Sooty seals the deal with Reserve Champion

Paul Murphy from Banteer with Reserve champion Coolroehouse Real Seal Sotty in the company of breeder Ursula Forrest, Banteer at the Millstreet National Dairy Show. Picture: John Tarrant

It was a case of “start as you mean to go on” for Reserve Champion Coolroehouse Real Seal Sooty who started her showing career clinching a space in the top three at this year’s National Dairy Show.

Owned by Paul Murphy and bred by John and Ursula Forrest, the fourth-calver Holstein is sired by Siemers Mogul Real Seal ET and out of Coolroehouse Minister Sooty VG86.

Owner Paul Murphy is not from a farm, but already aged just 26, he has made his name as a professional cattle fitter, helping some of the best stockmen and women around the world get their stock ready for the showring.

So far, his career highlights include working at International Dairy Week in Australia, where he prepped the Holstein Champion and the Guernsey Champion on the same day.

And it’s not his first taste of success at Millstreet. Closer to home, his impressive CV also includes fitting the National Dairy Show Champion Lisnalty Megasire Rituel in 2019.

AXA National Dairy Show 2022, Irish Examiner Supreme Champion – Mike Murphy, AIB, Tommy Carthty, AXA Insurance, Christy Doherty, AXA Insurane, Judge, David Jones, Honourable Mention, Bawnmore Unix Jeanette 2 exhibited by Bryan & John O’Connor, Handler, Brendan Greenan, Reserve Champion, Coolroehouse Real Seal Sooty exhibited and lead by Paul Murphy, Champion, Hallow Atwood Twizzle 1181 exhibited by Philip & Linda Jones, Handler, Gary Jones, Kate Jones, Will Jones, Rachel Morton, Irish Examiner, Denis Kiely, NDS Chairperson. Picture: Maria Kelly

But Paul is not the only half of his show team to set himself out as a hard worker. Sooty boasts an impressive 10,004kg milk yield at 4.63% butterfat and 3.4% protein.

“I bought her off the Forrest family in Banteer, Cork, about a year and a half ago but this is her first day out. I’m very impressed with her,” Paul told the Irish Examiner.

“I was on the farm one day and I spotted her, and I asked her if they would be interested in selling her.” He acknowledges he has much to thank the Forrest family for, as they encouraged Paul to give showing a go, including his first opportunity to enter the showring with at Dunmanway Show.

“I don’t have a farm myself,” he said. “But I got interested in showing cattle when I was young with the Forrests, the people I bought her off. I must have been about 11 when I started showing calves. I don’t even remember how I got on, but I certainly can’t say that about this show.

“I’ve fitted cows all over the world, but this is the first milking cow I’ve done for myself, so it’s really, really special for me for her to have done so well.” The championship line up proved to be good advertisement for the young Banteer lad, as he also manages a robot-based dairy farm for Bawnmore Holsteins, which is home to the honourable mention - Bawnmore Unix Jeanette 2 ET; another of Paul’s clients.

The farm is owned by Bryan and John O’Connor, who kindly allow him to keep Sooty with their herd, meaning the two cows are kept together.