Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney (and his daughter Beth) were on hand to congratulate Pat and Derek Frawley, from Croagh, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, and their cow handler Stephen McLoughlin, when they won the prestigious Maverick Golden Vale Cup, presented by Kerry Agri Business at Charleville Agricultural Show last weekend.

Cork colours did well at last Sunday’s Clonakilty Show — with a red and white Holstein winning a top championship.

Visitors were treated to a show of top class horses at last Saturday’s Belgooly Show which required lengthy deliberations before the judges could name their supreme horse champion.

Their achievements at Bandon Show last Sunday hold out promise of another good year for top national exhibitors Seamus Lehane and Ricky Barrett.

TOP horse exhibitor at last year’s Dublin Horse Show, Seamus Lehane, continued his domination of shows in his native West Cork, at last week’s Carbery Show in Skibbereen.

YOU can take a winner at Clonakilty Agricultural Show anywhere.

IF it’s Belgooly Show day, the sun will shine.

ONE of the best venues in Ireland — that was the verdict of Irish Shows Association national president John O’Hara from Co Mayo at last Sunday’s Bandon Show.

THE Netherlands won the Meydan FEI Nations Cup at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show yesterday followed by Ireland in joint second place with the United States of America.

WEST Cork exhibitor Seamus Lehane had a highly successful visit to Limerick Show, where he took both the young horse and filly championships.

DENIS LYNCH is adamant Ireland can avoid relegation from the Meydan Nations Cup Series.

CLARE exhibitor Tom Casey had an early showing season double at Bandon last Sunday, where he won the young horse and three-year-old horse championships.

MUNSTER breeders showed the overall champion and reserve, the senior and junior champions and the reserves at the Irish Aberdeen Angus Association’s All-Ireland finals at Tinahely Show in Co Wicklow.

A SPLENDID four-year-old gelding, Woodfield Indy, won the ridden hunter championship at the 92nd Dungarvan Show for Rosemary Connors, Woodstown, Co Waterford.

FOUR of the last five Cork county beef bull championships at Carbery Show have gone to Midleton breeder John O’Grady.

A THREE-YEAR-OLD bay gelding won the young horse championship for a Limerick exhibitor at Cork Summer Show.

THERE was keen early season competition in the various horse and cattle classes at Bandon Show last Sunday.

ONE of the high points of the Irish sport horse breeding year again attracted big interest at Limerick Show.

A FOUR-year-old brown gelding was the champion ridden hunter at Dungarvan Show for Co Limerick exhibitor Abbie Shannon. Binders’ Cove, a lightweight hunter, is by Colin Diamond out of Madonna Hill.

EARLY season showing form was maintained at the 63rd Belgooly Show where familiar winners from earlier competitions came out on top again.

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD won the Maverick All-Ireland junior pedigree cow class at Charleville Agricultural Show for father and son exhibitors John and Gary Hurley, Clonpaddin, Arklow, Co Wicklow.

BREEDERS from the North served notice at the two-day Cork Summer Show that their dominance of the major horse shows south of the border is set to continue.

AQUILA, a five-year-old mare by Quiletto out of a Mr Lord mare, bred by Paul and Jan Turfery, Caheragh, owned by Brian Mangan, Fermoy, and ridden by Rose Marie Ahern, Carhue, Bandon, dominated the hunter classes at Clonakilty Show.

WEST Cork breeder Seamus Lehane, Ballymacowen, Clonakilty, won another young horse championship at Midleton Show, held in the mart grounds in Knockgriffin last Sunday.

LIVESTOCK exhibitors are back on the roads of Munster, heading across the county lines in search of winners’ red rosettes.

BREEDING came to the fore in the Irish Horse Board-sponsored Limerick Lady championship at the Limerick Show.

WEST Cork breeder Seamus Lehane continued a marvellous season at Carbery Show in Skibbereen where he captured the Cork County yearling championship and the young horse championship.

A RECORD attendance of more than 20,000 flocked to Charleville’s two-day agricultural show last weekend to view some of the finest sport horses and livestock, and a huge range of attractions ranging from modified cars to pets.

WEXFORD-bred horses won the ridden hunter championship and the reserve honours for a Co Down exhibitor at last Sunday’s Cork Summer Show.

THE rivalry between West Cork horse breeders was at its best during the Clonakilty Show, where they vied for most of the top honours in the showing classes.

WINNING the champion ridden hunter award at a show for the second successive weekend is no mean achievement.

A RISE in the number of cattle entries at shows so far this season continued at Clonakilty where 200 animals from the main breeds were entered for various classes.