Paula Hynes: The team goes camping at Tullamore

Judge Stacey O'Sullivan with Rathard Kasey, overall best Jersey udder at Tullamore show and the 2nd-placed best udder senior cow.

It has been many years since we have been camping but with the tent resurrected from the attic, airbeds and sleeping bags packed along with two days' worth of cattle feed and our show gear, we headed off to Tullamore Show for the FBD National Livestock Show. 

It was our first time taking a milker to the show and it was better to stay on site so we could keep a watchful eye over her through the night along with the four younger heifers we had with us. Becky had the show team clipped, however, she chose to stay at home and keep an eye on the heifers which are close to calving. 

Saturday at the show was spent washing heifers, and final touches up in the clipping crate all of which was straightforward, but pitching the tent was a real test of patience. However, with a little teamwork our accommodation was ready for residents.

Sunday

Sunday morning was an early rise as all our animals were showing in the early classes, two in the Holstein ring and three in the Jersey ring. I had my show whites on as I was taking up the halter with Rathard Kasey. 

I had shown her at the Dungarvan show and was glad of the opportunity to get to know her on the halter as Tullamore was a big weekend for her given she had won there as a calf and again as a maiden heifer so three in a row was a possibility. Callum was also with us and showing at what was only his second time in the show ring. 

Unfortunately, the Holstein ring was clashing with the Jersey ring so two friends of ours showed the Holstein heifers in the January class. Rathard Chocochip Khaleesi started our day off on a winning note standing in the top spot in the Jersey heifer calf class. She is Kasey's first calf and had a super season, winning seven classes this year along with National Colourbreed champion. 

R athard Chocochip Dream followed up the success by winning the Jersey Maiden heifer class; she had previously won the calf class at Tullamore in 2023. Georgie and Callum went head-to-head in the Jersey showmanship class finishing in 2 nd and 3 rd place, a super result for Callum in a big class.

With the junior heifers finished, I walked Kasey into the ring for the Jersey Heifer in milk, I was a little nervous but Kasey knows her job well and she showed really well for me, claiming the top spot, a milestone for her achieving the three in a row at Tullamore. 

She also won best udder in the class and there is always a sense of pride in walking a milker out of the show ring with that red ribbon on the tail. A quick refresh to prepare for the championship while the senior jersey cows were showing, we had three Jerseys through to the championship and with a packed ringside, all first- and second-placed Jerseys entered the ring for the finale. 

The championship

Judge Stacey O'Sullivan cast her eye over her prize winners before selecting her final four and Kasey was still in with a chance, but it was extra special to see her calf Khaleesi making the final four with Georgie, a moment where mother and daughter got to show together in the ring. 

As we lined up across the centre of the ring, Stacey gave her final comments before a final deliberation over the four Jerseys she had selected. The Senior cow was tapped the champion with Kasey taking reserve champion and the second-placed senior cow taking the honourable mention. 

I was even more delighted when Stacey awarded overall best Jersey udder to Kasey, a huge success f or the team as with these big shows it takes a massive effort. 

Richard Jones had been busy all morning prepping our team in the clipping crate and hadn’t an idle moment but he truly had Kasey looking superb on what is her final show of the season as she has had a busy year attending five shows since April and deserves a rest before she calves again in January. 

It was Dream's final show for this year as well, as she is also calving in January. 

Khaleesi has another few outings left, she has superb confirmation and it was interesting to see the latest proof runs this week as her sire Avonlea Chocochip is the number two ranked Jersey sire for confirmation at +14 and Khaleesi isn’t too far behind him as she scored +12 for confirmation on her genotype.

Strength to strength

Tullamore is a show that is going from strength to strength, it was by far the biggest crowd I have ever seen attend the show this year and the organisers deserve huge credit for the effort they put in. 

I think Tullamore is becoming more successful than the National Ploughing championships and it certainly has scope to become a two-day show. 

I know some were giving out about the traffic delays getting in and out of the show on the Sunday but I doubt the organisers and traffic management could have foreseen the increased attendance and no doubt they will re-plan traffic management for next year's show so it runs a little more smoothly. 

We were lucky as traffic had cleared by the time we left, Kasey had one last opportunity to grace the show ring in 2024 as I got to walk her in the parade of champions where we also collected her parade of champions rosette and her silver medal before loading up for the long road home arriving back into the yard at 11.30pm.

On the farm

There was lots more to celebrate on the farm this week as autumn calving started. Jones Chief JayZ gave birth to a super little Sidekick heifer, JayZ was really successful for us as a heifer and finished her season with a big win in Belfast last December. 

It is nice to finally see her milking and hopefully she will progress well over the next few months and possibly return to the show ring in Belfast. 

A third lactation cow also gave birth to a set of Charolais twins this week and all are doing fine. 

We also attended the CHFC barbecue and herds competition awards during the week. Acclaim won the heifer in milk award and we were also placed second with our group of three senior cows. It was nice for Becky to get to collect the awards before she headed back to the UK and she has a busy few weeks ahead now prepping animals for sales, photographs and also a few shows to attend there, 

The house always seems a little quieter without her but at least I will get to catch up with her in two weeks' time when myself and Georgie go over to a show at the end of August.