While the cows were the stars, the gates were a surprising bit of charm!
Last week (May 20th to May 23rd inclusive) was the second Axa Insurance Irish Pure Friesian National Herds Competition. The judge was Mr Adam Lawson of the popular Lismulligan Herd in Scotland. An increase in entries to 18 herds across five counties made for a busy week for Adam, but he was interested and enthusiastic throughout. We are truly grateful to Adam, and to Mr Brian Dalby last year for their time and effort; spending several days away from their own operations is appreciated.
Inspection Only competition
Axa Insurance's sponsorship and support for the last two years has meant the club could make a few changes to how our national herds competition could be run. A judge from the UK both last year and this year has enabled us to build on existing strong relationships in the British Friesian Breeders club there and expose our breeding progress to fresh eyes.
The other big change was moving to an inspection only competition, placing the cows, in that hour of inspection, in the spotlight. The cows are the stars! Feedback from one farmer this year is that the experience of being with the judge last year and viewing his cows through the eyes of an outsider prompted him to make some choices that he feels really improved his overall herd this year.
Sometimes, just taking the time to stand back and look can be very illuminating!
There were other views on offer too
But our club members don't just have attractive cows; they also have some very charming yards and views on their farms. Maybe these are worth standing back to admire and appreciate sometimes too?
Winners
The winners of the competition categories will be announced on Thursday June 27th at the Irish Pure Friesian Club's National Open Day hosted by Pat & Claire Cleary of Carrickshock Herd.
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