The extended closing date for entries to the inaugural 'Beef Bull of the Future Championships' at the Iverk Show in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, is tomorrow night (Friday, August 15).

With a total prize fund of €36,000 to be distributed amongst the winning entrants, the much-anticipated event at the Iverk Show takes place on Saturday, August 23.

Sponsored by ABP Food Group, the Beef Bull of the Future Championships are also supported by Certified Irish Angus and Irish Hereford Prime.

There will be over 100 bulls on show and the owner of one of these will walk away with €4,000 in prize money.

There will also be 30 Angus heifers on show over three classes.

The focus of the classes at the event is "to reward the top pedigree bulls across all beef breeds", according to a statement from ABP.

As well as the generous prize money, ABP suppliers will also benefit from a €500 voucher, which can be used towards the purchase of the top-prize winners in selected Angus and Hereford classes in the event, "offering a real opportunity to invest in superior genetics", according to ABP.

Under a new format, the show will continue to offer an extended range of Bull Calf Championships and will incorporate five new championships to the three existing Angus Bull Calf Championships.

The five new championships this year are:

Two new Hereford Bull Calf Championships;
Limousin Bull Calf Championship;
Two new Bull Calf Championships to accommodate all other beef breeds.

This year, the Angus Bull Calf Championships will be open to both the Irish Angus Cattle Society and the Irish Aberdeen Angus Association.

The culmination of the day will be a Supreme Bull Calf Championship being contested by the Champion and Reserve Champion of each of the eight Championships.

The decision to open the competition to all breeds "reflects the diversity of the Irish beef sector and the essential role each breed plays in a profitable and sustainable production system", the ABP statement said.

ABP's agri-sustainability manager Stephen Connolly said: "We are delighted with such an uptake and we thank all the breeders who have entered so far. We look forward to a brilliant show on August 23."