May 18, 2022 Balmoral Show 11th-14th May 2022

Judge: Andrew Hornall

British Charolais once again returned to the Balmoral Show, Northern Ireland’s largest and most highly-anticipated agricultural event. The event was held over the course of Wednesday 11 to Saturday 14 May 2022, and included a multitude of exceptional Charolais animals, judged by Andrew Hornall of the Falleninch herd in Stirling.

BESSIEBELL NANA was the talk of the event, securing the titles of Supreme Charolais Champion and the Interbreed Beef Champion of Champions. This exceptional 4-year-old was exhibited by breeder J Smyth of Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, along with her beautiful twin calves. This wasn’t Nana’s first taste of success at Balmoral – she had also previously achieved the title of Reserve Supreme Champion in 2019. Nana comes from a high-achieving bloodline, with her sire Derryharney Jumbo winning Reserve Intermediate Champion at Stirling in 2015, and her dam Aghyoule Finoula (a Doonally New daughter) securing Reserve Overall Champion at Dungannon in 2012. The Interbreed judge, Michael Durno from Aberdeenshire, stated Nana was a “reasonably easy winner” and “she is a great example of the Charolais breed and rearing two calves as well, she’s working hard and doing a good job”

Standing in reserve to Nana for Supreme Champion was the day’s Junior Champion BRIGADOON SICILY, a 13-month-old bull exhibited by breeder W D & J A Connolly of Ballynahinch, Co. Down. Sicily also has an impressive lineage behind him, having been sired by Newhouse Maxamus who was Reserve Intermediate Champion & sold for 15,000gns at Stirling in 2018. Sicily’s dam is Brigadoon Naples, a daughter of 2015 Stirling Reserve Junior Champion Goldies Icon.

The day’s Reserve Junior Champion and Overall Heifer Champion was Sicily’s sister BRIGADOON SUNRISE, a 13-month-old heifer also from W D & J A Connolly. Like Sicily, Sunrise was also sired by the 15,000gns Newhouse Maxamus, and he dam is Brigadoon Nevada, another Goldies Icon daughter.

Later in the week the Charolais teams selected by Charolais judge Andrew Hornall were put forward for the Interbreed Group Championships. Taking the group-of-three Reserve Interbreed Championship were BRIGADOON SICILY and BRIGADOON SUNRISE from W D & J A Connolly, along with DRUMLEGAGH ROXANNA, a young Drumlegagh-Oscar-sired heifer bred and exhibited by J & E A Elliott of Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone.

The same group of three were then joined by 2 additional heifers to compete in the group-of-five Championships. Joining Sicily, Sunrise, and Roxanna were BATTLEFORD SNOWBALL from B Finnegan of Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, and LOUGHRISCOUSE SAVANNA from H & H Heron in Newtownards, Co. Down. This young group were an excellent example of the Charolais breed, and secured the title of the group-of-5 Reserve Interbreed Champions

The final competition of the week was the Interbreed Exhibitor-Bred Pair Championship. After an extremely close round of judging on the Saturday, the Championship went to the young Charolais pair bred & exhibited by W D & J A Connolly – BRIGADOON SICILY and BRIGADOON SUNRISE. These Newhouse-Maxamus-sired siblings had taken the titles of Junior Champion and Junior Reserve Champion respectively in the Charolais classes earlier in the week.

We would like to thank our judge, sponsors and all the exhibitors for putting on such a great show of Charolais cattle, and we look forward to seeing you at the National NI Championships at Castlewellan Show on Saturday 16July for the World Charolais Congress.

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All results:

Class 648 – COW, born before 1st January 2019, in calf or in milk having had at least one calf.
1^st – J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo
2^nd – H & H Heron – Thrunton Nefertiti – s. Maerdy Jerusalem

Class 649 – COW or HEIFER, in milk or in calf, born in 2019.
1^st – H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Pippa – s. Harestone Hercules
2^nd – H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Persia – s. Whitecliffe James

Class 650 – HEIFER, born on or after 1st January 2020, and on or before 30th June 2020.
1^st – H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Risika – s. Harestone Hercules
2^nd – A McCammond – Grangwood Ruby – s. Goldstar Ludwig
3^rd – W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Regency – s. Newhouse Maxamus
4^th – A McCammond – Culla Rihanna – s. Mogador

Class 651 – HEIFER, born on or after 1st July 2020, and on or before 31st December 2020.
1^st – J & E A Elliott – Drumlegagh Roxanna – s. Drumlegagh Oscar
2^nd – L Ruddy – Goldstar Rosette – s. Goldstar Hugo2
3^rd – Keadyview Livestock – Carnview Rose – s. Oldstone Egbert

Class 652 – HEIFER, born on or after 1st January 2021.
1^st – W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus
2^nd – Elite Pedigree Genetics – Battleford Snowball – s. Mornity Nero
3^rd – H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Savanna – s. Harestone Hercules
4^th – W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Saffron – s. Newhouse Maxamus
5^th – H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Savina – s. Thrunton Fairfax
6^th – R McWilliams – Stranagone Siobhan – s. Stranagone Jones

Class 654 – BULL, born on or after 1st January 2021, and on or before 31st March 2021.
1^st – W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sorrento – s. Goldies Icon
2^nd – W Short & R McWilliams – Stranagone Saphir – s. Ocean
3^rd – M McConville – Drumcullen Seamus – s. Drumcullen JJ
4^th – A McCammond – Cloughanduff SJ – s. Mountain Landmark

Class 655 – BULL, born on or after 1st April 2021.
1^st – W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
2^nd – Keadyview Livestock – Keadyview Samsmyman – s. Maerdy Obama
3^rd – R McWilliams – Stranagone Sonny – s. Stranagone Jones
4^th – R McWilliams – Stranagone Signature – s. Dundas Einstein
5^th – R McWilliams – Stranagone Super – s. Lochend Apache
6^th – R McWilliams – Stranagone Starboy – s. Lochend Apache

Class 725 – EXHIBITOR-BRED PAIRS, bona fide the property of one exhibitor and entered in the classes for which they are eligible and bred by that exhibitor.
Champions:–
W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus

Class 656 – GROUP OF THREE ANIMALS, bona fide the property of one exhibitor.
1^st – H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Pippa, Loughriscouse Persia, Loughriscouse Risika
2^nd – W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily, Brigadoon Sunrise, Brigadoon Sorrento

Class S267 – THE ORAGE PERPETUAL CHALLENGE CUP for the best Charolais cow or heifer.
Champion: J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo
Reserve: H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Pippa – s. Harestone Hercules

Class S268 – JOHN K CURRIE PERPETUAL CHALLENGE CUP for the best Charolais heifer.
Champion: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus
Reserve: H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Risika – s. Harestone Hercules

Class S269 – SPECIAL PRIZES for the best and reserve best junior Charolais female.
Champion: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus
Reserve: Elite Pedigree Genetics – Battleford Snowball – s. Mornity Nero

Class S270 – THE H A CURRY PERPETUAL TROPHY for the best junior Charolais Bull.
Champion: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
Reserve: Keadyview Livestock – Keadyview Samsmyman – s. Maerdy Obama

Class S271 – SPECIAL PRIZES for the best and reserve best junior Charolais Bull.
Champion: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
Reserve: Keadyview Livestock – Keadyview Samsmyman – s. Maerdy Obama

Class S272 – JUNIOR BREED CHAMPION for the Champion and Reserve male or female animals born on or after 1st January 2021.
Champion: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
Reserve: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus

Class S273 – THE BREEDERS PERPETUAL CHALLENGE TROPHY for the best Charolais bull exhibited by a club member.
Champion: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
Reserve: Keadyview Livestock – Keadyview Samsmyman – s. Maerdy Obama

Class S274 – THE BARDIN PERPETUAL CHALLENGE TROPHY for the best Charolais animal exhibited by a club member.
Champion: J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo
Reserve: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus

Class S275 – BRIGADOON PERPETUAL CHALLENGE TROPHY – for the best homebred Charolais in Show exhibited by a club member.  
Champion: J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo
Reserve: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus

Class S276 – CHAMPION PRIZES for the Champion and Reserve Champion Charolais.
Champion: J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo
Reserve: W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus

Class S277 – CHAMPION ROSETTE for the Champion Charolais female.
Champion: J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo

Class S359 – PRESIDENT’S TROPHY & SPECIAL PRIZE for the overall beef breed Champion of Champions.
Champion: J Smyth – Bessiebell Nana – s. Derryharney Jumbo

Class S361 – SPECIAL PRIZE for the best group in the beef group competition (Continental Breed)
Reserves:-
W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus
J & E A Elliott – Drumlegagh Roxanna – s. Drumlegagh Oscar

Class S363 – SPECIAL PRIZE for best team in the beef team competition (Continental Breed)
Reserves:–
W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sicily – s. Newhouse Maxamus
W D & J A Connolly – Brigadoon Sunrise – s. Newhouse Maxamus
J & E A Elliott – Drumlegagh Roxanna – s. Drumlegagh Oscar
Elite Pedigree Genetics – Battleford Snowball – s. Mornity Nero
H & H Heron – Loughriscouse Savanna – s. Harestone Hercules