Hilltara Zenith Echo EX93 secures top title at Moira

A third calver from Sam and John McCormick’s noted250-cow Hilltara herd based at Bangor, County Down, was crowned supreme overallchampion and exhibitor-bred champion, at the 2013 Irish National Holstein Show,Moira.

The Ocean View Zenith daughter, Hilltara ZenithEcho EX93, produced over 11,600kgs at 4.49% butterfat and 3.43% protein in hersecond lactation. It was the second title win for Echo who won Holsteinchampion and reserve interbreed champion at the RUAS Winter Fair last year.

Judge Edward Griffiths, who runs the 150-cowCoachgate Herd at Penistone, near Sheffield, said: “She is one of the best cowsI have ever had the pleasure of judging – a strong, well balanced cow with afabulous udder. Exactly the type of cow that we all aspire to breed and milk.”

Scooping the reserve supreme and reserveexhibitor-bred championship awards was Kilvergan Duplex Ethel 2 VG89 , bred byStephen Haffey, and sons Timothy, David and Aaron,  who run 250 cows at Lurgan, County Armagh.

She made her showring debut at last year’s IrishNational Holstein Show, claiming the intermediate championship and overallhonourable mention awards.

Sired by Mesland Duplex, her dam is the notedBricknell Rubens Ethel 3 EX93. She calved in December and is currentlyproducing 40 kilos per day.

The intermediate champion Gravelhill Alexander HopeVG88, owned by Conor McAufield, Lisburn, County Antrim, secured the honourablemention ribbons in the overall championship line-up. Sired by Golden Oaks STAlexander, she is bred from seven straight generations of EX dams, and waspurchased privately from David and Hilary Wilson, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.

Calved in December and yielding 38 kilos daily, sheclassified VG88 at three weeks fresh and is destined for an ET programmefollowing Balmoral Show in May.

The Sicy Knowledge daughter, Hilltara KnowledgeMaud, secured the reserve intermediate championship for Sam and John McCormick.

Honourable mention in the intermediate championshipline-up was Hilltara Jeeves Echo VG86, also exhibited by the McCormick duo.Sired by Ked Outside Jeeves, she is bred from Hilltara Gibson Echo EX94.

Leading the junior championship parade was theMaple Downs Atwood daughter, Ards Atwood Lou Ella, an August 2011 born heiferfrom the herd of Harry Patton and Sons, Newtownards, County Down. She is bredfrom the EX92 classified Ards Bolton Lou Ella.

Runner-up was Printshop Ross Gillian 29, a November2011 born Plain O Durham Ross daughter, bred by the father and son team ofGaston and John Wallace, Nutt’s Corner, County Antrim.  Her dam is the VG88 Printshop Outside Gillian21.

Claiming the honourable mention award in the juniorsection of the show was Priestland 5317 Royal Martha, an April 2012 born heiferfrom the herd of Iain and Joyce McLean and family, Bushmills, County Antrim.Sired by the home-bred Priestland Royal, by Windy Knoll View Pronto ET, she isout of Priestland 4847 Shottle Martha.