/01/2017 and 01/01/2018: 1, R and C Mulholland.; 2, Martin McConville.
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Hide AdHeifer, born on or after 01/01/18: 1, E A Crawford; 2, Martin McConville; 3, R and C Mulholland.
Senior bull: 1, Martin McConville.
Junior bull: 1, EA Crawford.
Bull or heifer calf, born on of after 01/01/19: 1, Martin McConville; 2, and 3, D and J Bell.
Beef Shorthorn
Champion: Richard and Fiona McKeown. Reserve: Duncan McDowell.
Heifer, born between 01/09/17 and 31/08/18: 1, Richard and Fiona McKeown.
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Hide AdCalf, born on or after 01/09/18: 1, Duncan McDowell; 2, Rachel Jordan; 3, Emily Peters.
Simmental
Champion: WD and JD Hazelton. Reserve: Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh.
Cow or heifer born in 2016: 1, WD and JD Hazelton.
Bull, born on or after 01/01/18: 1, Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh.
Calf, under one-year-old: 1, Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh.
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Hide AdExhibitor-bred calf, six-month and under: 1, WD and JD Hazelton; 2, Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh.
Irish Moiled
Champion: RS Boyle. Reserve: RS Boyle
Bull, any age: 1, RS Boyle.
Cow, any age: 1, Trevor Armour.
Heifer, in-milk or in-calf: 1, Rachel Armour.
Maiden heifer, between one and two-years-old: 1, and 2, RS Boyle; 3, Rachel Armour.
Calf, under one-year-old: 1, and 2, Trevor Armour.
Dexter
Champion: Ryan Lavery. Reserve: James McCullough.
Bull, any age: 1, Ryan Lavery; 2, Bloomer Family; 3, James McCullough.
Cow, any age: 1, James McCullough; 2,Bloomer Family; 3, James McCullough.
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Hide AdHeifer, any age: 1, Montgomery Family; 2, James McCullough; 3, Montgomery Family.
Calf, under one-year-old: 1, James McCullough; 2, and 3, Montgomery Family.
Minority Breed
Champion: Arnold Pearson.
Any other rare or minority breed: 1, Arnold Pearson.
Commercial
Champion: Keith and Jade Tumilty. Reserve: Martin McConville.
Suckled calf, born on or after 01/09/18: 1, Chelsea Best. Reserve: Martin McConville.
Store heifer: 1, Keith and Jade Tumilty; 2, Amy O’Hanlon.
Junior Handling
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Hide AdWoodside Farm Cup for the Champion: Marcus Murdock. Reserve: Victoria Workman.
Junior dairy handler, aged 8 to 14-years-old: 1, Lily Haffey; 2, Jesse Davison; 3, Ryan Davison.
Junior beef handler, aged 8 to 14-years-old: 1, Victoria Workman; 2, Keziah Shaw; 3, Nathannel Shaw.
Senior beef handler, aged 15 to 25-years-old: 1, Marcus Murdock; 2, Victoria Johnston; 3, Gary McClelland.
SHEEP
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Hide AdSupreme interbreed sheep champion: Sean Doyle (Hampshire Down). Reserve: Owen Donohoe (Texel).
Qualifier for the Danske Bank and NISA Sheep Championship: Jim Bell (Charollais), and S and J McCollum (Texel).
Qualifier for the ISA and Clogher Valley Show Society NI Continental Sheep Final: J Bell (Charollais), and James Herdman (Texel).
Qualifier for the Clogher Valley Show Society and Cydectin Young Handlers Sheep Qualifier: Eve Woods, Jake Wells and Matthew Kyle.
Suffolk
Champion: Jack Moses. Reserve: Matthew Kyle.
Shearling ram: 1, Jack Moses; 2, Liam Doyle.
Ewe, any age: 1, Patrick McVerry.
Shearling ewe: 1, and 2, Jack Moses; 3, Liam Doyle.
Ram lamb: 1, Jack Moses; 2, Liam Doyle.
Ewe lamb: 1, Matthew Kyle; 2, David Ford; 3, Jack Moses.
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