MEATH WOMAN IS UNDER 23 IRISH DAIRY BOARD DAIRY STOCKJUDGING RUNNER-UP

Thursday, 21st June 2012 - The national final of Macra’s Irish Dairy Board Dairy Stock judging competition took place at the Irish Holstein Friesian Association Open Day in Kilkenny on June 20th.

Tara  Heaney, Kilberry, Navan, runner-up in the under 23 competition

Runner-up in the Under 23 competition was Tara Heaney from Meath. The Under-23 competition was won by Padraig Murphy from Kilkenny.

The dairy stockjudging competition takes the form of an academic test followed by the score-marking in order of merit of a pen of heifers and a pen of cows. Competitors are also interviewed on their overall grading of the animals and must answer questions on the technical aspects of dairy farming. 

Speaking at the event, Macra na Feirme Competitions Committee Chairperson, Flor O’Gorman said, “This year’s competition was outstanding with the standard of entrants being very high. I’d like to thank the Irish Dairy Board for their continued support of the competition. I'd also like to thank Dessie Delaney and Kevin Behan from IHFA who assisted in the judging of the competition. This competition is a great opportunity for young farmers to become skilled at assessing livestock and it prepares them for the actual job of buying and selling farm animals. Stock judging also broadens the young farmers’ knowledge of new developments in stock breeding, husbandry and disease control.”

The two overall winners have won a place on the annual Macra prize winners trip in Autumn.