Paula Hynes: Bring the show ring to the cattle lines with a big screen
The Hynes family were awarded Ornua Premier Breeder and Eurogene Premier Exhibitor at this year's National Dairy Show. Picture: Mathias Penn
What an amazing FBD National Dairy Show 2026, and massive congratulations to all from the Cork Holstein Friesian Club for running such a fantastic show.
From start to finish, there was a very relaxed atmosphere along the cattle lines, which made it so easy to manage the show team, and the ringside was packed with spectators right the way through the show.
I am sure the show committee and volunteers are relieved to have a rest now after all the hard work, and they truly deserve a round of applause as the show goes from strength to strength every year.
And I have one suggestion to make it even better — a big screen allowing those preparing cattle behind the scenes to follow the action in the ring.
Just imagine screens above the fitters’ crates showing the action from the ring via the livestream, so everyone can see what’s happening as animals are being prepared for classes. Given that the show is already livestreamed online, it could be very easily doable too.
Georgie always kicks off the show for us as a junior handler, and she didn’t disappoint this year again as she claimed top spot in the FBD National YMA Junior Showmanship League Final for the second year in a row. It has been an amazing year for her as she has won all three national titles in showmanship.
Aisling placed in the league final and again placed sixth in the novice junior showmanship class. Becky finished second in the FBD YMA Senior Showmanship League Final.
Aoife Prunty was working with us again and claimed second place in the novice senior showmanship and went on to be tapped out as honourable mention in the novice showmanship championship.
The Friday night in the show ring always finishes with the Junior Jersey classes. Rathard Classic Khassidy and Rathard Ghost Kohana claimed first and second place in the January-born Jersey heifer class, while Rathard Choco Kalani and Rathard Sting Kaela took the top two spots in the Jersey maiden heifer class.
Four through to the championship, and judge Mark Logan tapped out Khassidy as Junior Jersey Champion, capably shown by Ben Jones, while Kohana claimed the Reserve Champion place with Georgie.
Read More
With the showing complete for day one, it was straight back to work exercising the cows and washing the show team before feeding the hungry team of helpers.
We attended the Jersey Cattle Association of Ireland awards that evening, where both Kasey and Kali scooped awards. This is the second year the JCAI has held an awards ceremony, and it is wonderful to see the effort being put in by the association to promote the Jersey breed in Ireland.
I pinch myself when I say day two of the show, as for most of us we actually work right through Friday night getting the show team ready for a 9am start in the show ring. Show classes can be won or lost on the cattle lines if animals are not eating correctly.
Aisling was first in with Ember, taking a sixth-place rosette. Essence then stood fourth in the February class, which was won by a heifer owned by Gordon Kingston.
Becky was prepping the heifers for Gordon, having clipped them a number of weeks ago, and Gordon was a huge asset to our team as well all week, working on the cattle lines all week. We certainly wouldn’t have managed the show team without him.
Aoife and Georgie were next into the ring with Aria and SK Acclaim, with Aria claiming the red rosette and Acclaim taking fifth place.
Aria is a really exciting heifer sired by Haniko. We showed her early in the season, where she won her class, and then we switched her off for a while to let her develop.
Anna and Sparkle placed fourth and fifth, respectively, finishing off a fantastic Junior Holstein section with all our heifers placing in the top six.
With heifers finished showing, the work rate really ramps up getting the cows ready for the ring. It was a big decision for us to put two Jersey cows head to head in the show ring.
Rathard Kasey EX92 is due to be dried off shortly. She was champion Jersey in 2025 at the show and is the dam of the 2025 Junior Champion and granddam of the 2026 Junior Champion, a huge achievement for what is only a third calver.
Our other cow, Potterswalls Victorious Cash, only joined us in August of 2025, when we began halter training her before she went on to win the Jersey heifer in milk class at the National Dairy Show.
She is freshly calved on her second lactation with a wonderful Goldorak-sired heifer calf. She was classified VG89 at four weeks fresh and also added the Cashel Blue Dairy Cow of the Year title to her resume since she calved.
The goal was to take a one-two in the class, but both cows had to be looking their very best.
Kasey claimed best udder as well and went on to stand Grand Champion Jersey for the second year in a row, with Cash taking Reserve Champion.
We are so proud to have bred Kasey and she has achieved so much for us so far: back-to-back champions in both National Livestock Show and the National Dairy Show, a true brood cow being the dam of two national champions. Absolutely everything from that cow family wins in the show ring.
Cash is such an exciting young cow and now begins her preparation for the RUAS Winter Fair.
We topped the show off by winning Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor for the second year in a row.
Shows like the FBD National Dairy Show don’t happen for us without a great team of handlers. Georgie, Becky, Aisling, Aoife, Ben and Pete really delivered in the ring, but the behind-the-scenes work is mammoth, and a huge thanks to Richard, Pauric, Gordon, Aoife, Kieran, Paul, Emma and Cliona for all the hard work.
I must give a special mention to Jack King from Northern Ireland, who also put a lot of work into getting the team ready for the ring.
Next stop Italy, as the suitcase gets packed this week.
