Irish dairy cows ‘best looking in Europe’
The best cow group he ever judged was fulsome prize from Bons, who has won a champion or reserve champion title at the Dutch National Show every year for the past 12 years. In 2013, he won the grand championship at the Open Benelux Show in Belgium.
His ambition is to breed the European champion cow, but he invited Irish opposition last Saturday.
So impressed by the quality of his Emerald Expo final line-up was he that he said: “These cows were capable of winning at the European Show.” He said Irish breeders should think of exhibiting at the next European Show, in France in 2016.
Describing his ideal cows as capacious with frame, having a wide rump and correct rump structure, with great udders, Bons selected Laurelmore Duplex Impala as his supreme champion and exhibitor bred champion, as well as best udder cow and senior cow of the show.
She is also a tremendous milk cow, having produced 14,019kg at 3.65% fat and 3.39% protein in her last lactation, in 305 days, for the Barrett family’s Laurelmore herd at Togher, Cork.
For the judge, she showed frame, excellent locomotion, and a quality udder. She was one of five cows, all exhibitor bred, in the final line-up.
“These are the best cows as a group that I have ever judged in my career, their quality is awesome,” said Bons.
They included Glasslough Miss Petra, owned by David and Kenny Boyd, Co Monaghan, champion at the recent Moira show in Northern Ireland, and reserve champion and best junior cow last Saturday; honourable mention and production class winner Hallow Lheros Indianink, owned by Philip Jones, Gorey, Co Wexford; best junior heifer Hallow Atwood Twizzle, shown by Philip Jones, Gorey, Co Wexford; and best senior heifer Clonpaddin MPW Jill, owned by Garry Hurley, Arklow, Co Wicklow.
