Armagh Show: DUP will act to secure the future of direct payments for farmers

Two of our priorities will be to ensure the continuation of direct payments for farmers and the maintenance of a seamless border on the island of Ireland, from a trading point of view. This will entail trade in both directions,” he said.

Irwin made these remarks while attending this year’s Armagh Show.

He added: “As a party, we are committed to securing the future growth of farming and food in Northern Ireland.”

Meanwhile, the members of Armagh County Agricultural Society (ACAS) can take great satisfaction from the changes made to this year’s show, on the back of the tremendous crowds that attended the 2017 celebration of farming and food, held in Gosford Forest Park.

“The agreement allowed us to increase the footprint of this year’s show by 50%,” confirmed ACAS Chairman Stephen Hamilton.

“This was in line with the growing exhibitor demand for space; the need to provide the general public with more room and to ensure that all relevant health and safety criteria are exceeded.

“All of our new trafficking and parking arrangements worked without a hitch, all of which bodes well for the future.”

Armagh Show 2017 was marked by a record entry of livestock. The Dairy Inter-Breed Championship was won by Philip and Simon Haffey, from Portadown, with their third calver Berryholme G Jordan Flo. She calved last October and is projected to produce 14,000L in her current lactation.

“I bought her, unseen, as a calf,” confirmed Simon Haffey.

“The mother is a daughter of the renowned Holstein bull Shottle. She was classified Excellent 95, which is as high a ranking as can be awarded to any cow.”

The Dairy Inter-Breed judge, Jonny Lochhead, from Dumfries in Scotland, described his champion as an excellent example of the Holstein breed.

“She has tremendous power and an excellent mammary system, particularly given the fact that she has already given birth to three calves.”

The Beef Inter-Breed Championship was awarded to the Matchett family with their three year-old Charolais cow Tawny Jasmine.

Judge Robin Boyd described the cow as a breeding animal with tremendous potential.

“What swung it for me was the fact that she had such a high quality calf at foot. After all, a cow is supposed to be a breeding animal. And the Charolais has proven that she can meet this all-important requirement.”

The Sheep Inter-Breed Championship was won by Matthew Burleigh, from Kinawley in Co Fermanagh, with his eye-catching Beltex ewe.

“This is her first outing of the year,” he said.

“She lambed down for the first time back in the spring. Previously, the animal had acquitted herself extremely well, both as a ewe lamb and a hogget. She won the Beltex Championship at Balmoral last year and now continues to show tremendous promise as a breeding ewe.”

Armagh Show results – 2017

Dairy Classes

Inter-breed Champion: Haffey Family

Reserve: Fleming Family

Mason’s Animal Feeds Star of the Future: 1st Maghery Holsteins; 2nd N McCorry & Sons

Dairy Cow in Milk: 1st S Haffey; 2nd N McCorry & Sons

Dairy Heifer in milk: 1st Fleming family; 2nd S Haffey

Maiden heifer born in 2016: 1st Maghery Holsteins; 2nd K & J Johnston

Dairy Pairs Class: 1st Fleming family; 2nd J Morton

Junior Dairy Showing class: 1st N McCorry; 2nd:I & C Bloomfield

McLarnon’s Qualifiers: 1 Fleming family; 2 N McCorry

Jersey classes

Champion: Fleming family

Reserve: S Bland

Junior Jersey Championship

Champion: K & J Johnston

Reserve: Fleming family

Jersey calf class: 1st K & J Johnston: 2nd K & J Johnston

Maiden heifer class: 1st K & J Johnston

Heifer in calf class: 1st K & J Johnston

Heifer in Milk class: 1st Fleming family; 2nd K & J Johnston

Cow in calf class: 1st Fleming family

Cow in milk class: 1st Fleming family

Holstein classes

Champion: S Haffey

Reserve: J Morton

Holstein calf class: 1st J Morton; 2nd J Morton

Holstein maiden heifer class: 1st J Morton; 2nd M Lappin

Holstein heifer in calf class: 1st N McCorry & Sons

Holstein Heifer in Milk class: 1st J Morton; 2nd S Haffey

Holstein Cow in Milk class: 1st S Haffey; 2nd N McCorry & Sons

Beef Cattle

Beef Inter-breed champion: N & G Matchett

Reserve: C Kerr

Champion Beef Breed: Simmental

Reserve: Blondes

Charolais cattle

Champion: N & G Matchett

Reserve: M M Ritchie

Cow class: 1st N & G Matchett

Calf class: 1st M Ritchie: 2nd N & G Matchett

Blonde classes

Champion: Savage Bros

Reserve: I & R McElroy

Junior bull class: 1st Rodgers Livestock; 2nd I & R McElroy

Cow class: 1st I & R McElroy; 2nd Johnston Farms

Senior heifer class: 1st Savage Bros

Junior heifer class: 1st C Savage; 2nd M Savage

Calf class: 1st Johnston Farms; 2nd I & R McElroy

Pairs class: 1st I & R McElroy; 2nd Gledney Blondes

Commercial classes

Champion: K Williamson

Reserve: K Williamson

Calf class: 1st J McCarragher

Commercial Store Heifer class: 1st K Williamson; 2nd JCB Commercials

Commercial beef heifer class: 1st K Williamson

Commercial store bullock class: 1st C McCrea; 2nd G Corrie

Pairs class: 1st R Miller

Simmental Classes

Champion: WD & JD Hazelton

Reserve: P Kelly

Cow class: 1st B Chambers

Heifer born 1st half in 2015: 1st J Whitcroft

Heifer born 2nd half 2015: 1st WD & JD Hazelton; 2nd Reid & Wyllee-Davies

Heifer born in 2016: 1st WD & JD Hazelton; 2nd D Carson

Bull class: 1st P Kelly; 2nd P Kelly

Pairs class: 1st WD & JD Hazelton; 2nd P Kelly

British Blue classes

Champion: C McCrea

Heifer class: 1st C McCrea

Calf class: 1st C McCrea

Salers classes

Champion: S Connell

Reserve: G McCall

Senior bull class: 1st G McCall

Junior bull class: 1st: R Millar

Cow class: 1st S Connell; 2nd G McCall

Heifer Class: 1st G McCall; 2nd S Connell

Calf class: 1st S Connell; 2nd G McCall

Limousin classes

Champion: P & S Murphy

Reserve: C & R Mulholland

Cow class: 1st Crawford Bros

Heifer born in 2015: 1st L Clarke

Heifer born in 2016: 1st C & R Mulholland; 2nd N & A Donaghy

Calf class: 1st D & J Bell; 2nd Crawford Bros

Pairs class: 1st C & R Mulholland; 2nd M & A Donaghy

Beef Shorthorn classes

Champion: D D McDowell

Reserve: Cherryvalley Est

Senior bull class: 1st Cherryvalley Est; 2nd Cherryvalley Est

Heifer class: 1st D D McDowell; 2nd Cherryvalley Est

Calf class: 1st H D Bailie

Aberdeen Angus classes

Champion: Johnston & Mills

Reserve: S & S Matchett

Senior bull class: 1st M Lagan

Junior bull class: 1st Johnston & Mills; 2nd F Mills

Cow class: 1st S & S Matchett

Senior heifer class: 1st M Scott

Junior heifer class: 1st M Scott

Calf class: 1st S & S Matchett; 2nd M Lagan

Pairs class: 1st Johnston & Mills; 2nd F Davidson

Hereford classes

Champion: C Kerr

Reserve: A J Farms

Senior heifer class: 1st S Baxter; 2nd A J Farms

Junior Heifer class: 1st J Graham; 2nd M Moore

Heifer Calf class: 1st T Morton; 2nd Leader family

Senior bull class: 1st C Kerr

Junior bull class: 1st K Greenaway; 2nd T Morton

Bull calf class: 1st W Burleigh; 2nd C Kerr

Pairs class: 1st M Moore; 2nd T Morton

Linden Foods – NISA Beef Heifer qualifier: 1 WD & JD Hazelton; 2 D D McDowell

NISA Junior Bull Qualifier: NISA: 1 Rodgers Livestock; 2 P & S Murphy

Pedigree Calf Championship: 1st D D McDowell; 2nd C & R Mulholland

Best Pedigree Pair Class: 1st WD & JD Hazelton; 2nd C & R Mulholland

Goat classes

Champion: M Murphy

Reserve: L Cowan

Goat in milk – Toggenburg: 1st A Mullan

Goat in Milk – Anglo Nubian: 1st L Cowan; 2nd A Mullan

Goatling class – Saanen: 1st K Murphy; 2nd G McKeown

Female kid – Anglo Nubian: 1st A Mullan; 2nd L Cowan

Non pedigree goat in milk: 1st L Cowan

Group of three: 1st L Cowan

Pygmy Goat classes

Champion: J McCauley

Reserve: M Cunningham

Sheep Results

Inter-breed champion: M Burleigh

Reserve: S & J McCollam

Suffolk classes

Ewe – any age: 1st J Watson; 2nd P McVerry