It takes a team to follow the dream

Richard Jones, Rachael McGrath, Becky, Chloe, Georgie, Paula and Pete Hynes at the National Dairy Show

The National Dairy Show is always one of the highlights of the year for the dairy sector. This year, we had eight entered, including one milker, so there were two full days of clipping for Becky before we departed for the show. 

Our good friend Rachael McGrath who owns a 400-cow herd in Victoria, Australia, was over with us for a few weeks, so the extra help was welcome, and Rachael really is like part of the family. 

Luckily, we are close to Millstreet as it takes three trips to get all the show gear, feed and heifers to the show. So as you can imagine, Wednesday was hectic. 

We want to have all the heifers settled in the night so they can relax in their new surroundings. It really does take a team to ensure that number of heifers are looked after at a show and prepared for the show ring, and it is crucial that everyone gets sleep, gets fed and looks out for each other. 

Pete drafted in cattle fitter Richard Jones for the show - not only is he an expert at preparing dairy stock, but also very good at managing a team and Becky has become good friends with him over the last 12 months. 

Long before we ever get to a show, the team plays a part, Coolcower vets are a huge part of that team ensuring the animals can stay healthy in preparation for their trips away from home.

With Becky, Rachael and Richard working together, all the heifers got numerous washes and the final touches with the clipping machine on Thursday, allowing myself and Pete time to get the farm organized, get milking done and have all the pens freshly bedded so the heifers would be cosy once they would arrive home from the show.

The show kicked off early in the afternoon and first up was the IHFA Showmanship League final under the expert eye of judge Alison Lawrie from Scotland, who has huge experience, having come up through the HYB ranks in the UK. 

Georgie was first into the ring, with a cold biting wind whipping into the cattle stalls and also the show ring, it was unsettling for a lot of heifers, but as Alison put the handlers through their paces, Georgie finished a very credible second place after what has been a fantastic season for her. 

Becky followed up in the next class and went right to the top of the line, winning the IHFA Intermediate Showmanship League final. 

It truly was a proud moment watching her as she won the Intermediate showmanship at all three National shows this year and finished off just as she had started winning the showmanship at Expo back in early April.

Renowned Jersey breeder and dairy judge Ashley Fleming was taking charge of judging all the dairy stock, with junior Jerseys showing on Friday night, we had two more to get ready for the ring. 

Georgie was first in with Rathard Chocochip Dream Du Chalain, the youngest little heifer in the ring as she is March born out of our 13-year-old cow that Pete showed during the summer aka Granny, Dream topped the line and it really was a dream for us finally winning our first ever class at the National Dairy Show and also breeding the calf. 

It was a special moment seeing our daughter show the daughter of a cow that is so special to us. Looking at how Dream is developing, she will have a big future given she is so juvenile but so stylish, she won her first class at Cork Summer Show and went on to win at the National Calf Show, the National Livestock Show and the National Dairy show.

At Millstreet, she went on to take Reserve Champion Junior Jersey with Gary and Izzy Jones stunning autumn-born heifer standing champion. 

Rachael took up the halter on Rathard Kasey taking second place in the maiden jersey heifer class. With a successful evening in the showring, it was time for a team dinner and it was great for the seven of us to sit down and enjoy the moment whilst having some welcome food and a warm cup of tea.

Saturday is always the big day at Millstreet; Rachel took up the halter on our January-born Twizzle heifer, finishing 8th, which we were happy with as she will always be a better cow. 

Georgie was next in with Rathard Unix Adina, this is a heifer that has improved all season and Georgie has had so much success all year with her in the showmanship and also stood reserve champion Holstein back at Midleton show in May.

She might have been the youngest handler and youngest heifer in the class, but Ashley put them top of the line for the red ribbon, another homebred winner, and he commented after that he loved her femininity. 

Unix breeds super cows, and she will undoubtedly improve all the way. Becky finished seventh with Rathard Legend Maker Adina before swapping outside the ring to go straight back in with Jones Chief JayZ finishing second and then swapping to take my Papoose heifer to finish fifth, which I was delighted with as Papoose was the smallest heifer in the class but is very correct and real dairy, we really only bought her to the show to educate her so she can hopefully go back next year as a milker.

The last class for us at the show was the two-year-old heifer class, our first time showing a milker at Millstreet. 

A special moment for us with a special heifer, Eedy Rubicon Acclaim, which we purchased from the Helen family in September 2022.

Acclaim calved in August, and we got her classified her 10 days before the show going VG87, which we were delighted with as she is only 25 months old. 

I loved every minute of seeing her in the show ring with Becky; she has tremendous power for her age, very correct legs and feet. 

She finished second in the class, which we were delighted with as she was the youngest heifer in the ring and a junior two-year-old heifer class would always suit her better. 

I think she will develop a lot from being shown and who knows, it might be a trip northward before the end of the year. 

For now, it is a case of putting the show halters away in a warm dry space after what has been a truly memorable show season.