With a record-breaking 82 entries at this year’s Balmoral Show, and Herefords dominating the cattle sections across all breeds, it was a memorable day for brothers Ryan and Russell Kelly, first-time Hereford exhibitors at the show, who took home the top honours with Somerville 1 Winnie.
Somerville 1 Winnie (P) AI ET, a September 2022-born cow with her February 2026-born bull calf at-foot, started the day by winning the strong cow and calf class with eight entries forward. She was tapped out as female champion later in the day before being crowned overall breed champion, with judge Anselm Fitzgerald commenting on how “flashy and easy fleshing” she is, and describing her as “a stand-out cow” that will bring much success for the Kelly family.
Sired by the renowned Normanton 1 Laertes, a bull with multiple interbreed titles to his name including the Royal Highland and Royal Welsh Shows, and out of Solpoll 1 Fashion T18, a daughter of Rempstone 1 Fashion E430 who won the junior female championship title at Balmoral in 2017 and was purchased from the Designer Genes sale by the McMordie family in 2016, Winnie has a strong pedigree behind her. She enjoyed multiple show successes as a two-year-old heifer across Northern Ireland in 2024, so is no stranger to the show ring.
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Carrowboy 1 Perfect
Standing reserve to Winnie was overall male champion Carrowboy 1 Perfect, exhibited by MH Farms Ltd. Born in November 2022, “Perfect” is sired by Fabb 1 Northern Star, who is siring many champions and top AI sires within the breed, and his dam Woodviewpoll 1 Pippa is sired by Solpoll 1 Kentucky Kid, a Panmure 1 Henry son. Carrowboy 1 Perfect won the senior bull class before being tapped out as male champion and reserve breed champion.
There were big smiles all around the ring for Donald Beatty and his grandchildren when their 15-month-old bull Solpoll 1 Cherokee took the reserve male champion and overall junior champion honours, also winning the biggest bull class of the day with 13 bulls forward. Bought privately from Solpoll at the beginning of the year, Cherokee is sired by Rempstone 1 Worldwide, a bull purchased privately by the McMordies at 11 months old for £10,000, and his dam Shancorpoll 1 Oll1 Uakea was champion at Tullamore Show in 2022 and female champion at Balmoral Show 2023.
It was some day for this stand-out dam, as Shancorpoll 1 Oll1 Uakea not only bred Cherokee but is also the mother to the reserve junior champion Solpoll 1 Eunice C23, breeding both junior champions. An end-of-March 2025-born heifer, winning the largest class of the day with a total of 19 heifers forward and a maternal sister to Cherokee, Eunice is sired by Solpoll 1 Dynamite, three-time Balmoral Show champion.
Solpoll breeding shone throughout the winners at this year’s show, and the McMordies had plenty of their own successes in the breed classes as well as the interbreed competitions. They came away with the reserve beef interbreed performance heifer champion and reserve female champion with Solpoll 1 Dainty C9. December 2024-born and another Rempstone 1 Worldwide daughter, Dainty C9 is no stranger to the shows and was reserve female champion at the NIHBA Calf Show at Dungannon in November 2025.
Solpoll bulls placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the bull born on or after 1 January 2025 class, the largest bull class of the day with 13 bulls forward. In second place behind Solpoll 1 Cherokee was Solpoll 1 Casino. Casino’s dam is Solpoll 1 Amber R5, a daughter of Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 591, who was Miss World Champion of Europe 2016 and national champion at Tullamore Show as a first-calver with calf at foot in 2016. She has bred many notable females and bulls such as Coley 1 Vincent, joint bull of the year in 2023. Casino is sired by Solpoll 1 Ace, who went on to sell to Rempstone Herefords as a two-year-old stock bull and is in the top 1 per cent of the breed for 200, 400 and 600 day weights. Casino had won reserve overall and junior male champion at the NIHBA Calf Show held at Dungannon in November 2025.
Following behind Casino and then going on to be overall beef interbreed performance bull champion was January 2025-born Solpoll 1 Cowboy. Impressing interbreed judge Robin Irvine, Cowboy is a Fabb 1 Top Prize son whose maternal brother is Fabb 1 Northern Star and is out of Solpoll 1 Dainty P7.
Solitude 1 Helen B233, exhibited by Andrew McMordie, was the winner in the class of heifers born on or after 1 January 2024 and on or before 30 June 2024, in calf or with calf at foot. Another strong class of seven heifers forward, Helen is a March 2024-born Solpoll 1 Promoter daughter, from an embryo imported from Canada. Promoter is the sire of Solpoll 1 Trailblazer, joint bull of the year 2023, who sold for 10,000gns. Her dam Solpoll 1 Helen R484 is a Moeskaer Upgrade daughter.
Lusky 1 Cornelius, exhibited by John Gill, won the bull class born on or after 1 April 2024 and on or before 31 December 2024. A July 2024-born bull, Cornelius came out on top against four other entries. Being homebred, he is sired by Lusky 1 Van Dyke, a Peartree 1 Gordon son, and out of Lusky 1 Wanda.
Champion Pair
The champion pair came from exhibitor Alan Shaw, Benburb Herefords, with his two Benburb 1 Alan heifers, Benburb 1 Beauty and Benburb 1 Alison 2nd. Beauty is a June 2024-born heifer and Alison 2nd a July 2024-born heifer.
Champion group of three came from the McMordie family with yearling bull Solpoll 1 Casino, Solpoll 1 Dainty C9 and Solpoll 1 Eunice C23.
The show marked a strong start to the 2026 season, and the Herefords on display were a real credit to the exhibitors. Congratulations to all of the breeders and stockmen on an outstanding showcased.
Reserve female champion, Reserve Interbreed performance heifer champion
1st Prize – Lusky 1 Cornelius
Reserve Junior Champion
1st, 2nd, 3rd Biggest Bull Class
Overall Interbreed performance bull champion