Baileys look for Ireland's finest dairy cow
The manufacturers of Baileys® Irish Cream are searching for Ireland’s finest Holstein Friesian dairy cow. The Baileys® Champion Dairy Cow Competition is officially open to entries from across the island of Ireland and will take place at the Virginia Show, Co. Cavan on Saturday 31 July.
It attracts a prize fund of €8,000. The breeder of the winning cow will receive a cheque for €2,000 along with the perpetual trophy whilst €650 will go to the breeder of the Reserve Champion. Other awards will be presented for Highest Protein Content, Best EBI, Best Exhibitor-Bred Cow and Best Heifer in Milk.
Speaking at the launch reception held at the Baileys Global Supply site in Dublin recently, Stephen O’Kelly of R&A Bailey & Co, who sponsor the competition in association with their cream supplier, Glanbia Ingredients, said: "The Baileys® Irish Champion Cow Competition demonstrates Ireland’s world class standards in milk production and helps to underpin the quality of the cream in Baileys® which is sourced exclusively on the island of Ireland."
To enter the competition, cows must first have produced 500kgs of butterfat and protein in a 305 day lactation (except for the heifer in milk awards). A 10% extra weighting is being given to the protein portion of the entry standard. On the day, final judgment will be made by independent judge, Michael Gould who owns the Woodmarsh Holstein Herd of Shrewsbury, in the English county of Shropshire. He milks 300 pedigree Holsteins with a herd average of 12,500 kgs (2,670 gallons).
His previous judging experience includes the U.K. National Holstein Show, the Royal Highland Show, the Holland HHH Show, the Australian National Holstein Show, Balmoral Winter Fair and the National Herds Competitions. Commenting on the task ahead, Michael said: "I will be looking for a cow with dairy strength and capacity that has great mobility as well as a top class udder."
275 million litres of milk per year from over 35,000 Irish cows across 1,400 farms is needed to make Baileys®.
Together, they contribute to the 2,300 glasses of Baileys® that are drunk every minute of every day across 130 countries and this prestigious event is only open to the best bred ’supermilkers’ amongst them, that is cows producing over 11,000 litres of milk a year.
For all their hard work in the making of Baileys’ quality cream ingredient, it makes sense that the world’s no. 1 liqueur should recognize and reward the queen of them all.
