All in a day’s work: The secret to Cork Beef Champion’s success

Eamon O'Donovan, Cappamore, Co Limerick with the Beef Champion May 2021 Belgium Blue at the Cork Summer Show at the Cork Showgrounds, Curraheen, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

“Stylish” commercial heifer, Infinity, bred by Co Limerick beef breeder Eamon O’Donovan might have caught the judge’s eye on the day, but four generations of top-quality breeding was the secret to success for this year’s Cork Summer Show Beef Supreme Champion.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, the Cappamore man explained the May 2021 born heifer was three-quarters Belgian Blue, one-quarter Limousin.

Infinity, who hails from the O’Donovan’s high-genetic merit Dromalty Herd, won the no permanent teeth heifer class and was tapped out as breed champion by commercial judge John Redmond.

She was followed in the championship line-up by Charolais Colomane Rhianna ET shown by John Bantry man John Ward.

The October 2020-born heifer by Texan Gie was homebred out of Colomane Olivia.

Giving his reasons, judge Sam Coleman said: “There has been a great show of cattle today at Cork Summer Show. The champions are tremendous right through but unfortunately, we can only get one heifer.

“I think the commercial heifer is a lovely, long stylish heifer, with nice balance right through. A great end and a lovely head. Not too strong on the front.

“The Charolais in reserve will make a very good cow. The third one too was another exceptional heifer — it was very tight between those three.

“The Hereford heifer and Simmental were also very strong, while still very young.”

Eamon farms alongside his father, Aidan, breeding pedigree Angus, Belgian Blues, and Limousins, alongside commercial animals.

The pair run a herd of around 40 suckler cows and also implant a handful of embryos each year from the herd’s top genetic lines.

“We aim to breed high genetic merit pedigree cows under the Dromalty prefix,” Eamon told Examiner Farming.

“The commercial stock are bred for the high-end market, while the Angus cows are bred to breed bulls for the dairy market, which is an important market in the region we are in.”

Saturday marked Infinity’s first outing. She’s got off to a great start, but it will perhaps be no surprise to ringside regulars who may recognise her mother, who was all-Ireland breeding champion back in 2019.

But the secret to the herd’s success might all be in a day’s work for Eamon, who works the farm around his day job at Dovea Genetics.

“It’s a passion of mine you could say,” he laughed. “My father also plays a key role, of course, as I work off farm.

“Infinity’s a good advertisement, I guess, because she has four generations of Dovea genetics behind her.

“We’re really aiming to cross breeds to breed the perfect animal — style, power and length are the three main ones I look for when selecting.” This weekend, many of the breeders will be preparing for Charleville, the next big show in the region.

Also among the O’Donovans’ line-up will be Dromalty Quickstep, which won first place in the 2022-born pedigree Belgian Blues class on Saturday.

With minds focused on the national beef championship on July 21, those picking up rosettes now in the seasons are setting themselves out as early contenders for the top prize.