O'Sullivans win double at Charleville
The five-year-old, bred by Peter Kingston, Nohoval, Co Cork, defeated seven other top contenders to win the Maverick All Ireland Junior Friesian cow championship.
Bought as a calf by Michael O'Sullivan, the second calver has so far this season won the championships at Bandon and Clonakilty and was reserve champion at the north eastern spring fair at Punchestown earlier in the year.
The cow also won the Friesian championship at Charleville where the dairy classes were judged by a woman for the first time in the show's 26 year history.
Mrs Christine Wilson, from Cumbria in England, said she was very impressed with the excellent presentation and the outstanding quality of the cattle on view.
"Everybody told there would be good cows when I got over to Ireland and they were right. I have been very impressed with both the quality and presentation."
Holstein Friesian expert Kevin Dillon said the cows exhibited at Charleville had dairyness, power and other attributes and were outstanding examples of the breed.
Dairygold chief executive Jerry Henchy overcame strong competition to win the overall Aberdeen Angus championship with a 17-month-old heifer.
In the dairy classes at Charleville, there was a spectacular triumph for David and Michael O'Sullivan, Knockbrown, Bandon, Co Cork.
They won the top prize in the coveted Maverick All Ireland junior pedigree Friesian cow class, confined to second calvers, and the overall Friesian championship, with Cradenhill St Fame, a five-year-old bred by Peter Kingston, Nohoval, Co Cork.
The overall show, with Kerry Agribusiness as main sponsor, also attracted a large entry of horses for the showing classes where the Bank of Ireland champion hunter award was won by Peg Leonard, Rijngwood Lodge, Newcastlewest, Co Limerick, with Maurice Coleman, Lombardstown, Co Cork, taking the reserve champion rosette.
Organised by a committee headed by Gerard Cott, chairman, it is now the country's largest two-day agricultural show.
This year's event cost over €120,000 to stage on a 45-acre site where over 5,000 exhibits were in contention for a €45,000 prize fund spread over almost 300 classes.
Cattle Breed championship winners with reserves in brackets:
Holstein Friesian - David and Michael O'Sullivan, Knockbrown, Bandon (John Barrett, Togher, Cork). Junior Champion - E and S Murphy, Waterfall, Cork (Ted and Joe Boyce, Ballytigue, Bruree, Co Limerick) Jersey - Dana Collins, Turlough, Newcastlewest, Co Limerick.
Limousin - John O'Grady, Broomfield, Midleton (Sean Ryan, Dromsally, Cappamore, Co Limerick).
Charolais - Jim and Ivan Ryall, Knockane, Castlemartyr (Martin Ryan, Cabra, Thurles, Co Tipperary).
Simmental - Peter and Marion O'Connell, Knoppogue, Mallow (John Fox, Darragh, Kilfinane, Co Limerick).
Hereford - Albert de Cogan, Killamuckey, Castlemartyr (Albert de Cogan).
Aberdeen Angus - Jerry Henchy, Sandville House, Grange, Co Limerick (Albert de Cogan).
Commercial - Thomas Burke, Dunnaman, Croom Co Limerick (Shane Giltinan, Ballymacave, Croagh, Co Limerick.
