Philip Jones from Gorey, Co. Wexford, won the Diageo Baileys All-Ireland Dairy Cow title with his fifth calver Hallow Advent Twizzle 3 at today’s Virginia Show.
The competition to find Ireland’s finest Holstein Friesian dairy cow took place among record breaking crowds at the 75th running of the annual show in Cavan.
Speaking following his win, Jones said that the cow is no stranger to the show ring and she has already won the Emerald Expo in Virginia and the was Reserve Champion in Balmoral.
Along with being a champion in the show ring, the cow also plays an integral role in the Co. Wexford farmer’s herd of 60 cows.
The cow has produced 15,080kg of milk, 1,659kg of fat and protein, with a protein percentage of 3.60{b28040870e2dde01f25bc5b483275391226143b34751c4bb8f1feeecaec925a1}.
The Diageo Baileys Dairy Cow of the Year competition was judged by Kevin Wilson, a dairy farmer milking over 400 cows in Cumbria in England.
He awarded the Reserve title to a cow owned by Liam and Sandra Murphy from Evergreen Lodge, Fenagh, Co. Carlow.
The cow, Evergreen Duplex Ebony, is a daughter of Mesland duplex and produced over 10,080kg of milk and 681kg of fat and protein.
The judges Honorable Mention went to Ardnasalem Baltimore Robin, bred by Patrick Colton from Emyvale in Co. Monaghan.
Widely acknowledged as Ireland’s top dairy livestock event, this year’s competition attracted the super-elite of the Holstein Friesian breed.
The top awards in the €10,000 prize fund were presented by Minister Heather Humphreys, alongside Breffni O’Reilly, Quality Director for Diageo Ireland and Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd, Chairman Henry Corbally.
Speaking at the event, Corbally praised all the entrants for the calibre of pedigree cows on show and he congratulated the Virginia Show on its 75th anniversary.
