Crawford brothers win
show team of the year 15 years
30/11/2009
The Crawford’s ended what has been one
of their most successful years to date in the
show ring by winning the Gordon bull for the
most championships and the the show team of the
year 2009.
Crawford brothers kicked of their show
season in May with 10 cattle at Balmoral show
and won 5 classes, junior female championship,
group of three and reserve overall female champion,
they attended a show every week from May to the
beginning of August, in all they won the breed
championship at 9 shows out of a possible 12,
and 80% of all beef interbreed championships,
two of the highlights this year was winning the
best Limousin heifer in northern Ireland at the
Ulster bank all Ireland limousin heifer of the
year which the finals were held at Clogher Valley
show and for the second year running won the
Ulster bank beef interbreed female of the year
with there excellent breeding cow Curraghree
Sensation, and last year with their cow Ravassintte.
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The Crawford’s usually take part at the
Royal shows on the main land but because of Dept.
of Agriculture red tape in Northern Ireland regarding
blue tongue, it would have been impossible for
the show team to be imported back in Northern
Ireland in a reasonable time frame.
When the Northern
Ireland shows had finished in early August the
Crawford’s embarked
on the show seen in Southern Ireland, a first
time a Northern Ireland exhibitor has shown
at a show in the south in 18 years, they
attended Trim, Vargina, Tyadvent and the National
Ploughing Championships in Athy, which was a
first for a Northern Ireland breeder, who
was welcomed in person by the agriculture Minster
Mr Brendan Smith on the first day of the event.
The ploughing championships was a great success
with 4 cattle present they gathered up 4 first
prizes in individual classes and reserve female
championship with their junior cow Sarkley Bikita
cow and at foot a excellent calf by Sauvignon,
their bull Sauvignon which is now one of the
top breeding Limousin bulls in the world also
sired the winning progeny group of three.
The
Crawford’s recalled that the 3 day
event in Athy brought back some happy memories
of the early 1980's were we showed at the Royal
Dublin show in Ballsbridge, its great to be back
showing cattle and doing business with breeders
in Southern Ireland again they added.
The show
team of the year award is very highly contested
by the Limousin breeders in Northern Ireland
every year with the Crawford’s winning
the award 15 years and 8, of them in succession,
a major achievement in itself, in this year alone
there was approx 66 first prize tickets 42 second
prize and 4 thirds, a massive achievement in
itself, but also a real commitment to the Limousin
breed in promotion for the breed as a whole and
also great campaigners of the Northern Ireland
shows over the years, the Crawford’s say
that the shows are a key part of the success
of our business, in promoting the herd of which
are a shop window for the sales of semen, embryos
and livestock from the herd.
The Crawford’s
are looking forward to next year were the rathkeeland
herd will be celebrating 30 years in pedigree
Limousins, of which the show season will play
a vital role in these celebrations. The Crawford’s
also wanted to thank the shows across Ireland
for there support and help throughout the year
and look forward to attending them in 2010.
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