The Irish Independent reports that traces of phenylbutazone or “bute” as it's more commonly known were found during the testing of a pedigree bull at the show in Roscrea.
Industry sources claim that some beef cattle farmers use the banned carcinogenic painkillers to enhance the performance of their animals in the show ring similar to what was common at top-flight equestrian competitions.
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The sample from the Limousin bull comes less than a year and a half after the horse meat scandal which rocked the Irish beef industry.
Neither the farmer nor representatives at the Limousin breed society would comment on the matter.
