Coolermoney cow wins NI Aberdeen Angus Championship

By Julie Hazelton

THE Northern Ireland Aberdeen Angus Club held its annual Summer Championship at the 103^rd Clogher Valley Show.
This year’s show was judged by Scotsman Ian Watson, owner of the 50-cow Kersquarter Herd based at Kelso in Roxburghshire; and current junior vice-president of the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society.
“Thank you to the NI club for inviting me to judge. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, despite the persistent rain. There was a fantastic show of cattle, and I’d like to commend the exhibitors on a great effort.
“The show was dominated by younger animals, and the heifer classes were exceptionally strong, with up to nine individual entries in one class. There was great quality throughout, and the top placed animals in every class are full of potential for the future.”

It was a red-letter day for the Parke family from Strabane, who notched up the senior female, exhibitor-bred and overall supreme championships with Coolermoney Frances T703, and the junior male championship with the five-month-old calf Coolermoney Ragnor Z322.
Six-year-old Coolermoney Frances T703 was the winner of the cow class, and kept impressing the judge throughout the day to claim a number of top awards. Sired by Hallington Edition M362, her dam was the privately purchased Lough Erne Frances J014.
She was a first prize winner at Balmoral Show in May, and breed champion at Omagh Show a few weeks ago. This much-admired young cow was accompanied in the showring by her February-born bull calf Coolermoney Frankie Z311.
Ian Watson added: “The champion is a terrific young cow, and is working hard rearing her bull calf. She was a very worthy winner, and later in the day I was pleased to see her winning the reserve interbreed beef championship.”
Adrian and Graeme Parke founded in the Coolermoney prefix in 1996, and run a herd of eight pedigree cows. Their junior male champion was the five-month-old bull calf Coolermoney Ragnor Z322. He is by Rawburn Boss Hogg N630, and bred from Coolermoney Rosita J003.

“This bull calf came from a strong class of six. Congratulations to the Park family on their first-class presentation and winning first, second and third in the class,” added the judge.

Claiming the reserve overall championship was the senior male award winner, and reserve exhibitor-bred champion, Glenbrae Red Mr Kayo Y536 exhibited by William and Jane Dodd, and sons Jamie and Lewis, from Saintfield.
The sixteen-month-old ET bull was sired by Mosshall Red Evolution P353, and is out of the Scottish-bred Gannon Red Miss Kayo S697 – one of 15 cows in the herd. He has won an array of awards during the show season.
The Dodd family also scooped the reserve senior female championship with the September 2021 Glenbrae Red Mouse X236. A Mosshall Red Forrest V018 daughter, she is bred from Gannon Red Mouse U173.
Rounding off a successful day for the Dodd family was the reserve junior female champion, Glenbrae Red Miss Kayo Y477, a full ET sister to the reserve supreme champion.
Home Farm Erne Y802 bred Fintan Keown, Belleek, was the winner of the reserve senior male championship. Sired by Haymount War Smith R578, his dam was the former Pedigree Calf Fair breed champion Home Farm Ebony Stunner S087 – one of 10 cows in the herd. Home Farm Erne Y802 was junior champion, male and reserve supreme champion at Balmoral Show in May.
The reserve junior male champion was Ard Dubh Premier Y617, a Dillon New Holland son, bred by Mena McCloskey from Dungiven. Born in November 2022, he is an ET son of Mogeely Paula V630.
Securing the junior female championship was Island Farm Pretty Y145, a seventeen-month-old Stouphill Marcus Prince U251 son, bred by Kevin McOscar, Cookstown.

Results from the showring…..
Supreme Champion: Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Frances T703.
Reserve Supreme Champion: William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Mr Kayo Y536.
Senior Female Champion: Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Frances T703.
Reserve Senior Female Champion: William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Mouse X234.
Senior Male Champion: William Dodd, Glenbrae Mr Kayo Y536.
Reserve Senior Male Champion: Fintan Keown, Home Farm Erne Y802.
Junior Female Champion: Kevin McOscar, Island Farm Pretty Y145.
Reserve Junior Female Champion: William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Miss Kayo Y477.
Junior Male Champion: Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Ragnor Z322
Reserve Junior Male Champion: Mena McCloskey, Ard Dubh Premier Y617.

Classes
Bull, born before 01/01/22: 1, Ivan Forsythe, Island Farms Master Missie U854 by Stouphill Marcus Prince U251.
Bull, born between 01/01/22 and 30/06/22: 1, William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Mr Kayo Y536 by Mosshall Red Evolution P353; 2, Fintan Keown, Home Farm Erne Y802 by Haymount Warsmith R578.
Bull, born between 01/07/22 and 31/12/22: 1, Mena McCloskey, Ard Dubh Premier Y617 by Dillon New Holland; 2, Fintan Keown, Home Farm Lord Hugo Y835 by HF Rebel 53Y; 3, Mena McCloskey, Ard Dubh Precision Y621 by Dillon New Holland.
Bull calf, born on or after 01/01/23: 1, Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Ragnor Z322 by Rawburn Boss Hogg N630; 2, Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Romeo Z333 by Rawburn Ernan W110; 3, Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Frankie Z311 by Rawburn E Type W176; 4, Alan Morrison, Drummeer Black Balmoral Z143 by Lockerley Black Boromir K173; 5, Alan Morrison, Drummeer Evander Z187 by Liss Masterstroke W013.
Cow, born before 01/01/21: 1, Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Frances T703 by Hallington Edition M362;2, Ivan Forsythe, Coltrim Evana U977 by Haymount War Smith R578; 3, Alan Morrison, Drummeer Beauty U877 by Irelands Fletcher F1.
Junior cow, born on or after 01/01/21, shown with calf at foot: 1, Jimmy Ferguson, Granabeg Keziz X741 by Rawburn Black Bush S420.
Heifer, born between 01/05/21 and 31/12/21 (not calved): 1, William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Mouse X236 by Mosshall Red Forrest V081; 2, Ivan Forsythe, Coltrim Evana X747 by Tofts Everygarth R409.
Heifer born between 01/01/22 and 30/06/22: 1, Kevin McOscar, Island Farm Pretty Y145 by Stouphill Marcus Prince U251; 2, William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Miss Kayo Y477 by Mosshall Red Evolution P353; 3, Jimmy Ferguson, Granabeg Eleora Y844 by Blackhaugh Titus P466; 4, Graeme Donaghy, Dartrey Blackbeauty Y066 by Dartrey Elliott S467; 5, Fintan Keown, Home Farm Lady Heather Y743 by Netherton Americano M703.
Heifer, born between 01/07/22 and 31/12/22: 1, Mark Davidson, Drummeer Lady Tara Y852 by Drummeer Bateman W647.
Heifer, born on or after 01/01/23: 1, Fiona Troughton, Tullybryan Lady Jessie Z621 by Drumcrow Tribesman; 2, Mr and Mrs John Blackburn, Killaney Red Duchess Z567 by Windy Gowl Red Laddie W292; 3, Alan Morrison, Drummeer Mayflower Z014 by Liss Masterstroke W013; 4, Fiona Troughton, Tullybryan Lady Jewel Z584 by Drumcrow Tribesman; 5, Mr and Mrs John Blackburn, Killaney Red Pride Z615 by Windy Gowl Red Laddie W292.
Best Aberdeen Angus bred by exhibitor: 1, Adrian and Graeme Parke, Coolermoney Frances T703; 2, William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Mr Kayo Y536; 3, Fintan Keown, Home Farm Erne Y802; 4, William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Mouse X234; 5, Ivan Forsythe, Coltrim Evana T747.
Best pair: 1, Fintan Keown, Home Farm Erne Y802 and Home Farm Lady Heather Y743; 2, William Dodd, Glenbrae Red Miss Kayo Y477 and Glenbrae Red Mr Kayo Y536.