THE ULTIMATE SUCKLER BREED

SIDNEY CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS AT BALMORAL 2025

May 19, 2025

It was a momentous week for the Salers breed at Balmoral Show 2025, as Sidney, from P J Maginn & Sons, Co. Down, bred from Galante, sired by Intouchabl, was tapped out by judge Hannah Scott to lift the champion of champions title on Saturday 17 May 2025. A first for the Salers and the second of two historical moments for the breed at Balmoral. The previous day, interbreed judge Matthew Goulding, bestowed the honours of overall interbreed champion on Sidney after he had been selected as breed champion earlier in the week. Brought out by Stephen & Hannah Maginn, this was a second consecutive breed championship win at Balmoral for the Maginn family. This tremendous achievement was made even more special as the Society celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Champion of Champions, Interbreed Champion, Breed Champion, Male Champion – Sidney from P J Maginn & Sons, Co. Down

This ultimate suckler breed known for its easy calving and ability to suit any terminal sire, across any management system, is being used extensively across GB and Northern Ireland in both pedigree and commercial herds. The landmark achievement at Balmoral marks the significant recognition of this remarkable breed and is richly deserved and long overdue. It further cements the confidence in the breed who earlier this month also made history achieving a record sale price of 20,000gns at Stirling Bull Sales for Rednock Top Gun from Rednock Estate.

Malcolm Pye judging the Salers Classes on Wednesday 14 May 2025

It just so happened that it was the Chair Malcolm Pye who had the prestigious task of presiding over the judging in the Salers classes on Wednesday 14^th May 2025. Malcolm together with his wife Gill run the 1300-acre Rednock Estate with cattle breeding and forestry the two largest enterprises. They have been breeding Salers cattle for 35 years having first seen Salers cows with Charolais X calves at foot on a visit to France in 1989. Today the Rednock herd runs 155 cows with 105 running with 3 Salers bulls and 50 running with 2 Charolais bulls. The herd is spring calving, with the pedigree herd producing breeding bulls sold ex farm or at the major bull sales and breeding heifers sold to other pedigree breeders and suckler farmers at the Stirling and Castle Douglas suckler replacement sales. The commercial Charolais crosses are sold as stores at 9 months.

It was the imported bull Sidney from P J Maginn & Sons, Co. Down, that stole the show and claimed the one-off 40^th Anniversary celebratory plaque. This August-2020 born bull from Galante, sired by Intouchabl, which was imported from France in 2022, was crowned overall supreme champion of the 2025 Balmoral Show and won the Highways Hotel Cup. This stylish bull has form on the show scene with previous titles at Balmoral including reserve overall champion and male champion in 2024.

Reserve Overall Champion, Drumlegagh Tami from the Elliott family, Co. Tyrone

The family team of J & E A Elliott, Drumlegagh Salers who have been prominent exhibitors of show winners for many years were again at the fore this time with Drumlegagh Tami who claimed the Secretary’s Salver and tri-coloured rosette for the female championship before claiming the Highways Hotel Cup and the reserve overall championship sash. Tami a daughter from their French imported stock bull Rocky was previously crowned Senior Salers champion at the Four Breed Calf Show in 2024.

Reserve Male Champion, Urbain from Kelly Farms brought out by Russell & Ryan Kelly

The reserve male champion was the imported bull Urbain from Kelly Farms owned by the two young enthusiastic brothers Ryan & Russell Kelly, Londonderry. This December-2022 born bull is sired by Nevers and out of Mesange and stood second to the overall champion in the senior bull class.

Reserve Female Champion, Lisnamaul Shakira from P J Maginn & Sons, Co. Down

The reserve female champion again came from the home of P J Maginn & Sons, this time it was the homebred Nemo-sired Lisnamaul Shakira with her calf at foot that scooped the reserve rosette following a win in the junior cow class.

Junior Champion, Junior Female Champion, Ballykeel Unreal from S & C Connell, Rathfriland

Ballykeel Unreal a previous Four Breed Calf Show junior champion continued to add to her already successful show career by collecting the junior female championship prize and the Francis Connon Cup for the overall junior championship. Sired by the French imported bull Mathieu she is out of a homebred jocker daughter Ballykeel Oonagh, owned by Seamus and Christine Connell, Rathfriland.

Junior male champion and reserve overall junior champion, Ashcroft Unstoppable from Kelly Farms

Almost unstoppable was the reserve junior champion from Kelly Farms, he lifted the Area 4 Cup after claiming second prize in the bull up to two years of age class, and the junior male champion accolade. Ashcroft Unstoppable, a Forez son out of the imported Nelly, was born in April-2024.

Bull up to 2 years of age, Drumlegagh Troy from the Elliott family

Senior heifer wiiner – Drumlegagh Toffee from J & E A Elliott

The winners of the bull up to two years of age was Drumlegagh Troy from J & E A Elliott, a Rocky son out of homebred Drumleagh Princess and the Elliott family were awarded the red ticket in the senior heifer class with Drumlegagh Toffee again by rocky but this time bred from Drumlegagh Odessa. B & P O’Kane’s Lower Bolie Tik Tok a Bacardi Herbie daughter from Lower Bolie Peggy-Sue was close behind claiming the blue ticket and winning the coveted Salers Cattle Society trophy for the best turned out animal. Finishing what can only be described as a fabulous week for the breed and a perfect day for showing, it was Ryan Kelly who was awarded the Stockman’s Shield.