166 | SHOWS
McMordies have best Balmoral yet In 2021, Balmoral Show was staged at the end of the summer show season, as opposed to being one of the first shows of the year. Here, the McMordie family of Solpoll Herefords had an exceptional show. Solpoll 1 Starlet M19 from John and William McMordie, Ballygowan, led the honours at Balmoral Show which was held in September in 2021 rather than its usual May date. Judged by Devon cattle breeder Jeff Thomas who travelled from Cornwall, it lay host to 29 entries from 10 different exhibitors. Six and a half years old, this McMordiebred cow is a daughter of the renowned Panmure 1 Henry which has already sired three Balmoral-winning daughters. Its dam is a Solpoll 1 Dynamite daughter and carries Canadian breeding on either side of its pedigree. Shown with its heifer calf at-foot, Jeff Thomas described the female as a ‘good, strong, powerful cow with real style’, adding it had ‘bred and fed a real good calf’.
Solpoll 1 Starlet M19 from J and W McMordie of another Starlet female and Henry daughter. In the interbreed performance recorded championship, this bull was tapped out as champion by well-known Kilrea-based Limousin breeder Paul
In the interbreed championship, this cow went on to be placed third by judge John Elliot of Rawburn Angus, Kelso. John said: “All three females put on a maternal masterclass and on another day the Hereford could have won the show.” In the final interbreed class of the week, the native team of five, consisting of cattle from the Haire family, John and William McMordie, Marcus Murdock, Stephen Cherry and Andrew McMordie took first prize. The reserve Hereford champion was from the same stable and came in the form of Solpoll 1 Triumph which also won the junior championship. March 2020born, it is by Moeskaer Mentos and out
Solpoll 1 Triumph from J and W McMordie
Rainey, having already taken the native title. During the breed judging, Jeff commented the bull was a ‘good type of bull’ with ‘excellent feet’ being ‘thick and
