From social media to show ring: Black Betty takes centre stage

TikTok sensation Black Betty, alongside her owners, siblings Katie and Eamon Shanahan, has set their sights on the Cork Summer Show following her debut at Belgooly this May

Katie Shanahan with brother Eamon Shanahan and Black Betty prepping ahead of the Cork Summer Show. Pictures: Pat Calnan, Glandore

With summer approaching, agricultural shows are back in focus — and West Cork’s Katie Shanahan is preparing to take to the cattle ring.

After kicking off her showing circuit by coming in second place in the Belgooly & District Agricultural Show, which celebrated its 80th year in May, and a whole calendar full of Cork and local shows, Ms Shanahan has set her sights on the Cork Summer Show this June with her internet sensation, Black Betty.

Black Betty, a Belgian Blue crossed with a Limousine cross heifer, was “instantly a stand-out” in the Gortatlea mart, snapped up by Ms Shanahan’s brother, Eamon, at 1.30 am.

Ms Shanahan comes from a pedigree Charolais sheep farm background and splits her time between the home farm with her parents, Raymond and Sheila Shanahan, and tending to her own small flock of sheep and being a dancing teacher.

She completed her green cert in Clonakilty while also completing her master's in marketing at UCC. Ms Shanahan previously worked at HerdWatch, but returned to farming, saying: “it’s a passion, not a job.” 

Originally started during the covid lockdown, Ms Shanahan began posting TikToks and content around life on the farm, showcasing lambing and rural life, while also exhibiting the realities.

Posting under her handle ‘k8_eeee’, Ms Shanahan shares Betty’s training and farm life with more than 150,000 TikTok followers, over 36 thousand on Instagram and almost 10 thousand on Facebook. Black Betty is a star before she's even set foot in a ring.

I show the good and the bad because obviously there's both on the farm, but I always just try to connect with everybody rather than just other farmers because I think it's important to spread the word of agriculture, and especially Irish farming, to everybody.

New additions to the farm alongside Betty are eight commercial heifers that range from Belgian Blues, Limousines and Charolais. The family had shown sheep in the past but decided to give cattle showing a try once they realised how calm the young Black Betty was.

“She was instantly a standout in terms of how she looked, but mainly her temperament,” said Ms Shanahan, as she explained Betty would look for and actively accept scratches and handling even in the mart ring with her brother Eamon.

“She has savage conformation, great length. There's so much power in her; her previous owners had done a fantastic job prepping her, grooming her and getting her ready.” 

The family adore Betty, and with her excellent temperament, even the nieces and nephews, even those without a farming background, can all get involved to help out with her training.

“I think it's great to be able to not only show people in the farming community, but also beyond the farming community. That's what Cork Summer Show is all about as well; it's about not just having people from the farming community there, but having people from all walks of life, coming together to celebrate agriculture and so much more.” 

With Black Betty’s easy temperament, training hasn’t been entirely conventional, with a few initial steps skipped.

“I think a lot of people in the showing industry will probably be upset with how easy we've had it with her,” Ms Shanahan explained, saying that Betty took to the halter immediately, with their biggest issue being encouraging her to actually move.

Katie Shanahan and Black Betty ahead of the Cork Summer Show.

A typical day starts with Betty getting some grub in the morning before she is groomed to get her used to the routine and handling, as well as settling her down.

Then she will be haltered and snaffled while in the shed before she is walked down to the paddock. Ms Shanahan will get a few circuits done with Betty and practise her standing and presentation.

Ms Shanahan told the Irish Examiner that in the past, she had helped show sheep with her father and brothers, but cattle showing was a “completely different story”. She said small things that might be second nature to others who showcase their animals in the ring were all a learning curve for her.

“Even I’m learning how to correctly stand an animal and, using the stick to scratch her belly… It might seem like small things to people in the industry, but to me, it's like: How do I do this? And what way should she be standing? So it's a lesson for Betty, but it's also a huge lesson for me.

I didn't think I'd ever be buying mousse and all this for styling an animal.

Every couple of days, Betty also gets a wash to keep her skin and hair clean and healthy. Ms Shanahan has friends who show cattle, who offer tips and advice and are even going to clip Betty’s coat for the show.

“We're having fun doing it, and I think family farming, that's what it's all about, doing something together, having fun, learning a new skill, and we've met a lot of people along the way. I think the farming community can be great that way in helping each other out.” 

Aside from her friends and neighbours, Ms Shanahan has also had some tips and tricks from social media.

Explaining her methods, Ms Shanahan actively seeks out advice from people online and her followers to offer up suggestions or tips to do better with her training with Betty. 

“I've gotten so many helpful comments from other people in the industry, which really, really help. I might put up a video saying, how do I do this? Or what would be a better way of doing this? And the help I've received online has been great,” she said.

Ms Shanahan particularly enjoys making farming more accessible for young people from all walks of life “I get so many messages and comments online saying, ‘oh my God, I never knew that's how that happens’, or, ‘I'm from a town and love watching your content’. So I try to focus less on the technical comments and the technical ways of my videos, and I put a lot of effort into trying to connect with normal people who might not necessarily know what's going on,” Ms Shanahan told the Irish Examiner.

Looking ahead to the Cork Summer Show, Ms Shanahan said aside from showing Black Betty on the Saturday in the crossbreed class, she is looking forward to the music and activities.

“I love my music. I love my dancing. They always have a big music stage with a dance floor. Like I'm sure there's, I think there's like 200 events and attractions there. There's going to be something for somebody no matter what you're into… 

I'm excited to see the agri-aware talks and demonstration marquee. So you'll have a live working farm experience. There's going to be milking cows and machinery demonstrations, and just so much there for people to see if they haven't seen it before what goes on the farm and the types of things to expect from people who work on a farm.” 

For those eager to see the internet sensation in action, Black Betty and Ms Shanahan will take to the ring on Saturday, June 20. Whether she brings home a rosette or not, it’s clear that for Ms Shanahan, this experience is about far more than competition: it’s about family, community, and the pride of showcasing Irish farming to a wider audience.