The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) is delighted to announce an exceptional line-up of judges for the 153rd Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank, taking place from Wednesday 11th May – Saturday 14th May 2022.
As Northern Ireland’s largest agri-food event, the Show attracts a high calibre of judges from across the UK, Ireland and further afield, all bestowed the honour of crowning the Champions of Show.
This year sheep classes make a welcome return with three new breeds added to the line-up including Valais Blacknose judged by Brian Matthews and Berrichon and Bleu Du Maine judged by Clarke Lamont and Ian McConnell respectively. The Sheep Young Handlers will be handled by local NI man, Michael Graham from Antrim.
Beef cattle have a strong line-up of classes and the difficult task of judging the Champion of Champions and Junior Championship falls to Mike Durno from Ballindalloch. Beef Interbreed Performance and Stock Judging classes will be judged by Cork man, Albert De Cogan. The Beef Pairs, Group Championships will be overseen by William Smith from Co. Meath while the Beef Young Handlers will be judged by Marie Louise Ryan from Thurles.
In the Dairy section, Iwan Morgan from Carmarthenshire will be tasked with judging both the Dairy Cattle and Dairy Young Handlers.
Beanie Sturgis from Wiltshire and Vincent Seddon, Gloucestershire will be judging the Hunters while the Performance Ridden Irish Draught will be judged by George Chapman, Jane Gilchrist and Jane Collins.
This year the Racehorse to Riding horse class will be overseen by renowned trainer WP Mullins and retired National Hunt jockey Richard Johnston. The newly titled ‘Balmoral Star of the Future’ Performance Horse Championships will be judged by Eric Smiley.
In the fold, there will be a full complement of judges from the province overseeing the shearing classes. This year the Balmoral Show will host the Six Nations Machine Shearing Championships with competitors travelling from Northern Ireland, Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and France.
Judging the Goats will be Vickie Hardy from Kirby while young handlers will be overseen by Vaughan Byrne from Dromara. Andrew Warriner from York will take control of the pig classes while the Pig Pairs will be judged by former RUAS president Cyril Millar from Coleraine.
The poultry section will welcome Andy Marment from Cornwall, Ian Allonby from Cumbria and Kevin Dowrick from Cornwall. Pigeons will be judged by Tandragee man Cyril Beattie while Shelled Eggs & Championship, Children’s Decorated Eggs will be overseen by Colin Clarke hailing from Norfolk.
Mark Stoddart from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society will be on site as judge of this year’s Trade Stand Awards while the highly desired Champion of Champions title will be judge by BBC Radio Ulster’s very own Nicola Weir.
JUDGES BALMORAL SHOW 2022
Horses & Ponies
Clydesdales, Farm Cart/Agricultural Vehicle, Heavy Trade Turnouts, Clydesdale Young Handlers
Jenette Farley, Carluke
Clydesdale Ridden
Jenette Farley, Carluke
Breeding & Young Stock
Magus Nicholson, North Yorkshire
Patricia Stirling, Selkirkshire
Hunters
Beanie Sturgis, Wiltshire
Vincent Seddon, Gloucestershire
Performance Ridden Irish Draught
George Chapman, Gorey
Jane Gilchrist, Perth
Jane Collins, New Port
Registered Irish Draught Ridden
Jane Gilchrist, Perth
Jane Collins, New Port
Cobs & Maxi Cobs
Jane Cooper, Dorest
Brian Storey, Carlisle
Coloured
Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire
Ladies Hunter Astride
Amelia Bevin, Suffolk
Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire
Riding Horses
Amelia Bevin, Suffolk
Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire
Ladies Side Saddle Balmoral Classic
Amelia Bevin, Suffolk
Ian Smeeth, Gloucestershire
Working Hunter Horses
Beanie Sturgis, Wiltshire
Jody Sole, Suffolk
Small Working Hunter and Cob Working Hunter
Jane Cooper, Dorset
Brian Storey, Carlisle
Hackney / Private Driving and Trade Turnouts (Light)
Nigel Fuller, Essex
Racehorse to Riding horse
William Mullins, Carlow
Richard Johnston, Herefordshire
‘Balmoral Star of the Future’ Performance Horse Championships
Eric Smiley, Dorset
Children’s Ponies (Ridden)
Nigel Fuller, Essex
Janet Hoyle, Tottington
Working Hunter Ponies
Lyn Black, Glasgow
Charlotte Miller, Durham
Connemara Ponies and Ridden & Working Hunter
Robert Fallon, Galway
Cathy Snow, Galway
Donkey Classes
Karen Logan, Lancashire
Referee Judge
John Bamber, Dromore
Diane Gibson, Newtownabbey
Sheep
Beltex
Kevin Buckle, Cumbria
Berrichon
Clarke Lamont, Dumfries
Bleu Du Maine
Ian McConnell, Dumfries
Blue Texel
Martin Sivill, St Asaph
Bluefaced Leicester/Mules
Derek Hall, Midlothian
Border Leicester
John Mauchlen, Roxboroughshire
Charollais
Russell Gray, Lanark
Dorset Horn & Poll
Sam Driver, Derbyshire
Dutch Spotted
Pamela Parker, Lockerbie
Hampshire Down
Harry Middleditch, Suffolk
Ile de France
Clarke Lamont, Dumfries
Jacob
Lyndon Trumper, Monmouthshire
Kerryhill
Katie Esler, North Somerset
Lleyn
John Dugdale, North Yorkshire
North Country Cheviot
Tom Matthewson, Midlothian
Minority Breeds
Ernest Bainbridge, North Yorkshire
Rouge de l’Ouest
Ian McConnell, Dumfries
Suffolk
Andrew Wilson, Raphoe
Texel
Henry Gamble, Groomsport
Valais Blacknose
Brian Matthews, Killeigh
Zwartbles
Ally Baird, Dunblane
Interbreed Pairs of Ewe & Ram Lambs, Shearling Ewes and Rams
John North, North Yorkshire
Interbreed Pairs Championship, Group of Three
Andrew Walton, Northumberland
Interbreed Overall Championships
Brian McTaggart, Castle Douglas
Sheep Young Handlers
Michael Graham, Antrim
Goats
Goats
Vickie Hardy, Kirby
Goat Young Handlers
Vaughan Byrne, Dromara
Sheep Shearing
Adrian Caldwell, Co. Tyrone
Alan Crockett, Co. Tyrone
Alan Longstaff, Co. Antrim
Andrew Rankin, Dunbartenshire
Brendan Kelly, Co. Antrim
Brian Megahey, Co. Antrim
Bryan Wilson, Co. Antrim
Colin Crowe, Westmeath
David Jones, Co. Antrim
David O’Neill, Co Tyrone.
Fionan Butler, Co. Antrim
Ian Montgomery, Co. Antrim
Jack Robinson, Co. Londonderry
John Ivor Davis, Wales
Klaus Keifer, France
Peter Webber, Devon
Richard Schofield, North Yorkshire
Robin Kennedy, Co. Antrim
Seamus Kelly, Co Antrim.
Tom Dunne, Wicklow
Tom Perry, Co Tyrone
Wallace Boyd, Scotland
William Jones, Co Antrim
Pigs
Large White, Landrace, Pork Pigs, Interbreed Championships, Traditional Breeds, Pairs, Interbreed Championships
Andrew Warriner, York
Pig Pairs
Cyril Millar, Coleraine
Pig Young Handler
Pat McIver, Cossgar
Poultry, Pigeons, Eggs
Turkey, Waterfowl, Modern Game, Old English Game, Hard Feather, Bantams Large
Leon Smith, Norfolk
True Bantams
Andy Marment, Cornwall
Soft Feather (Light Large & Bantam)
Ian Allonby, Cumbria
Soft Feather (Heavy Large & Bantam)
Kevin Dowrick, Cornwall
Pigeons
Cyril Beattie, Tandragee
Shelled Eggs & Championship, Children’s Decorated Eggs
Colin Clarke, Norfolk
Beef Cattle
Aberdeen Angus
Brian Clarke, Norfolk
Hereford
PJ Budler, Texas
Charolais
Andrew Hornall, Stirling
Simmental
David Lowry, Lanark
Limousin
Mark Quick, Devon
British Blonde
William Laird, Fife
British Blue
Andrew Haste, Beaworthy
Salers
Iain Livesey, Melrose
Commercial
Dafydd Lewis, Llanwrda
Beef Shorthorn
Bobby Landers, Wigtownshire
Dexter
Mary Kay, Dorset
Irish Moiled
Derek Steen, Dumfries
Junior Championship and Champion of Champions
Mike Durno, Ballindalloch
Beef Group of 5 Native and Continental & Exhibitor Bred Pairs
Chris Pennie, Powys
Interbreed Performance Bulls & Heifers & Interbreed Stock Judging
Albert De Cogan, Co. Cork
Beef Pairs, Group Championships
William Smith, Co. Meath
Beef Young Handlers
Marie Louise Ryan, Thurles
Beef Presentation Award
Alex Woods, Banbridge
Renton Ledbetter, Cupar
Dairy Cattle
Dairy Cattle
Iwan Morgan, Carmarthenshire
Dairy Young Handlers
Iwan Morgan, Carmarthenshire
Dairy Presentation Award
Alex Woods, Banbridge
Renton Ledbetter, Cupar
Trade Stands
Mark Stoddart, Yorkshire Agricultural Society
Champion of Champions
Nicola Weir, BBC