A record entry of almost 1,200 animals competed in the sheep classes at Omagh Show 2025, with judging continuing until late in the afternoon.
The Inter-Breed Championship was awarded to an eye-catching Blue Texel ewe from the Castlederg, Co. Tyrone flock of Samantha Allen and Allen Shortt.
Judge Rob Rennie – from Kelso in Scotland – described his champion as a tremendous example of the breed.
He said: “She has tremendous breed character and carcase quality. The ewe would stand out in any competition.”
Rennie also reflected on the general standard of the sheep competing at Omagh.
He said: “This is my first time in Northern Ireland. The quality of the sheep taking part in all the classes catalogued for the show was exceptional.”
Meanwhile,the elite Simmental cow, Ballinalare Farm Nikita, took pride of place at Omagh, winning the Grand Slam of titles – the Supreme Cattle Championship of the event; the Beef Inter-Breed Championship; and the Simmental Championship.
What is more, she achieved this remarkable treble with her two calves at foot.
It is turning out to be a summer to remember for the first-calved Simmental heifer, owned and bred by the Wilson family, who farm close to Newry in Co. Down.
Her Omagh success makes it three in a row inter-breed beef championships, after also taking the gong at Saintfield and Newry shows.
Andrew Ewing, from Dumfries in Scotland, judged the beef inter-breed championship class at Omagh Show 2025.
He described his champion as an almost perfect example of the Simmental breed.
According to Ewing: “She has tremendous style and the fact that she has the two calves at foot confirms her breeding ability for the future.”
Nikita enjoyed an exceptional career as a heifer, winning the Simmental National Championships on two occasions. And she is now set fair to break even more breed records as a young cow.
The final cattle class of the day saw the beef and dairy inter-breed champions coming into the show ring together.
And while the Simmental cow eventually carried the day, it was a close run thing. Nikita found herself coming up against the elite Holstein cow: Slatabogie Lambda Gold.
By common consent, the young Holstein cow looked an absolute picture in the ring. She calved for the second time three months ago and is currently giving 55L of milk per day.
Lambda Gold won the 2024 Bailey’s In Milk Heifer Championship at Virginia Show. She then went on to secure the Second Calver Dairy Championship at this year’s Balmoral Show.
Meanwhile the commercial beef classes at Omagh marked the continuing success of the extremely eye-catching Limousin cross heifer, Baby Spice.
Owned and exhibited by Moneymore farmer, Robert Miller, the young animal is having a show season to remember.
