This year marked the first ever Designer Genes Hereford sale, which was held at the Shrewsbury Auction Centre earlier this month. A select pre-inspected entry, which consisted of 22 females and three embryo lots met buoyant trade, making it one of the strongest Hereford sales seen in years.

In total, 17 females and three embryo lots sold to average £4,717 with a clearance of 80%, making it the highest averaging Hereford sale in the UK. Topping the live lots and setting a record as the highest-priced poll Hereford female to ever sell at public auction was Sky High 1 Miss Valentine. Bred by B Birch and G Brindley, this 10-month-old heifer went on to sell for 8,500gns (€10,600) which also makes her the highest-priced Hereford female under 12 months to sell in the UK.

Sired by Romany 1 Lawbreaker and out of the 2015 Hereford female of the year Dendor 1 Jennefer 15th, she found a new home with Adam Bowen and family.

Securing the second highest price of the day was well-known Coley 1 Bubbles 249 from Miss H Whittaker.

A former reserve female of the year herself, she is sired by 2012 sire of the year Blakelaw 1 Calzaghe and met her reserve at 8,000gns (€10,000) selling to PD & JM Vaughan.

Three more females from the Coley herd sold on the day. They were all three-quarter sisters sired by Sky High 1 Korker and out of cows sired by the previously mentioned Blakelaw 1 Calzaghe. Coley 1 Brandy 360, Coley 1 Samantha 369 and Coley 1 Model 378 sold for 3,500gns, 3,000gns and 3,600gns, respectively.

Taking the overall female championship at the Hereford Cattle Breeders’ Association’s Christmas Calf Show held before the sale was Normanton 1 Enoki 4th from the award-winning Normanton herd.

Enoki 4th was one of the last daughters of Alvian 1 Emperor to ever sell from Normanton and she fetched 6,000gns.

Moorside 1 Jane 3rd, a two-year-old first-calved heifer who had won numerous breed and interbreed titles throughout 2016 was next in the money. She was knocked down to new breeders S & E Walker of Lancashire for 5,000gns. Her April-born heifer calf Moorside 1 Jane 9th, a daughter of noted Cogent sire Moorside 1 Joseph, secured 3,800gns selling to Alan Crooks, Sheffield, for 3,800gns.

Embryo lots

Topping the trade for the three embryo lots on offer was a flush of any cow in the herd from the noted Moeskaer herd in Denmark.

Moeskaer Herefords this year won a number of national and international accolades, including Champion Bull of Europe 2016. This lot sold for €10,700 to MJT Herefords, Canada, and Dara C Entwistle, Illinois.