Dexter Cattle Society NI group dinner

After an excellent meal a surprise birthday celebration took place when Susan McCullough announced she had two ear tags and would the owners please come and claim them.

Two lovely cakes shaped as ear tags with the special birthdays of the chairman of the Dexter Society Mike Frazer and of Lachlan Henry inscribed on them were then enjoyed.

Next the company was introduced to the speaker, Zita McNaugher President of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster.

She spoke of this year’s change and Challenge to young farmers and gave a challenge to the society to put Dexter beef on the map.

Dexter is one of the best and healthiest meats on the market and needs to be widely advertised and enjoyed. Zita was then asked to present the trophies to the prize winners.

Starting with the Balmoral Show where the Presidents Cup for champion went to the McCullough family with Ballydavey Blossom and the reserve champion for the Dettingen cup was Rathnafishogue T-Bone and Ryan Lavery. The Premier Show at Antrim had a champion for the Northern Ireland Group Plaque in Northbrook Atlas from the Bloomer Family and reserve champion and the Harris Family Cup went to the McCullough family with Ballydavey Blossom. At Castlewellan Show the Montgomery family won both champion and reserve with Ballyloughan Kelpie and Ballyloughan Lola, collecting both the Co Down Sweeps Trophy and the Edenvale Cup. At RBST Gosford Show Northbrook Atlas claimed the RBST Rose bowl as champion for the Bloomer family and Ballydavey Blossom was reserve the McCullough family collecting the Brian Strong Memorial Trophy. Lurgan Show saw Ryan Lavery and Rathnafishogue T-Bone as champions and McCullough family with Saltire Spectre as reserve. Ryan and T Bone also won the George Savage Memorial Cup for traditional breed champion at Lurgan Show. The McCullough family won the Montgomery Cup at Ballymena Show.

There were a number of young handler awards at shows during the year. The Moomin Cup for Balmoral went to Hayden Tumelty. At Antrim Show the Lowerybane Cup for junior young handler went to Hannah Jackson and the Eccles Cup for Senior Young Handler to Matthew Bloomer. At Gosford Show there were two Bloomer family cups awarded. Junior young handler to Hannah Jackson and senior to Matthew Bloomer. A new young handler cup was presented, to the handler up to the age of 21, who gained most points over the five shows and it was presented by Bridie Smyth and family, in memory of her husband Patrick, to Lachlan Henry.

Gosford, Castlewellan and Ballymena winners 2019

The Points Trophies were both won by the McCullough family. For the overall show team points the Ten Acre Salver, and the best exhibitor bred, the Ten Acre Quaich, for Ballydavey Blissie Sue Second in the points competition was Ballyloughan Dexters and third Ballyboley Dexters.

In the best exhibitor bred competition second and third places were taken by Ballyloughan Kelpie and Ballyloughan Kittiwake.

The auction and draw for the raffle then took place making an overall total of £625 donated to Friends of Cancer in memory of Patrick Smyth.

Other winners of trophies were as follows: