Monaghan cow claims Champion Cow title

 

Monaghan syndicate-owned cow, Drumlin Attwood Megan, was the pick of the bunch as she was crowned the Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow at the 77th annual Virginia Show yesterday.

Ireland’s leading dairy livestock event, annually attracting the elite of the Holstein Friesian breed, Megan from Mulladuff near Glaslough had been Reserve Champion in the Bailey Champion Cow competition last year.

Producing 10,261kgs of milk and 774kgs of milk solids in her last lactation, she proved a worthy winner judge David Hodgson.

Hodgson, who farms 350ac just outside Carlisle, said he had been looking out for “a cow that emulates the true type model; not necessarily big, but balanced with that extra bit of style”.

A third-calver sired by Maple-Downs I-G-W Attwood and owned in partnership by Boyd/ Greenan/ O’Neill/ Timlin/ Moore, Megan had earlier in the summer secured the supreme overall championship at 150th Balmoral Show.

 

 

Reserve Champion was Milliedale Dusk Rhapsody from Donal and Kathleen Neville’s farm in Ballinaguilt, Croagh Co. Limerick, a fifth lactation cow producing 10,275kgs of milk last year.

Seamus and Aidan Foody’s cow Sprucegrove Lavanguard Peggy was awarded the highest protein producer after producing 1,252kgs of milk solids at 3.26pc protein.

The Junior Cow Champion went to Hella Attwood Grace, owned by Philip and Linda Jones from Killowen, Gorey, Co Wexford.

Thousands flocked to the 77th Annual Virginia Show, which was once again alive with all the sights and sounds associated the best of country life, attracting several hundred trade stalls and many more entries for their more than 470 home industry entries.

The event was also visited by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.