Cork Summer Show: Hereford heifer with plenty of show pedigree picked as inaugural Breeders’ Choice
Mike O'Keeffe, Newmarket, Co Cork with the Breeders Choice Drominarigle 1 Grace at the Cork Summer Show at the Cork Showgrounds, Curraheen, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan
A new category at this year’s Cork Summer Show – The Breeders’ Choice award – saw plenty of spirited competition in the beef rings.
The initiative backed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine aims to promote animals which improve the breed efficiency rather than purely breeding based aesthetic traits.
To be eligible, animals must have been genotype rated four or five star, with the final winner selected by the section judge based on appearance.
However, there was a bit of confusion, as at some of the shows the event will be open to all breeds, while others – as it turned out was the case at in Curraheen on Saturday - will only be open to traditional Irish breeds. A steward explained the category rules will then alternate the following year so that shows which were only open to traditional breeds this year will also include continental breeds next year.
As a result, the stylish Simmental heifer originally picked out to lead the line-up was withdrawn, with Polled Hereford Drominarigle 1 Grace taking the top spot instead.
“There was a slight misunderstanding – through no fault of anyone. We take full responsibility for it,” the commentator explained.
“The animal selected to lead the class technically was not eligible to be in it and the exhibitor is kindly withdrawing from the class. She’s a superb animal but she just doesn’t qualify today, unfortunately.” Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Judge Sam Coleman from Co Antrim in Northern Ireland, said it was difficult deciding between the two.
“They really are both two excellent animals,” he said.
Explaining his ultimate first-place choice, with the polled Hereford heifer, he said: “It’s a good breeding animal for the future with nice style – correct in terms of confirmation with a good shape for a breeding female.” Holding the halter on the winning animal, Michael O’Keefe, from Newmarket, Co Cork, has been breeding Herefords for more than 30 years, and got into the breed as a hobby for his sons.
Now his sons are grown up, but he still is passionate for the breed and is better known for Gurteragh Herefords, his horned Hereford prefix.
The January 2021 born heifer Drominarigle 1 Grace is out of Drominarigle 1 Sydney. She was sired by notable UK-bred bull Panure 1 Henry, who was bought from the Solpoll herd in Co Down.
The prolific Hereford bull was named reserve UK Sire of the Year in 2018 and NI Bull of the Year in 2012.
Interestingly, he was bred from a cow originally from the McMordie family’s Solpoll herd who was sold over to a breeder in England, and bought by the McMordie family in 2012.
When he’s picking out bulls, Mr O’Keefe said he was looking for “length, style and a good back end to them”.
“I showed her mother as a heifer in Tullamore and she won the January heifer class then,” he added.
More results to follow, pictures and Cork Summer Show coverage in Thursday’s Farming Examiner.
