Friends become 'enemies' at the show

Ruby and Anna-May Tannahill with one of their lambs

“You are all up against each other, afterwards you're all friends again, but while you're in the show they’re your enemies."

Thirteen-year-old Ruby Tannahill from Coleraine takes the Balmoral Show very seriously.

Each year more than 100,000 people attend the premier event in Northern Ireland’s farming calendar.

Ahead of the show this week farming families across Northern Ireland have been coaching, clipping and conditioning their animals in preparation.

Apollo the sheep does not seem bothered by the metal holding him in place while he is groomed.

Last year, he was the reserve champion in the Rouge class at the Balmoral Show but his owners hope he goes one better this year and takes home the Supreme title.

Alan and Jayne Tannahill along with their daughters Ruby and nine-year-old Anna-Mae are Balmoral Show veterans.

Sheep farmers Alan and Jayne Tannahill

“We’ve been showing for over 20 years now,” said Mrs Tannahill.

“Obviously there's a lot of work goes into it, a lot of stress and heartache when something doesn't work out, but we really look forward to it because it’s time away from the farm and the day jobs."

Getting a prize-winning ram like Apollo rosette-ready takes months of preparation.

“We’re doing the washing, the trimming, the spraying of them and getting them show ready - but for months before this you're planning on what you might show, what you're hoping to show, feeding them appropriately, and hoping that to have the right weather and everything," she added.

"Hoping that your luck goes well, that they don't go lame, that they don't get sick."

The show is competitive

Anna-Mae is excited for show day.

“On the day you have to wash it to make sure it's very clean. Also, you have to brush it and you take it out of its pen to the show ring and then you have to keep it steady for like 10 or 15 minutes and that can be tricky," she said.

Ruby said her interest in sheep showing is “definitely different” to the usual teenage pastimes and the show brings out her competitive side.

"I enjoy getting rosettes for my sheep and competing against others. I definitely want to win.

"It’s best if the sheep is bright and able to show themselves off and prance a bit."

The Tannahill family farm near Coleraine

Sheep farming as a business is relatively new to the family - who until a couple of years ago had been dairy farmers.

Switching from a dairy enterprise to a sheep farm has been a “major shift” but Mr Tannahill is happy with how it is going.

“It was going to be a big investment to stay on in dairy and it just wasn't for us," he said.

“The market price for milk was very bad. And we needed a new parlour to keep going - so we just sat down had a long hard think about it and just decided right we need to make a change."

'A good day out'

Mrs Tannahill has kept pet lambs since she was a child and said moving into sheep farming made more financial sense.

“Moving to sheep meant Alan could go to a job because sheep is something that you can do part time," she said.

"Except for lambing – we take a bit of time off to do that. But it's more manageable than cows where you have to be there 24/7."

But Mr Tannahill said the family will always make time for the Balmoral Show.

“It’s good craic, a good day out. The Balmoral Show is the first of the farming get togethers and it sets you up for the rest of the year," he added.

The Balmoral Show runs from Wednesday 15 May to Saturday 18 May at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn.