The Irish Simmental Cattle Society hosted its premier sale in Roscommon on Saturday under strict COVID-19 restrictions, which meant all bidding was done online.
After a tricky start because of a technical problem with the bidding platform, resulting in a three-hour delay, all was soon forgotten as the first lot into the ring sold for a record-breaking €52,000. This is double that of the former breed record and is said to be a record for any breed sold in Ireland. It also stands as the highest price paid for a Simmental at auction throughout Ireland and the UK.
Claiming the top price was Clonagh Lucky Explorer from Garrett and Lyndsey Behan based in Ballyfin, Co Laois. He was sired by Manor Park Handsome, who the Behans purchased for the top price of 22,000gns in Stirling, Scotland, a number of years ago. His dam line is just as impressive, with his mother Clonagh Dora the Explorer twice overall national champion and also awarded Miss Simmental Europe in 2016. Her sire is three-time overall national champion Banwy T-Rex.
Having garnered much attention on Facebook pre-sale, the 1,000kg May 2019-born bull was knocked down to the Woods family who run the Popes herd in the UK.
This tops an extremely successful few years for the Behan family who at last year’s premier sold Clonagh Jubilant Fabulous for the society record female price of €18,000.
Saturday’s work didn’t end with the high seller as the Laois family went on to sell a further 10 animals to gross just shy of €100,000.
Selling directly after the high-seller was his three-quarter brother Clonagh Latin Lover, which hit the market at €6,800, again selling to Popes Simmentals.
Clonagh Latin Lover who sold for €6,800. \ Alfie Shaw
This bull’s dam is Clonagh Darling Eyes, last year’s Simmental Miss World, while his sire is again Manor Park Handsome.
Speaking after the sale, Garrett Behan said: “I’m delighted to see the two bulls going to the same great home as they’ve never spent a day apart. It gives great confidence when customers come back to you such as the Woods family who bought the record-priced female off us last year. Lucky Explorer was special from day one, and I have no doubt this won’t be the last we hear of him.”
Two other Handsome sons sold for €5,900 and €4,900, respectively, meaning the four sons on offer sold for a staggering average of €17,400. Claiming the price of €5,900 was Clonagh Leinster Fabulous, a double five-star son of Kilbride Farm Dragoon daughter Clonagh Glamorous Fabulous.
Hitting €4,900 was Clonagh Lexus P, another five-star terminal bull, this time out of polled cow Curaheen Gloria, herself a daughter of Danish national champion Jaegergard Amistar P.
Male average surpasses €5,000
Claiming the fourth top bull price was Lissadell Legacy ET who sold for €5,000. Bred by Kieran and Paul Mullarkey, Ballinduff, Co Sligo, the powerful rising yearling bull is a son of Kilbride Farm Delboy and out of the well-known show heifer Tawley Gretta.
Dermotstown Lamborghini was next in line when he sold for €4,200 for breeder Chris White, Ring Commons, Co Dublin. Sired by Balmoral champion Dermotstown Delboy, he is out of a Keeldrum Capone 11 daughter.
John Joe and Sean Carroll sold their bull Fairymount Lancer for €4,000. This August 2019-born bull is a son of Curaheen Dickens with Seaview Tommy with Clonaslee Admiral also in the back breeding.
Matching this price was Leeherd Lynx from Coachford, Co Cork breeder John Finnegan. This August 2019-born bull is a son of stock bull Dermotstown G-Mac and an Anatrim Daubi-bred dam.
Due to the record-priced Lucky Explorer, average for males jumped by over €2,200 to settle at €5,050. This average was supported by an 80% clearance rate with three further bulls selling on the year.
Females
The Mullarkey duo continued to have an exceptional day selling their female stock. One of the first lots through was their heifer Lissadell Krystal Speci ET who sold for the top female price of €11,500.
Lissadell Krystal Speci ET who sold for €11,500. \ Alfie Shaw
This two-year-old heifer was one of the standouts in the yard with Northern Irish breeder Joe Wilson seeing the potential. Sired by the famous Hillcrest Champion, she is again out of the aforementioned Tawley Gretta.
Following on from this, Lissadell Luxury VIP P sold for €8,000. This April 2019-born heifer is a daughter of Auroch Deuter PP and the Milnafua Graduate dam Corbally Eires VIP.
Lissadell Luxury VIP P who sold for €8,000. \ Alfie Shaw
With her half-brother standing in Bova AI, she was the choice of Newton House Farm.
The last of the Mullarkey high sellers came in the form of Lissadell Lucky Star who auctioneer Dennis Barrett knocked down at €5,100. This rising yearling heifer is a similar cross to the high-selling female being sired by Champion and out of Gretta.
Youngest heifers
Also having a good day was Gerry Neenan when he sold one of the youngest heifers in the sale, Fearna Madame Regal ET, for €7,800. This January 2020-born heifer is sired by Dermotstown Delboy and out of the famous cow Fearna Regal.
Fearna Madame Regal ET who sold for €7,800. \ Alfie Shaw
The Touhy family from Co Galway made their trip worthwhile when they sold two heifers for €6,500 and €5,900, respectively. The higher of these prices came for Coose Luciana, an October 2019-born heifer sired by Woodhall Ferrari and out of an Auroch Bullet-bred dam.
The other lot was Coose Loveheart, an August 2019-born heifer by stock bull Tulla Jaguar P with Curaheen Wakeman in the back breeding.
Clonagh were back in the money when they sold their top heifer, Clonagh Lamour Francesca, for €4,800. This daughter of the previously mentioned Manor Park Handsome is out of a full sister to the famous Milton Senhoritta.
Francis Maguire, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, sold his two Curaheen Wakeman daughters for in excess of €4,000. First up was Fohera Little Cracker who hit the market at €4,200, while Fohera Little Avril ET sold for €4,100.
A further 16 heifers sold between €3,000 and €4,000.
Such was the demand for heifers average rose by €30 on an incredible high year to settle at an impressive €3,700. This was complemented with a clearance rate of 85%, with 40 of the 47 forward selling.
Commenting on the sale, Peadar Glennon from the Irish Simmental Cattle Society congratulated the Behan family on their outstanding achievement in selling Clonagh Lucky Explorer for this recordbreaking price and wished the Woods family every success and enjoyment with their latest addition to the Popes herd.
Peadar also acknowledged the positivity of all the exhibitors when informed of the regulations put in place only two days before the sale and also thanked, on behalf of the society and exhibitors, the livestock handlers who did such a professional and competent job on Saturday.
He highlighted the role played by both Roscommon Mart and Department of Agriculture officials in facilitating the sale, especially when the three-hour delay was factored in.
He also acknowledged the difficulties in running the sale, thanked the society council, Marian in the Simmental office and COVID-19 officers and stewards who assisted in the overall running of the sale. He said: “It was all worthwhile as breeders were afforded an opportunity to sell.”
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The Irish Simmental Cattle Society hosted its premier sale in Roscommon on Saturday under strict COVID-19 restrictions, which meant all bidding was done online.
After a tricky start because of a technical problem with the bidding platform, resulting in a three-hour delay, all was soon forgotten as the first lot into the ring sold for a record-breaking €52,000. This is double that of the former breed record and is said to be a record for any breed sold in Ireland. It also stands as the highest price paid for a Simmental at auction throughout Ireland and the UK.
Claiming the top price was Clonagh Lucky Explorer from Garrett and Lyndsey Behan based in Ballyfin, Co Laois. He was sired by Manor Park Handsome, who the Behans purchased for the top price of 22,000gns in Stirling, Scotland, a number of years ago. His dam line is just as impressive, with his mother Clonagh Dora the Explorer twice overall national champion and also awarded Miss Simmental Europe in 2016. Her sire is three-time overall national champion Banwy T-Rex.
Having garnered much attention on Facebook pre-sale, the 1,000kg May 2019-born bull was knocked down to the Woods family who run the Popes herd in the UK.
This tops an extremely successful few years for the Behan family who at last year’s premier sold Clonagh Jubilant Fabulous for the society record female price of €18,000.
Saturday’s work didn’t end with the high seller as the Laois family went on to sell a further 10 animals to gross just shy of €100,000.
Selling directly after the high-seller was his three-quarter brother Clonagh Latin Lover, which hit the market at €6,800, again selling to Popes Simmentals.
Clonagh Latin Lover who sold for €6,800. \ Alfie Shaw
This bull’s dam is Clonagh Darling Eyes, last year’s Simmental Miss World, while his sire is again Manor Park Handsome.
Speaking after the sale, Garrett Behan said: “I’m delighted to see the two bulls going to the same great home as they’ve never spent a day apart. It gives great confidence when customers come back to you such as the Woods family who bought the record-priced female off us last year. Lucky Explorer was special from day one, and I have no doubt this won’t be the last we hear of him.”
Two other Handsome sons sold for €5,900 and €4,900, respectively, meaning the four sons on offer sold for a staggering average of €17,400. Claiming the price of €5,900 was Clonagh Leinster Fabulous, a double five-star son of Kilbride Farm Dragoon daughter Clonagh Glamorous Fabulous.
Hitting €4,900 was Clonagh Lexus P, another five-star terminal bull, this time out of polled cow Curaheen Gloria, herself a daughter of Danish national champion Jaegergard Amistar P.
Male average surpasses €5,000
Claiming the fourth top bull price was Lissadell Legacy ET who sold for €5,000. Bred by Kieran and Paul Mullarkey, Ballinduff, Co Sligo, the powerful rising yearling bull is a son of Kilbride Farm Delboy and out of the well-known show heifer Tawley Gretta.
Dermotstown Lamborghini was next in line when he sold for €4,200 for breeder Chris White, Ring Commons, Co Dublin. Sired by Balmoral champion Dermotstown Delboy, he is out of a Keeldrum Capone 11 daughter.
John Joe and Sean Carroll sold their bull Fairymount Lancer for €4,000. This August 2019-born bull is a son of Curaheen Dickens with Seaview Tommy with Clonaslee Admiral also in the back breeding.
Matching this price was Leeherd Lynx from Coachford, Co Cork breeder John Finnegan. This August 2019-born bull is a son of stock bull Dermotstown G-Mac and an Anatrim Daubi-bred dam.
Due to the record-priced Lucky Explorer, average for males jumped by over €2,200 to settle at €5,050. This average was supported by an 80% clearance rate with three further bulls selling on the year.
Females
The Mullarkey duo continued to have an exceptional day selling their female stock. One of the first lots through was their heifer Lissadell Krystal Speci ET who sold for the top female price of €11,500.
Lissadell Krystal Speci ET who sold for €11,500. \ Alfie Shaw
This two-year-old heifer was one of the standouts in the yard with Northern Irish breeder Joe Wilson seeing the potential. Sired by the famous Hillcrest Champion, she is again out of the aforementioned Tawley Gretta.
Following on from this, Lissadell Luxury VIP P sold for €8,000. This April 2019-born heifer is a daughter of Auroch Deuter PP and the Milnafua Graduate dam Corbally Eires VIP.
Lissadell Luxury VIP P who sold for €8,000. \ Alfie Shaw
With her half-brother standing in Bova AI, she was the choice of Newton House Farm.
The last of the Mullarkey high sellers came in the form of Lissadell Lucky Star who auctioneer Dennis Barrett knocked down at €5,100. This rising yearling heifer is a similar cross to the high-selling female being sired by Champion and out of Gretta.
Youngest heifers
Also having a good day was Gerry Neenan when he sold one of the youngest heifers in the sale, Fearna Madame Regal ET, for €7,800. This January 2020-born heifer is sired by Dermotstown Delboy and out of the famous cow Fearna Regal.
Fearna Madame Regal ET who sold for €7,800. \ Alfie Shaw
The Touhy family from Co Galway made their trip worthwhile when they sold two heifers for €6,500 and €5,900, respectively. The higher of these prices came for Coose Luciana, an October 2019-born heifer sired by Woodhall Ferrari and out of an Auroch Bullet-bred dam.
The other lot was Coose Loveheart, an August 2019-born heifer by stock bull Tulla Jaguar P with Curaheen Wakeman in the back breeding.
Clonagh were back in the money when they sold their top heifer, Clonagh Lamour Francesca, for €4,800. This daughter of the previously mentioned Manor Park Handsome is out of a full sister to the famous Milton Senhoritta.
Francis Maguire, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, sold his two Curaheen Wakeman daughters for in excess of €4,000. First up was Fohera Little Cracker who hit the market at €4,200, while Fohera Little Avril ET sold for €4,100.
A further 16 heifers sold between €3,000 and €4,000.
Such was the demand for heifers average rose by €30 on an incredible high year to settle at an impressive €3,700. This was complemented with a clearance rate of 85%, with 40 of the 47 forward selling.
Commenting on the sale, Peadar Glennon from the Irish Simmental Cattle Society congratulated the Behan family on their outstanding achievement in selling Clonagh Lucky Explorer for this recordbreaking price and wished the Woods family every success and enjoyment with their latest addition to the Popes herd.
Peadar also acknowledged the positivity of all the exhibitors when informed of the regulations put in place only two days before the sale and also thanked, on behalf of the society and exhibitors, the livestock handlers who did such a professional and competent job on Saturday.
He highlighted the role played by both Roscommon Mart and Department of Agriculture officials in facilitating the sale, especially when the three-hour delay was factored in.
He also acknowledged the difficulties in running the sale, thanked the society council, Marian in the Simmental office and COVID-19 officers and stewards who assisted in the overall running of the sale. He said: “It was all worthwhile as breeders were afforded an opportunity to sell.”
Read more
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Irish Limousin breeding does the business in Carlisle
Angus bull reaches 10,000gns at Stirling
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