For many, yesterday’s 80th-anniversary Virginia Agricultural Show marked “the end-of-summer showcase for agriculture and rural life”, according to show president, Owen Brodie.
The event boasts purpose-built showgrounds on the shores of Lough Ramor, with over 150 trade stands and 500 competitions turning out for its 2023 event.
Highlights
Some of the major highlights at this year’s event included the Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow and Heifer Competition, Carnaross Mart All-Ireland Male & Female Weanling Champion, Liffey Meats Champion Beef Bullock, Univet Ireland LTD and Virginia Show Commercial Heifer Champion, Champion Tirlán Virginia Friesian In-Calf Heifer and Lakeland Dairy Champion of the Show.
Others were notably the Fleetwood Paints Amateur Art Competition, McEvoys SuperValu ICA Guild Skills of the Year, Riverfront Bar & Grill Summer Desserts Competition, North-Eastern Club Charolais Junior Champion Final, North-Eastern Limousin Club Calf Finals, AW Ennis Interbreed Champion, Growvite Mega Moo Championship and the Quality Onion All-Ireland Championship Final.
The Diageo Baileys Champion Cow was once again one of the centrepieces at this year’s show.
The makers of Baileys and its milk supplier, Tirlán, searched for the finest example of the Holstein Friesian breed, under the judgement of Mark Logan.
Cows from Armagh, Cork, Down, Wexford and Monaghan, were among the winners at the €13,000 Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow Competition 2023.
As reported by www.thatsfarming.com, the overall champion came in the form of 2017-born Lumville M Danoise, which you can read about in this news article.
Other judges on the day included:
- Pedigree champions, Carnaross, Univet and Liffey Meats competitions – Alan Farlow;
- Limousin – Joan Gilliland;
- Simmental – Raymond O’Malley;
- Charolais and Belgian Blue – Alan Burleigh;
- Pedigree Angus – David Faughnan;
- Shorthorn, Hereford and Beef Stockperson – Kieran Flatley;
- Commercial Cattle – Joshua Miller;
- Dairy – Kevin McGloin;
- Sheep stockperson, Suffolk, Texel and Dassenkop – Niall Brennan;
- Charollais, Vendeen, Pedigree Sheep Pair – Norbert Coyle;
- Cross-bred, best flocks and pure-bred – Kieron O’Donnell.
You can read about the winners in this news article on www.thatsfarming.com
