HOLSTEINS proved the star attraction at the Ulster Winter Fair, last week, when two went on to secure the overall champion and reserve awards. 

But these two were no strangers to the limelight at the Northern Ireland event, which was held at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, near Lisburn, as the overall winner, Hallow Holsteins’ Desmond Dundee Embrace Ex94, won the supreme here two years ago and in a swap around of placings the supreme champion from 2015 went on to scoop the reserve honours. 

Taking pole position under the eye of Wisconsin, USA-based judge, Paul Trapp, was the eight-year-old winner of the production class in the shape of Desmond Dundee Embrace, the sole cow owned by the Hallow Holsteins team of Roy Cromie and Philip Jones, of Killowen, near Gorey, Wexford, with Philip also no stranger to the tickets as his 60-strong Hallow herd also produced the reserve supreme here last year. Rising to the top this year was a Regancrest Dundee daughter which calved her fifth five months ago and is currently yielding 40 litres daily. She has only been lightly shown and barely out since her big win two years ago, and with a best previous lactation of 12,500 litres, she was the winner of the class for cows having produced a minimum of 50,000kg during their lifetime. 

Mr Trapp, a product acquisition specialist with Semex who has judged in many countries across the world and has herds of Jersey, Brown Swiss, and Holsteins in various partnerships, was a big fan of his champion and said after she won her class: “She’s a runaway winner with a marvellous dairy frame. Furthermore, she has great height and definition to her rear udder with good teat shape and placement.”

In the breed section, Dundee Embrace was placed ahead of Liam Murphy’s Evergreen Duplex Ebony, which was brought out by Steve McLaughlin for the 60-cow herd at Fenagh, Co Carlow. Another eight-year-old fifth calver, but by Duplex, this previous reserve champion from the Baileys Show and champion at Steve’s local Tullamore Show, is an Ex95-classified cow which calved down in June. 

“This one was a handy winner of her class with lovely dairy strength and rear rib structure with the best udder in her class, said Mr Trapp, adding that it was extremely close between the two Holsteins for the breed championship, but the overall winner had a more youthful udder for both attachment and shape which gave her the edge. 

Going forward to stand honourable mention in the inter-breed was the Ayrshire leader, Sandyford Honest Blizzard, from John Hunter, Lough View Road, Crumlin, but brought out by her breeder, Evie Tomlinson. This six-year-old Ex92-rated Heydale Blizzard daughter was bought at the Sandyford dispersal in September for 3600gns and has only been lightly shown to stand first in the dry cow class at the Royal Welsh. She calved her fourth in October and is giving 50 litres. 

“The Ayrshire championship was hands down the easiest decision of the day – she has a fabulous udder with strength and substance throughout,” said Mr Trapp during the days proceedings before adding that his three top cows in the overall championship were all outstanding examples of their respective breeds.

With the top two Holstein cows going on to take the top honours, it was a similar situation for the heifer champion which went on to stand inter-breed heifer winner as well as Holstein honourable mention for Sam and John McCormick. Making her debut outing one to remember for the father and son duo from Bangor, Co Down, Hilltara Impression Echo VG87 is bred from seven generations of Ex-rated cows and is yielding 42 litres a day since calving in September. She was described by Mr Trapp as being ‘a lovely, balanced heifer with a fabulous udder’. 

For the overall heifer championship line-up, the reserve Holstein heifer, Denis O’Neill and David Boyd’s Dalevalley Gwy Embrace 2 VG86, went on to stand overall reserve.

The first of the breed championships to be decided was the Dairy Shorthorn, where the Booth family secured the top placing. Taking the red, white and blue was George and Jason Booth’s Beechview Empire Tiny, a Llandovery Jinnys Empire-sired heifer in milk that stood maiden heifer champion here a couple years back and hasn’t been out since. Bred out of an Ex93 dam in the 180-cow predominantly Holstein herd at Stewartstown, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, Empire Tiny has been giving 29 litres since calving in September and was paraded by Stacey O’Sullivan.

In the Jersey ring it was a good day for Clandeboye Estate, which had a quarter of its milking herd present, when Clandeboye Allstar I Evita VG88-2yr, a second calver, landed the breed title. With ‘bags of ring presence, style and character and plenty width and capacity to the udder’, according to Mr Trapp, she went one better than her reserve ticket last year and followed on from a junior championship at Balmoral. 
She was shown three weeks fresh by Richard Jones and giving 36kg.

See this week's issue of The Scottish Farmer, out December 17, for the full report, including more photos and all the leading awards.