Thompsons Feeding Innovation

Well done to all the exhibitors at the NI Limousin Cattle Club Ladies In Red Show and Sale 👏👍

Here it is, your Hall of Fame for the Thompsons/Northern Ireland Shows Association - NISA Dairy Cow Championship 2026 at Antrim Show.

And don't miss the opportunity to get your keepsake of the day in tomorrow's Farming Life, where the centre pages will be a celebration of a great end to a great competition 😊👏

Well, what can we say about the final line up of 16 superb animals and our six top placings at the Thompsons/Northern Ireland Shows Association - NISA Dairy Cow Championship at Antrim Show 2026, except that these photos (taken by Jessica Hall Photography ) are worth the wait!!

We're just putting as many photos as we can online for you to enjoy. Tag them, share them, save them, print them, get a new screensaver, whatever you want, when you are part of a day like that you need the evidence 😎💪👏

Huge thanks to Jessica for the photos, judge Mark, all the stewards, Michael for the commentary, the Thompsons' Team and last but not least the incredible exhibitors who brought an exemplary display of everything Dairy to Antrim Show. Well done everyone, it takes a wee bit more than a village to pull it all off 😉😅

Enjoy the photos and here are the results from the top six picked out by Judge Mark Logan;

The Thompsons/NISA Dairy Cow Champion for 2026 was top of the class with bib lettered A, after qualifying straight out the blocks at Ballymena Show. Mostragee Vinny Lauren 3 (VG89-3YR) had Rory Tinlin at the halter and was presented by the Henry family.

Reserve Champion was Ernevale Alligator Rosina 2 (EX92) exhibited by David Simpson & Andrew Patterson having qualified at Newry Show.

3rd place went to Beechview Solarpower Madilyn (EX92) from George & Jason Booth after qualifying at Omagh Show.

4th place was Damm Impression Beth 2 (EX95) from George & David Simpson, who gained her place in the final at Armagh Show.

5th place was secured by Slatabogie Lambda Alysia (VG89-3YR) brought forward by Alan and Leanne Paul the family and team at Slatabogie, after qualifying at Omagh Show.

6th place was awarded to the winning Junior Champion, Mostragee Hardy May (VG87-2YR) also from Tommy Henry & Family.

Oh Wow!! What a day we have just had at Antrim Show for the Thompsons/ Northern Ireland Shows Association - NISA final of the Dairy Cow Championship. And we only planned to share a photo of our winner, but these photos from Jessica Hall Photography were just too good not to let you see and give a bit of an idea of the absolute class that stepped round the dairy ring today at Antrim Show.

The sun shone, the cows and heifers were in top condition and it was a good day to be part of the Mostragee Herd team 💪😉

Our Champion Dairy Cow for 2026 was Mostragee Vinny Lauren 3, presented by the Henry family and led to victory by Rory Tinlin, who had also had taken her to glory as the winner of our Interbreed Dairy Championship Class at Balmoral Show this year.

The Reserve Championship place was taken by Ernevale Alligator Rosina 2 EX 92 who qualified at Newry Agricultural Show, presented by Andrew Patterson and David Simpson, a credit to the whole team.

The Champion Heifer spot was also filled by the Henry Family in Mostragee Hardy May, expertly led by Andrew Kennedy and unbelievably, both had qualified at Ballymena Show, securing the first of the spots in the list for the final.

Judge Mark Logan was tasked with the tough job of picking out his final six, but was quick to commend every exhibitor on not just what they did to get their cows or heifers to the final, but also what they do on a daily basis to look after their herd and keep them in top class condition.

With a combination of 16 cows and heifers in the final line up it was a rare spectacle of the world class dairy farming that is right on our doorstep. What a credit to all involved ☺️

We will follow on with more information on the winning line up, but for now we will enjoy our winners and what was a super day for everything Dairy at Antrim Show 😊

Sorry, in all the excitement we missed three of our qualified finalists in our final line up post, so they've got their own post 😉 Here's the two cows and heifer that qualified at Armagh Show, that will be ready for the final tomorrow at 2.30pm 🐄😀

Eight qualifiers, many many outstanding cows and heifers and now just one more sleep until they are all lined up in the magnificent setting of Shane's Castle Estate, for the final of the Thompsons/Northern Ireland Shows Association - NISA Dairy Cow Championship 2026 at Antrim Show!!

And we cannot wait! Judge Mark Logan will have the tough task of judging what has shaped up to be a strong show of dairy cattle, but we've no doubt he will relish in the opportunity, which plans to start at 2.30pm in the dairy ring.

We will have Thompsons' personnel around the ring handing out a full list of the cattle being judged, so the audience can pick their own winners too - we hope we have enough leaflets for what is always a great crowd of enthusiastic spectators 👍😎🐄😀

Don't forget if you are one of the chosen handlers, you need to make sure you are wearing your Thompsons bib when in the ring, so that everyone watching knows which cow is which, we will have Thompsons' staff there to make sure everyone is ready for action 😉

But until tomorrow, here is your final line up, good luck everyone 😀🤞💪

In today's Farming Life we have a full preview of the (nearly) final line up for next Saturday's Thompsons/Northern Ireland Shows Association - NISA Dairy Cow Championship to be held at Antrim Show. Today there will be two opportunities to join the final by qualifying at either Castlewellan Show or .

But for now let's take a look back at last year's winning line up and remind ourselves of the quality of the cattle that earned their place in the 2025 final.

We are looking forward to putting on a great showcase of world class cows on the 25th at Antrim Show, so don't miss it!!

Good luck to all those competing today 😀🐄😎👍