Ballymena Show: Almost record numbers as crowds and livestock competitors turn out despite early morning rain

By lunchtime the organisers of the event were confirming that all car parks were full and that attendance levels had reached almost record levels.

This is a welcome trend that has been sustained at all the local agricultural shows, held so far in Northern Ireland this year.

Judging at Ballymena got underway early in the morning and continued on well into the afternoon.

But it was a worthwhile wait for Cyril and Martin Millar. The father and son team, who farm close to Coleraine, took home the supreme cattle championship with their immense Holstein cow: Whinchat Dice Farrah.

Earlier in the day, she had won Ballymena’s inter-breed dairy championship. The cow calved for the second time back in December. She is back in calf to the elite Holstein bull: Robin Red.

Martin Millar commented: “Farrah is currently giving 40L of milk per day and is in tremendous condition. This was her first show outing of the year.”

Shaun Rennie, from Ayr in Scotland, judged the dairy show classes at Ballymena on Saturday past. He was also on the judging panel, tasked with selecting the supreme cattle champion.

He commented: “The champion stood out as an elite animal. She has tremendous dairy character and an exceptional udder. The cow has a tremendous show future ahead of her.”

Back in May Martin and Cyril Millar won Balmoral’s supreme dairy championship with another tremendous cow: Damm Tatoo Sallie. The quality of the cattle within their dairying enterprise at the present time is truly immense.

Meanwhile in the beef cattle ring, it was turning out be another successful day for the Wilson family from Rathfriland in Co Down. They won the supreme beef class with their very choice Simmental heifer: Ballinalare Farm Nikita. She was sired by the elite bull: Saltire Impressive.

Co Meath Limousin breeder, William Smith, judged the final inter-breed beef class at Ballymena 2023. He described his champion as a heifer with incredible potential for the future.

He added: “She has tremendous strength both at the front and in the hindquarters. The heifer has excellent locomotion and her length should hold her in good stead as a breeding animal.”

There was a tremendous entry of sheep at this year’s Ballymena Show. The inter-breed championship was won by William McAllister, from Ballymena, with a choice Charollais ewe lamb.

Home bred, she looked an absolute picture in the ring.

William commented: “The lamb is turning out to be a very special animal. She was born in December 2022 and did tremendously well for us at Balmoral. We came home with the Charollais championship and the ewe lamb inter-breed title back in May.

“We have her two full brothers entered for an on-line sale at the end of the month. But she will be kept for breeding within our own flock.”

But heartiest congratulations must also go to Newtownstewart Blackface breeder Gordon Crawford, from Glenariff in Co Antrim.

He took home the reserve inter-breed title at Ballymena with a five year-old ewe.

He explained: “She had previously won the Blackface title at the show back in 2019. Since then, she has lambed three times. The ewe just keeps on improving with age, which is great to see.”