Clogher Valley Show: Just Devine as brothers' heifer scoops hat-trick of titles

Thousands were out in force to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Clogher Valley Show.
Jonny and Sophie Hazelton of Dungannon with their Simmental championJonny and Sophie Hazelton of Dungannon with their Simmental champion
Jonny and Sophie Hazelton of Dungannon with their Simmental champion

The Co Tyrone village of Augher was a hive of activity from early morning, with exhibitors travelling from all over the Province to show off their prime farm livestock and horses.

Ballynahinch herd owners Albert, Marie and David Connolly arrived at the showgrounds at 7am with a lorry transporting 17 cattle from their highly regarded Brigadoon Charolais Herd. All their hard work paid dividends, with the Brigadoon team winning the reserve breed championship and the second reserve title in the interbreed beef line-up.

Brothers Tommy and Richie Devine had a great day ‘at the office’, scoring a hat-trick with their home-bred two-year-old Charolais heifer Brownhill Mo. She dominated the Charolais ring, and also clinched the interbreed title. Later in the day this much-admired heifer claimed the prestigious award for the supreme champion of champions in the cattle section.

Shaunagh and Dylan McBride from CookstownShaunagh and Dylan McBride from Cookstown
Shaunagh and Dylan McBride from Cookstown

Taking the reserve award in the beef section was the Aberdeen Angus leader Coolermoney Frances, bred and exhibited by Adrian and Graeme Parke from Strabane. This heifer is no stranger to success, having won the breed championships at Ballymena, Ballymoney, Newry and Limavady, and the reserve award at Omagh.

In the dairy showring Iain and Joyce McLean from Bushmills had another fantastic day with females from their noted 120-cow Priestland dairy herd at Bushmills. They claimed the Holstein and Ayrshire breed championships, with their black and white cow Priestland 5446 Shot J Rose going on to secure the dairy interbreed title.

Success didn’t stop there for the Priestland show team, who later clinched the champion and reserve ribbons at the final of the coveted Thompsons and NISA Dairy Cow of the Year Championship.

Interbreed dairy judge David Boyd from Glaslough was full of admiration for the McLean family’s multi-award winning Holstein cow. “I love this cow! She is simply world class. You don’t expect to see a dairy cow of this calibre at a rural country show. “

Sarah Doupe of Caledon with her Jersey championSarah Doupe of Caledon with her Jersey champion
Sarah Doupe of Caledon with her Jersey champion

Hampshire Down sheep breeders Sean and Gillian Doyle, of Katesbridge, celebrated seven successive breed championships, and went on to claim the native breed title and the supreme interbreed award at Clogher Valley’s centenary event. Their show stopper was a shearling ram.

Runner-up was a Suffolk shearling ewe exhibited by Dunloy flock owner Alastair Barkley.

Among the visitors was DUP leader Arlene Foster.

She said: “It is wonderful to see such an excellent turnout of visitors and exhibitors at Clogher Show. Congratulations to the organising committee on its 100th anniversary.”

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