The Northern Ireland Aberdeen-Angus Club has announced the winners of its annual herd competition sponsored by Danske Bank.

This year’s competition attracted entries from all over the Province, and was judged by Scotsman Ian Anderson.

Mr Anderson said it was an honour to judge the competition. “I’ve seen a lot of the countryside and visited numerous herds during my whistle-stop tour of Northern Ireland. I would like to commend the breeders on their achievements. It has been a pleasure to see so many excellent herds and individual animals. They are a credit to the owners.”

The Matchett family from Portadown – Nigel, Gail, Sarah and Sam, collected two awards. They scooped first prize with their noted Birches prefix in the medium herd category, while the herd’s show winning three-year-old bull Cheeklaw Emlyn P480 was crowned best stock bull in the competition.

Winner of the small herd category was the Brookvale Herd owned by Eric and Judith McClelland from Katesbridge. Robin Lamb’s Richhill prefix claimed the award for the best large herd.

Ian Anderson was particularly impressed with the entries in the calf section. He awarded the top prizes to Tamneymullan Jackal T676, a February born bull bred by Robert and Keith Sufferin, Maghera; and Crew Daffodil T435 an April born heifer from Samantha Allen and Allen Shortt’s Herd at Victoria Bridge, Strabane.

“These are two exceptional calves,” commented Ian Anderson. “The best calves I seen for a long time!”

Neville and Ivan Forsythe, Moneymore, claimed the futurity heifer award with the home-bred Coltrim Lady Jane R163.

The prize for the best cow family went to the Woodvale Herd’s Lady Jane family owned by Alwyn and Carol Armour and Sons, Dromara.

Presenting the awards Robert McCullough, head of agribusiness at Danske Bank said he was delighted to sponsor the annual herd competition. “Danske Bank has had a long association with this competition. We are proud to support the NI Aberdeen-Angus Club, and fully recognise the hard work and commitment of the breeders in Northern Ireland. Well done to everyone involved.”

The awards were presented at the club’s annual BBQ in Dungannon. This year’s nominated charity was PHA UK – Pulmonary Hypertension Association, chosen in memory of Ally Whan from Dromara who passed away in May.

Ms Whan’s father David, owner of the Slievecroob Herd, thanked the club’s committee for choosing PHA. “This is one of the lesser known charities and it needs a lot of recognition. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare, life threatening condition which can take two or more years for doctors to diagnose. It shares many symptoms with common medical conditions such as chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pains, fainting and swollen ankles and legs. Unfortunately there is no cure, but effective treatments are available if patients are diagnosed early before the disease progresses. “

Alan Cheney, chairman, NI Aberdeen Angus Club said: ”I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the prize winners and thank Danske Bank for its continued sponsorship of the competition.

“Thanks also to everyone who supported our annual BBQ in aid of PHA UK, especially Capper Trading for supplying the charcoal, and all of the local businesses who donated items for the charity auction and raffle. It has been a very successful evening.”

Results from the 2017 Herd Competition include:

Small Herd – 1, Eric and Judith McClelland, Brookhall Herd, Katesbridge ; 2, Kenneth Cartmill, Drumnahunshin Herd, Whitecross; 3, Samathan Allen and Allen Shortt, Crew Herd, Victoria Bridge.

Prizewinners in the small herd category of the NI Aberdeen Angus Club’s herd competition are pictured above with sponsor Robert McCullough, Danske Bank. From left: Kenneth Cartmill, Whitecross, second; Eric McClelland, Katesbridge, first; and Samanthan Allen and Alan Shortt, Castlederg, third. Picture: Columba O’Hare

Medium Herd – 1, Matchett Family, Birches Herd, Portadown; 2, Alwyn and Carol Armour and Sons, Woodvale Herd, Dromara; 3, Freddie Davidson, Ember Herd, Banbridge.

Image: Robert McCullough, Danske Bank, sponsor, and judge Ian Anderson, congratulate medium herd prize winners, Gail and Nigel Matchett, Portadown, first; and Freddie Davidson, Banbridge, third. Missing from the picture is second prize winner Alwyn Armour, Dromara. Picture: Columba O’Hare.]

Large Herd – 1, Robin Lamb, Richhill Herd, Richhill; 2, Victor and Stephen Wallace, Baronagh Herd, Garvagh; 3, Rory Best, Loughans Herd, Poyntzpass.

Image: Sponsor Robert McCullough, right, Danske Bank, congratulates large herd prize winners, from left: Brian Johnston, representing third prize winner Rory Best; Robin Lamb, first; and Stephen Wallace, second. Picture: Coluimba O’Hare.

Best Stock Bull – Matchett Family, Cheeklaw Emlyn P480.

Image: The award for the best stock bull in the NI Aberdeen Angus Club’s annual herd competition was won by the Matchett family from Portadown. Gail Matchett is pictured with Scottish judge Ian Anderson, and sponsor Robert McCullough, Danske Bank. Picture: Columnba O’Hare

Best Calf – Robert and Keith Sufferin, Tamneymullan Jackal T676; Samantha Allen and Allen Shortt, Crew Daffodil T435.

Image: Robert McCullough, centre, Head of Agribusiness, Danske Bank presents a trophy for the best calf at the NI Aberdeen Angus Club’s Herd Competition to Keith Suffern, Maghera, for bull calf Tamneymullan Jackal. Looking on is Samantha Allen, Castlederg, who along with Alan Shortt won reserve best calf with their heifer, Crew Daffodil. Picture: Columba O’Hare   

Best Cow Family – Alwyn and Carol Armour and Sons , Lady Jane family.

Futurity Heifer – Neville and Ivan Forsythe, Moneymore, Coltrim Lady Jane R163.

Image: The Futurity Heifer Award in the NI Aberdeen Angus Club’s Herd Competition was won by Ivan Forsythe from Moneymore. He received the trophy from Danske Bank’s Robert McCullough. Picture: Columba O’Hare

Image: Alan Cheney, left, chairman, NI Aberdeen Angus Club presents a gift to Ian Anderson, judge of the club’s  annual herds competition. Picture: Columba O’Hare