Top cattle breeders honoured at RDS awards

CATTLE breeders from Kerry, Roscommon, Clare, Cork, Donegal and Offaly were honoured at the 2007 RDS Champion of Champions awards presentation.

RDS president Dr Austin Mescal presented the awards which continue the society’s involvement in cattle breeding which began with their first Spring Show on the lawn of Leinster House in 1831.

The Irish Holstein-Friesian, Charolais, Limousin and Irish Angus cattle societies were each invited to nominate an award recipient.

For the first time, an RDS award was made to the highest Economic Breeding Index (EBI) dairy cow and the highest Suckler Beef Value (SBV) beef cow, based on autumn 2007 Irish Cattle Breeding Federation index listings.

Each breed’s Champion of Champions won €1,000 for its owner, an RDS silver medal and their breed’s RDS Spring Show trophy. EBI and SBV award winners each received an RDS silver medal and €500.

The Irish Holstein Friesian Association award winners were brothers John and Tim Kirby, Derrindaffe, Duagh, Co Kerry, Listowel, Co Kerry, whose cow, Smearlaview A Storm Vixan, competed in four shows in 2007 and was champion at all four — the most recent being the Irish Examiner Supreme Championship of the Nation Dairy Show in Millstreet, Co Cork in October.

Tony Bosquette, Castlenode, Strokestown, Co Roscommon, was the Irish Charolais Cattle Society award winner with his heifer, Castlenode Barbara, and calf, Castlenode Bette.

Donal Moloney, Roo West, Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare was the Irish Limousin Cattle Society winner, for his French bred cow, Opposante, which won two major shows in Paris before its eight major successes in the 2007 Irish summer shows.

The Irish Angus Cattle Society award winner was the Appelbe family of Carrigroe, Clonakilty, Co Cork. Their bull, Loughlynn Ace, won at the Baileys Glenho Irish Angus All-Ireland finals.

Trevor Lockhart, Ramelton, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, won the EBI Award with Leagh Oman Pietje 324, a pedigree Holstein Friesian cow.

The SBV award went to Peter Spollen, Ballydownan, Geashill, Tullamore, Co Offaly, whose Charolais cow, Ballydownan Simone, is producing valuable high genetic merit progeny after a successful show-ring career.