PICTURES and RESULTS: Ballymoney Show

The many people gathered around the show rings were provided with a unique opportunity to view a selection of Northern Ireland's elite pedigree livestock taking part in a series of very closely fought competition classes.

Ballymena Holstein breeder Wallace Gregg won the Inter Breed Dairy Championship with his impressive second calver Frosses Goldwyn Primrose.

A home bred cow, she is currently giving 57 litres of milk per day.

The Beef Inter Breed Championship was won by Maghera breeder Gilbert Crawford with his excellent heifer Coolnaslee Countess. Sired by the renowned bull Allanfold Super Scot, she is currently in calf to Goldie's Carnival.

The Sheep Inter Breed title was won by Carnlough breeder Michelle Wright with an excellent Blue Faced Leicester ewe.

Newly-elected Ulster Farmers' Union president John Thompson attended the show on Saturday. He told the News Letter that the event was a tremendous day out for all the family.

"The excellent weather has helped to attract very large crowds this year," he added.

"Ballymoney Show always attracts an excellent turnout of pedigree cattle and sheep. And this year was no different.

"The show is unique in being organised by members of three local Young Farmers' Clubs: Finvoy, Kilraughts and Moycraig.

"And it's wholly down to their tremendous efforts that we have been able to enjoy such an excellent show for so many years."

However some sheep producers involved with the show were furious at what they regarded as the totally unacceptable way in which department of agriculture staff interpreted the new EID (Electronic Identification) tagging regulations.

They claim the difficulties which ensued resulted in an almost 30 per cent drop-off in the number of sheep taking part in the competition classes scheduled for Saturday past.

"I am absolutely livid at what happened," leading pedigree beef and sheep breeder Victor Chestnutt told the News Letter.

"My son David manages the sheep and we knew from the middle of last week that our order of EID tags would not arrive in time for the show.

"I then rang the department of agriculture and asked if they would agree to recognise the fact that so many flock owners are having to wait for weeks to receive their new tag orders.

"I was told this could not be done, so we decided to leave the sheep at home this year.

"But I know that sheep producers coming to the event were met by department officials as they arrived and were advised that flockowners entering the showgrounds with sheep not properly tagged ran the risk of losing a proportion of their single farm payment.

"As a result of this a number of flockowners simply turned and headed back home."

The Bushmills farmer went on to confirm that he had tried to order the new EID tags back in February but was told then that no manufacturer had, at that stage, been licensed to carry out the printing process.

"Sheep producers are not responsible for the current delays in getting the new tags printed," Victor Chesnutt continued.

"Yet many were left with no option but to either stay away from Ballymoney Show today or, having arrived at the gates, make the decision to turn directly for home because of the total inflexibility shown by department of agriculture staff.

"The reality is that even prior to the introduction of the new EID regulations, adult pedigree sheep were possibly the most comprehensively tagged and documented category of livestock in Northern Ireland. My ewes are already tagged to meet the criteria of the department's previous identification system plus they carry a micro chipped bolus to comply with the Scrapie regulations."

Victor Chesnutt concluded: "Showing is in the blood of every pedigree sheep producer.

"In my own case I attended a past Ballymoney Show three days after undergoing a surgical procedure in hospital.

"Flockowners do not want to break any regulations. It was not their fault that such long delays have been incurred in ordering the new EID tags.

"However, many are deeply annoyed at the way the department of agriculture took such an inflexible approach when it came to determining who could and who could not take part in this year's Ballymoney Show."

Ballymoney Show Results 2010

Supreme Championship - Cattle Section

Champion: Gilbert Crawford

Reserve: Wallace Gregg

Inter Breed Dairy Championship

Champion: Wallace Gregg

Reserve: The Brady Family

McLarnon's Feeds'/NISA Dairy Cow Championships Qualifiers

Wallace Gregg

The Brady Family

Ayrshire Cattle

Champion: J W Suffern

Reserve: J W Suffern

Maiden Heifer:

1st: Irwin Brothers

Heifer in Calf

1st: J W Suffern

2nd: Irwin Brothers

Cow in Calf

1st: Irwin Brothers

Cow in Milk - 3 calves:

1st: J W Suffern

2nd: Irwin Brothers

Cow in Milk – 3 calves

1st: J W Suffern

2nd: Irwin Brothers

Holstein

Champion: W Gregg

Reserve: J D & I D Maybin

Heifer: born after June 1st 2007

1st W Gregg

Heifer: born after June 1st 2008

1st W Gregg

Heifer: born after June 1st 2009

1st M Henry and D McAfee

Cow in Milk – 2 calvings

1st: W Gregg

2nd: JD & ID Mabin

Jersey

Champion: Brady Family

Reserve: Brady Family

Heifer Classes:

1st: Brady Family

2nd: Brady Family

Cow Classes:

1st: Brady Family

2nd: Brady Family

Beef Inter Breed Championship

Champion: Gilbert Crawford

Reserve: Zara Chesnutt

Aberdeen Angus

Bull born after January 1st 2009

1st: A & G Parke

2nd: R J Sufferin

Cow or heifer in calf or in milk

1st: Henderson

Heifer born on or after January 1st 2009

1st: A & G Parke

2nd: R J Sufferin

British Blue

Champion: Zara Chesnutt

Reserve: W J Ervine

Senior Bull

1st: W J Ervine

Junior Bull

1st: A Craig

2nd: Z Chesnutt

Cow or heifer born on or before September 30 2008

1st: Z Chesnutt

2nd: Z Chesnutt

Heifer born after October 1st 2008

1st: W J Ervine

2nd: Z Chesnutt

Animal born after July 1st 2009

1st: W J Ervine

2nd: J M Morrison

British Blonde

Champion: H Griffin

Reserve: F J Mullan

Bull

1st: H Griffin

2nd: W Tomb

Heifer

1st: F J Mullan

Charolais Cattle

Champion: Gilbert Crawford

Reserve: Gilbert Crawford

Senior Bull Classes:

1st: G Crawford

Cow Class

1st: G Crawford

Senior Heifer Class

1st: G Crawford

Bull or heifer born after September 1st 2009

1st: A & G Parke

Hereford

Champion: Michael Lagan

Heifer born on or after September 1st 2009

1st: Michael lagan

Limousin

Champion: R Crawford

Reserve: R Crawford

Cow – any age

1st: R Crawford

2nd: L Campbell

Heifer born after January 1st 2008

1st: L Campbell

2nd: L Campbell

Heifer born after January 1st 2009

1st: R Crawford

2nd: L Campbell

Senior Bull

1st: L Campbell

Junior Bull

1st: L Campbell

Animal born after January 1st 2010

1st: R Crawford

Parthenaise

Champion: D & R Sloan

Reserve: J Nevin

Heifer born after January 1st 2008

1st: D & R Sloan

2nd: S McDonnell

Heifer born after January 1st 2009

1st: J Nevin

2nd: W Tomb

Animal born after June 1st 2009

1st: W Tomb

2nd: D & R Sloan

Senior Bull

1st: D & R Sloan

Simmental Classes

Champion: W A Patterson

Reserve: R Boyd

Heifer born after January 1st 2008

1st: N Smith

Heifer born after January 1st 2009

1st: R Boyd

2nd: N Smith

Animal born after September 1st 2008

1st: R Boyd

2nd: N Smith

Bull Class

1st: W A Patterson

Beef Shorthorn Cattle

Champion: T & K Madden

Reserve: D Alexander

Heifer any age

1st: D Alexander

2nd: T & K Madden

Cow in calf or milk

1st: D Alexander

2nd: T & K Madden

Bull Class

1st: T & K Madden

Sheep Inter Breed Championship

Champion: Michelle Wright

Reserve: M & C Millar

Beltex

Champion: E McAllister

Reserve: E McAllister

Ram, Ewe and Lamb Classes

1st: E McAllister

2nd: E McAllister

Perth Blackface

Champion: R Crawford

Reserve: T Wray

Two Shear Ram

1st: R Crawford

Shearling Ram

1st: T Wray

Ewe any age

1st: R Crawford

Blue Faced Leicester Champion: Michelle Wright

Reserve: J Loughrey

Ram Class

1st: McCormick Bros

Ewe – two years and up

1st: Michelle Wright

Ewe Lamb

1st: J Loughrey

Border Leicester

Champion: I Kennedy

Reserve: I Kennedy

Ram Any Age

1sT H Dickey

Ram Lamb

1st: I Kennedy

Charolais

Champion: W McAllister

Reserve: E & J Gould

Ram Class

1st: E & J Gould

Ewe Lamb

1st: W McAllister

Dorset

Champion: G Cubbitt

Reserve: S Caldwell

Ram Class

1st: T & S Knox

Shearling ewe

1st: S Caldwell

Ewe Lamb

1st: G Cubitt

Grey Faced

Champion: Michelle Wright

Reserve: J Adams

Ewe 2 years and older

1st: J Adams

Ewe Lamb

1st: M Wright

Hampshire Down

Champion: J Wray

Reserve: R Laird

Ewe any age

1st: R Laird

Ewe Lamb

1st: J Wray

Ile De France

Champion: E Adamson

Reserve: Porter & Hyndman

Ram Any Age

1st: E Adamson

Ewe Any Age

1st: Porter & Hyndman

Kerryhill

Champion: D Wylie

Reserve: D Wylie

Ram any age

1st: D Wylie

Ewe Lamb

1sr D Wylie

Mule

Champion: M Elliott

Reserve: McCormick Brothers

Ewe 2 shear and up

1st: M Wright

Ewe Lamb

1st: M Elliott

North Country Cheviott

Champion: A McNeill

Reserve: T McKean

Ram 2 shear and up

1st: T McKean

Ewe Lamb

1st: A McNeill

Rouge De L'oeust

Champion: Pollock & Tannahill

Reserve: Pollock & Tannahill

Ram, Ewe, Lamb Classes

1st: Pollock & Tannahill

Suffock

Champion: R C & J C Watson

Reserve: J McKay

Ram 2 shear and up

1st: P Gurney

Ewe Lamb

1st: J McKay

Zwartbles

Champion: L Campbell

Reserve: S McAllister

Ram Any age

1st: R Elder

Ewe Lamb

1st: L Campbell

Texel

Champion: M & C Millar

Reserve: A Gault

Senior Ewe Class

1st: M & C Millar

Ram Lamb

1st: A Gault

GOAT SECTION

Champion: R Colvin

Reserve: Galbraith Brothers

GOATLING CLASSES

Champion: M Murphy

Reserve: R Colvin