Paula Hynes: A new arrival at the Dairy Show
Paula Hynes, Aherla, Cork, sitting among her Jersey calves, Kalani and Glamour, with her grandaughter eight-week-old Fiadh, the youngest person at the 43rd National Dairy Show at the Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan
Last weekend we attended the AXA National Dairy Show in Millstreet and with a big team entered, there was lots of help required so the dream team were back to work with us.
Becky and Richard clipped the entire team on Tuesday and then they departed for the show on Wednesday morning. Four trailer loads of animals and two more trailers full of feed and equipment. It is easy to set up at a show when everyone knows the role they have to play, Pauric set up all the water drinkers and head cards along with neck chains, lime was raked into the sawdust bedding to lessen the risk of cows getting mastitis, Richard set up the clipping crate and Katherine set up our home from home kitchen. Once the animals arrived it was all hands on deck to get them washed, tops and tails brushed and animals fed. Thursday was an easier day, rest time for the animals, time to ensuring they were eating well and every animal was put through the clipping crate again to ensure they looked flawless for the show ring. Great credit to the show organizers who laid on better facilities this year for exhibitors and also organised a fantastic barbecue on the Thursday evening for all exhibitors.
Friday gets busy quick, show day and all the Junior jersey heifers showing so it was a constant case of offering them hay and haylage to ensure they had a show fill. Our Granddaughter Fiadh made her first appearance at a show on Wednesday and Firday so there was cuddles galore for her from all our friends. The afternoon kicked off with the IHFA Showmanship League finals judged by Andrea Rafferty. Georgie claimed top spot in the Junior Showmanship League final.
Becky claimed third place in the Senior Showmanship League final. Richards' two sons Ben and Charlie Jones were also showing with us and both were competing in the novice showmanship under judge Cord Hormann from Germany. With Ben finishing 6th and Charlie finishing in 5th place it was a successful afternoon in showmanship classes.
In the Junior Jersey section we had two heifers competing in the 2025 born heifer class, Georgie was on the strap with Rathard Choco Kalani, we’ve felt all year that this is one of the best heifers we’ve bred, Ben was in charge was Rathard Choco Kaira whom he showed in Tullamore. Cord gave Kalani the red ribbon, calling her an easy winner of the class with Kaira in third place. In the 2024-born heifer class we had Potterswalls Knox Glamour, a heifer we are really excited about but feel she won’t be where we want her for another few months, my class companion was Rathard Choco Khaleesi who was a little on the fat side as she is due to calve in early January. Becky guided Glamour into second place and then it was championship time.
With the top three in each class lined up across the centre of the ring, Cord tapped out Kalani as Junior Jersey Champion, saying she was an easy champion, from head to tail she was everything you would want in a heifer, Kalani is a daughter of Kasey and a heifer that will most likely go to the Winter Fair now. Day one over and it was time to enjoy Katherines Lasagne and a brief celebration before all the animals were washed and clean for Saturday morning. Petes Aunt had passed away earlier in the week as we departed for the show , it was a poignant moment with her funeral beginning at the same time the Jersey classes were scheduled. Myself and Pete were going head to head in the Jersey Heifer in milk, Pete working with Potterswalls Victorious Cash while I had my trusted companion Rathard Choco Kali, with Cash on her first outing in the show ring, she is a tricky heifer to work with but one we are very excited to develop, she took the red ribbon and best udder with Kali in second place. It was a quick turnaround for Pete as he handed Cash to Pauric who had Rathard Kiki waiting outside the ring.
Kiki is the dam of Kasey and Kali, just calved five weeks ago, Pete halter broke straight away and has been working with her since, she really has taken to it so well and seemed to really enjoy her first show although her udder was a little too fresh. It was a magic moment to see Kasey and Kiki in the show ring together for the Jersey cow in milk class, a massive show for Kiki to have two daughters and three granddaughters competing in the ring. With a big class of cows, Kasey was pulled into first place ahead of Jones Ferdinand Cupid with Kiki standing in 4th, a huge result for Kasey as she is such a young cow, only on her second lactation and due to clave again in early January. Jersey Championship time and it truly was a special moment for myself, Pete, Becky and Georgie to be lined up in the centre of the ring at a national show for a championship. Judge Cord Hormann tapped Kasey out as Grand Champion, commenting after in his reasons “I can not recall seeing a better Jersey cow than this in Europe”, strong words from such a renowned judge but Kasey has had five outings this year and stood champion on all five occasions, she is a cow with tremendous body and balance and just keeps improving and has stamped herself as a great brood cow with two very successful daughters already.
With the team finished showing, Pete milked of the four Jersey cows, the rest of the team worked with Matt Flanagan to help get his cow into the ring who went on to claim Reserve Champion Holstein and as Pete pulled up the trailer ready to load the four cows for home, we were called back to the show ring as we had won both the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor awards, a huge accolade for the farm and the work we do at home breeding and also a huge accolade for the entire team, for Richard who has worked so closely with us over the last few years and always ensures our best are turned out to perfection at shows, he is family to us at this stage, Pauric who has been working with us at shows all season and does a tremendous job of feeding them at the shows, it’s a team effort and the team is even bigger at home, Brendan Greenan doing the hoof trimming and has done a lot of corrective work over the last 12 months, Coolcower Vets how keep them fit and healthy, Vet Claire was out Sunday evening to ensure all the Jersey cows were in good nick after a busy show and thankfully they were although quite tired, especially Cash as it was only her first outing. Most of the animals go on a rest now, Kasey and Kali will be dried of shortly and all that is left is to plan what few will travel to Belfast in December.
