Balmoral Show 2022 judges line-up announced - Here is the full list for this year’s classes

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society has announced an “exceptional line-up” of judges for this year’s Balmoral Show.

The 153rd Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank, is taking place from Wednesday 11 May to Saturday 14 May.

As Northern Ireland’s largest agri-food event, the show attracts a high calibre of judges from across the UK, Ireland and further afield, all bestowed the honour of crowning the Champions of Show.
This year, sheep classes make a welcome return with three new breeds added to the line-up including Valais Blacknose judged by Brian Matthews and Berrichon and Bleu Du Maine judged by Clarke Lamont and Ian McConnell respectively.

The Sheep Young Handlers will be judged by local man, Michael Graham from Antrim.

Beef cattle have a strong line-up of classes and the difficult task of judging the Champion of Champions and Junior Championship falls to Mike Durno from Ballindalloch.

Beef Interbreed Performance and Stock Judging classes will be judged by Cork man, Albert De Cogan.

The Beef Pairs, Group Championships will be overseen by William Smith from Co. Meath, while the Beef Young Handlers will be judged by Marie Louise Ryan from Thurles.

In the Dairy section, Iwan Morgan from Carmarthenshire will be tasked with judging both the Dairy Cattle and Dairy Young Handlers.

Beanie Sturgis from Wiltshire and Vincent Seddon, Gloucestershire, will be judging the Hunters, while the Performance Ridden Irish Draught will be judged by George Chapman, Jane Gilchrist and Jane Collins.

This year the Racehorse to Riding horse class will be overseen by renowned trainer WP Mullins and retired National Hunt jockey, Richard Johnston.

The newly titled ‘Balmoral Star of the Future’ Performance Horse Championships will be judged by Eric Smiley.

In the fold, there will be a full complement of judges from the province overseeing the shearing classes.

This year the Balmoral Show will host the Six Nations Machine Shearing Championships with competitors travelling from Northern Ireland, Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and France.

Judging the goats will be Vickie Hardy from Kirby, while young handlers will be overseen by Vaughan Byrne from Dromara.

Andrew Warriner from York will take control of the pig classes, while the Pig Pairs will be judged by former RUAS president Cyril Millar from Coleraine.

The poultry section will welcome Andy Marment from Cornwall, Ian Allonby from Cumbria and Kevin Dowrick from Cornwall.

Pigeons will be judged by Tandragee man, Cyril Beattie, while Shelled Eggs and Championship, Children’s Decorated Eggs will be overseen by Colin Clarke hailing from Norfolk.

Mark Stoddart from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society will be on site as judge of this year’s Trade Stand Awards, while the highly desired Champion of Champions title will be judge by BBC Radio Ulster’s very own Nicola Weir.

All tickets for this year’s show must be purchased online at www.balmoralshow.co.ukFull list of judges for this year’s Balmoral Show:

Horses & Ponies

Clydesdales, Farm Cart/Agricultural Vehicle, Heavy Trade Turnouts, Clydesdale Young Handlers

Jenette Farley, Carluke

Clydesdale Ridden

Jenette Farley, Carluke

Breeding & Young Stock

Magus Nicholson, North Yorkshire

Patricia Stirling, Selkirkshire

Hunters

Beanie Sturgis, Wiltshire

Vincent Seddon, Gloucestershire

Performance Ridden Irish Draught

George Chapman, Gorey

Jane Gilchrist, Perth

Jane Collins, New Port

Registered Irish Draught Ridden

Jane Gilchrist, Perth

Jane Collins, New Port

Cobs & Maxi Cobs

Jane Cooper, Dorest

Brian Storey, Carlisle

Coloured

Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire

Ladies Hunter Astride

Amelia Bevin, Suffolk

Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire

Riding Horses

Amelia Bevin, Suffolk

Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire

Ladies Side Saddle Balmoral Classic

Amelia Bevin, Suffolk

Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire

Working Hunter Horses

Beanie Sturgis, Wiltshire

Jody Sole, Suffolk

Small Working Hunter and Cob Working Hunter

Jane Cooper, Dorset

Brian Storey, Carlisle

Hackney / Private Driving and Trade Turnouts (Light)

Nigel Fuller, Essex

Racehorse to Riding horse

William Mullins, Carlow

Richard Johnston, Herefordshire

‘Balmoral Star of the Future’ Performance Horse Championships

Eric Smiley, Dorset

Children’s Ponies (Ridden)

Nigel Fuller, Essex

Janet Hoyle, Tottington

Working Hunter Ponies

Lyn Black, Glasgow

Charlotte Miller, Durham

Connemara Ponies and Ridden & Working Hunter

Robert Fallon, Galway

Cathy Snow, Galway

Donkey Classes

Karen Logan, Lancashire

Referee Judge

John Bamber, Dromore

Diane Gibson, Newtownabbey

Sheep

Beltex

Kevin Buckle, Cumbria

Berrichon

Clarke Lamont, Dumfries

Bleu Du Maine

Ian McConnell, Dumfries

Blue Texel

Martin Sivill, St Asaph

Bluefaced Leicester/Mules

Derek Hall, Midlothian

Border Leicester

John Mauchlen, Roxboroughshire

Charollais

Russell Gray, Lanark

Dorset Horn & Poll

Sam Driver, Derbyshire

Dutch Spotted

Pamela Parker, Lockerbie

Hampshire Down

Harry Middleditch, Suffolk

Ile de France

Clarke Lamont, Dumfries

Jacob

Lyndon Trumper, Monmouthshire

Kerryhill

Katie Esler, North Somerset

Lleyn

John Dugdale, North Yorkshire

North Country Cheviot

Tom Matthewson, Midlothian

Minority Breeds

Ernest Bainbridge, North Yorkshire

Rouge de l’Ouest

Ian McConnell, Dumfries

Suffolk

Andrew Wilson, Raphoe

Texel

Henry Gamble, Groomsport

Valais Blacknose

Brian Matthews, Killeigh

Zwartbles

Ally Baird, Dunblane

Interbreed Pairs of Ewe & Ram Lambs, Shearling Ewes and Rams

John North, North Yorkshire

Interbreed Pairs Championship, Group of Three

Andrew Walton, Northumberland

Interbreed Overall Championships

Brian McTaggart, Castle Douglas

Sheep Young Handlers

Michael Graham, Antrim

Goats

Goats

Vickie Hardy, Kirby

Goat Young Handlers

Vaughan Byrne, Dromara

Sheep Shearing

Adrian Caldwell, Co. Tyrone

Alan Crockett, Co. Tyrone

Alan Longstaff, Co. Antrim

Andrew Rankin, Dunbartenshire

Brendan Kelly, Co. Antrim

Brian Megahey, Co. Antrim

Bryan Wilson, Co. Antrim

Colin Crowe, Westmeath

David Jones, Co. Antrim

David O’Neill, Co Tyrone.

Fionan Butler, Co. Antrim

Ian Montgomery, Co. Antrim

Jack Robinson, Co. Londonderry

John Ivor Davis, Wales

Klaus Keifer, France

Peter Webber, Devon

Richard Schofield, North Yorkshire

Robin Kennedy, Co. Antrim

Seamus Kelly, Co Antrim.

Tom Dunne, Wicklow

Tom Perry, Co Tyrone

Wallace Boyd, Scotland

William Jones, Co Antrim

Pigs

Large White, Landrace, Pork Pigs, Interbreed Championships, Traditional Breeds, Pairs, Interbreed Championships

Andrew Warriner, York

Pig Pairs

Cyril Millar, Coleraine

Pig Young Handler

Pat McIver, Cossgar

Poultry, Pigeons, Eggs

Turkey, Waterfowl, Modern Game, Old English Game, Hard Feather, Bantams Large

Leon Smith, Norfolk

True Bantams

Andy Marment, Cornwall

Soft Feather (Light Large & Bantam)

Ian Allonby, Cumbria

Soft Feather (Heavy Large & Bantam)

Kevin Dowrick, Cornwall

Pigeons

Cyril Beattie, Tandragee

Shelled Eggs & Championship, Children’s Decorated Eggs

Colin Clarke, Norfolk

Beef Cattle

Aberdeen Angus

Brian Clarke, Norfolk

Hereford

PJ Budler, Texas

Charolais

Andrew Hornall, Stirling

Simmental

David Lowry, Lanark

Limousin

Mark Quick, Devon

British Blonde

William Laird, Fife

British Blue

Andrew Haste, Beaworthy

Salers

Iain Livesey, Melrose

Commercial

Dafydd Lewis, Llanwrda

Beef Shorthorn

Bobby Landers, Wigtownshire

Dexter

Mary Kay, Dorset

Irish Moiled

Derek Steen, Dumfries

Junior Championship and Champion of Champions

Mike Durno, Ballindalloch

Beef Group of 5 Native and Continental & Exhibitor Bred Pairs

Chris Pennie, Powys

Interbreed Performance Bulls & Heifers & Interbreed Stock Judging

Albert De Cogan, Co. Cork

Beef Pairs, Group Championships

William Smith, Co. Meath

Beef Young Handlers

Marie Louise Ryan, Thurles

Beef Presentation Award

Alex Woods, Banbridge

Renton Ledbetter, Cupar

Dairy Cattle

Dairy Cattle

Iwan Morgan, Carmarthenshire

Dairy Young Handlers

Iwan Morgan, Carmarthenshire

Dairy Presentation Award

Alex Woods, Banbridge

Renton Ledbetter, Cupar

Trade Stands

Mark Stoddart, Yorkshire Agricultural Society

Champion of Champions

Nicola Weir, BBC