Balmoral Charolais Reign Supreme
| Article Index |
|---|
| Balmoral Charolais Reign Supreme |
| Page 2 |
| Page 3 |
| All Pages |
Balmoral Show was definitely a grand slam for Charolais when the breed took the three Interbreed championships and a Reserve Junior Interbreed title.
All eyes were on Sportsman Columbo which Gilbert Crawford, Maghera and Joe Wilson, Newry purchased earlier this year and this quality sire certainly proved their judgement in paying a Perth equalling record price of 55,000gns.
When the outstanding two year old claimed the Charolais championship everyone was predicting further honours and he did not disappoint, for he then went on to meet the expectations of all of the beef judges and be crowned Beef Interbreed Champion. Columbo’s sire, Thrunton Voldermort was also a 55,000gn purchase and Columbo’s dam line goes back to the famous 27,000gn De Crespigny Debutante.
The Charolais success story didn’t end there as Columbo was determined to make an even greater impression on his first outing in Northern Ireland and when paired with two other animals which were also making their debut he helped claim the Interbreed pairs and Interbreed Group awards.
The triumphant Interbreed Pairs matching was Columbo along with Cyril Millar’s Glenleary Cathy. Cathy is a Doonally New daughter and is out of Darshams Newfunnan, a cow whose breeding line goes back to the famous De Crespigny Tombola. Cyril purchased the dam at the Paul Clements dispersal sale held in 2006,
To make the perfect trio and claim the Beef Interbreed group title this pair was joined by George and Gary Henderson’s Sandelford Ceara, a Doonally Prince daughter. Ceara’s dam is Sandlelford Seles which also bred Sandelford Bergkamp a former winner of the Marks and Spencer Beef Bull performance award at Balmoral.
Also making an impact on the cattle lawn was Ballylast Dan, an Oldstone Egbert son from Gregory Donnelly’s herd at Londonderry. This promising young bull, purchased privately in the South of Ireland for an undisclosed sum, is out of a dam by the French bull, Major, and went on to claim the junior Charolais championship and the reserve junior Interbreed championship.
Charolais entries were at their highest for many years at the 2009 Balmoral Show, and welcomed several new breeders to the show ring. The junior heifer class in particular with 17 entries was exceptional, and ensured that the packed gallery of spectators got value for money.
One of the best accolades for any beef sire is its success with the customer and the Charolais breed highlighted its impact in the commercial beef sector with some outstanding progeny in the commercial classes at Balmoral .One of these claimed the junior male and reserve supreme commercial championship, when Eoin Loughran from Cookstown brought out Laddy, a son of Ashleigh Victor, the reserve Charolais champion at Balmoral. William McAllister, Kells showed Duffy, by their stock bull, Balmyle Vagabond to claim the reserve junior championship. Vagabond was purchased at Perth for 16,000gns.