The Beef Inter-Breed Championship at Saintfield Show 2025 was won by Alan Wilson from Newry with his exceptional Simmental cow, Ballinalare Nikita.
She entered the ring at the Co. Down show looking very fetching with twin calves at foot.
Simmental judge, Will Short, from Omagh in Co Tyrone, described his champion as an exceptional animal, full of breed character.
Nikita enjoyed an exceptional career as a heifer, winning the Simmental National Championships in Northern Ireland on two occasions. And she is now set to continue on her winning ways as a young cow.
Helping to make Saintfield Show 2025 such a success was a combination of the weather and the location. The sun shone throughout the day, thereby ensuring that host venue Glenbrook Farm looked at its best.
The Beef Inter-Breed Reserve at the event went to Robert Miller from Moneymore, with his truly eye-catching, red Limousin-cross heifer, Barbie Spice.
Earlier in the day, she had won Saintfield’s Commercial Beef Championship. The young animal is having a show season to remember and seems to improve with every outing.
The show’s distinct red theme was completed by the line-up for the Aberdeen Angus champion class.
Judge John Henning takes up the story:
“I have never judged an all-red, Aberdeen-Angus championship class. The animals looked an absolute picture in the ring.”
According to Henning, red Aberdeen Angus numbers continue to increase around the world, now making up to 50% of breed numbers in some countries.
He tapped out a two-year old heifer, Glenbrae Red Mouse Z166, as his champion.
Bred and exhibited by the Dodd family from Saintfield, she is due to calve later in the year. The heifer has already enjoyed tremendous success so far in 2025, competing well at at Balmoral, Lurgan, and Armagh Shows.
The Sheep Inter-Breed Championship at Saintfield was won by Liam Doyle from Ballyward in Co. Down with a Suffolk ram lamb. He is having another tremendous show season.
A record entry of 350 sheep took part in the competition classes catalogued for Saintfield with all breeds well represented.
Trevor Fegan from Banbridge judged the Hampshire Down classes. He noted a growing interest in this very traditional low land breed.
Fegan told Agriland: “We have many young breeders coming on board. And this is being reflected in the Hampshire Down entry numbers at all the shows this year. And the quality of th sheep is also improving.”
Tom Green, from Lincolnshire, judged the Jacob classes at Saintfield 2025, and said he was very impressed with both the numbers entered for the various classes and the quality of the sheep presented to him.
Green said: “Jacob cross ewes are very maternal: they make great mothers. The eating quality of Jacob-bred lambs is also excellent.”
