"Among the crowd: Intense rivalry, but forgiveness for Heather Humphreys' absence at Virginia Show"
Virginia Show Highlights Competitive Dairy Cow Showcase
The annual Virginia Agricultural Show, held in County Cavan, Ireland, has once again brought together the country's finest dairy farmers and their cows. This year, the competition was particularly fierce, with many seasoned farmers vying for the coveted titles.
Among the contenders was Sam McCormick, owner of Hilltara Lambda Rean, a cow that was being pampered for the show's big prize, the Baileys Champion. McCormick, who farms 1,100 cattle, 400 of which are milkers, has high hopes for his cow but admits that the competition is strong. He shares that his herd has won the Baileys Champion title twice before, in 2017 and 2022.
The 2025 Diageo Baileys Irish Champion Dairy Cow title went to Annaghmore Fitz Atlee EX96, a six-year-old Holstein Friesian cow jointly owned by Philip and Linda Jones from Co Wexford and Joel and Clive Richardson from Co Armagh. This impressive cow also claimed the 2025 Virginia Milk Products Cup and a cheque for €3,000.
Not to be outshone, Lumville M Danoise from Co Armagh, owned by Clive and Joel Richardson of Annaghmore, won the Best Protein Award. Greenlea Hurricane Isa, from County Monaghan, won the Heifer-in-Milk Champion title and received an Honorable Mention.
Meanwhile, Hallow Denver Twizzle, also owned by Philip and Linda Jones from Co Wexford, was declared Reserve Champion at the show.
In addition to the dairy cow competitions, the Virginia Show also featured a group of "fitters" working to pamper the cows. Among them were Paul Murphy from Banteer in Co Cork and Lynsey Fleming from Co Down.
The political landscape was also present at the show, with rumours circulating about a potential candidate for the Fine Gael presidency, Heather Humphreys, making an appearance. However, these rumours were not confirmed, and the candidate of Fine Gael for the presidency elections who regularly attends the Virginia Agricultural Show remains unidentified in the provided search results.
Outside the political sphere, farmers like Claire Nannery, who has an off-farm job in furniture wholesale, were busy making preparations for the show. Nannery's daughter, Alice Rose (11), recently came second in a lead rein competition at the Virginia Show.
Gerry Tully, an Irish draught horse breeder, believes shows like the Virginia Show are important for the farming community. "These events provide a platform for farmers to showcase their hard work and dedication, and they offer a valuable opportunity for networking and learning from one another," he said.
Evergrange Conan Missy P from Co Wicklow, owned by George Beattie, won the Best EBI Award, rounding off a successful show for the dairy farmers of Ireland.
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