STOP PRESS: Bailey Iceprincess wins royal Ulster Limousin Supreme overall championship for the Connell brothers
The Limousin Overall Supreme Champion, Bailey Iceprincess, is April 2013 born and was originally bred by Tom Bailey, Culcommon, Batterstown, Co. Meath. She is by Baileys Darwin, a bull that goes back to Grahams Samson, and is out of Roundhill Vgoyuse who goes back to Nenuphar. In 2014, Bailey Iceprincess had placed Champion at the Premier Heifer Sale held in Roscrea. Having been unsold Karl & John Connell managed thereafter to secure the heifer privately for their pedigree Carrickmore herd which presently consists of ten pedigree cows. With a track record behind her in 2014 Bailey Iceprincess has been the Junior Female Champion at the National Limousin Show in Tullamore and had also won the Irish Limousin Junior Female Champion of the Year. The plan is that she will now be shown for the rest of the summer in Ireland. Following on from the success of William Smith in recent years the win here for the Connell Brothers saw the Overall Supreme Championship once again go to a breeder from Southern Ireland. Bailey Iceprincess was shown in-calf to the famous Ronick Hawk. No strangers to showing at Balmoral the Connell Brothers have previously picked up the Senior Male Championship. Speaking afterwards John Connell said that this Championship was probably their biggest win to date and that it was ‘a great honour’ to win such a prestigious title and having gone up against some quality cattle.
The judge Mary Cormack was full of praise for her Champion and said: “This heifer came into the ring with her head up and just carried tremendous presence and style. She’s just full of class, has a terrific top line, outstanding shape and is very correct. With great femininity and that bit of sparkle she is a very worthy Champion on the day.”
Commenting generally, Mary Cormack continued: “There was some real quality throughout the classes with at least a star or two in every class and my congratulations go to the exhibitors. Having been involved with Limousin cattle from a young age to now judge at a premier ‘Royal’ Show has been an enormous honour and one that I have greatly enjoyed.”
Come the Interbreeds judged over the second and third days, Bailey Iceprincess was very much to the fore. Teaming up with the Limousin Overall Reserve Supreme Champion, the young bull Trueman Jagger, and the Limousin Reserve Female Champion, Poolehall Isabelle, the Linden Foods Beef Group Championship was duly secured in front of the judge Richard Rettie. The same judge also placed Bailey Iceprincess and the Limousin Reserve Male Champion, Scotchtown Iceberg, Reserve Supreme Champions in the Marks & Spencer Interbreed Pairs.