The Irish Limousin Cattle Society held its final sale of the year in Granard livestock mart last Friday. The Longford venue hadn’t run a society sale in a number of years, but given the demand for the Limousin breed over the past year, the society gave it the green light for 2017.

Overall, 33 bulls were catalogued for the sale. However, due to the scheduling of the sale late in the season, just 18 bulls were present on the day. These bulls saw a mixed trade, starting at €2,000 to a high of €3,600, with an average of €2,553.

Topping trade was the first lot into the ring Coolrain Kodak. This August 2015-born bull was bred by Portlaoise duo Gearoid and Padraic Kennedy. Sired by stock bull Drummin Goliath, who was purchased for €5,500, Kodak boasted five stars down the line and sold for €3,600.

Championship title for Sympa son

Claiming the overall championship under judge William Smith was Meelickaduff Lamborghini. This son of Sympa is out of the 2016 Limousin RDS champion of champions and was bred by Owen Hester from Castlerea, Co Roscommon. Despite carrying five stars on the terminal and replacement indices, Lamborghini failed to meet his reserve.

Claiming the reserve overall championship was Michael Montgomery’s Montclair Luke. This February 2016-born bull saw Kaprico Eravelle, Sympa and Navarin in his sire stack. With a calving difficulty of just 4.8%, he sold for €3,400.

Picking up the second-highest price of €3,500 was the first-prizewinner Corlea Lance. This marked a good week for breeder Thomas Connor, Kenagh, Co Longford, who also sold the Charolais sale topper for €6,800 in Tullamore the previous weekend.

Lance is a 14-month-old son of Ampertaine Foreman, with Ampertaine Abracadabra the breeding behind the mother.

John McInerney, Newmarket-on-Fergus, realised €3,200 for the January 2016-born Drummin Leo. Sired by Wilodge Vantastic and out of Drummin Cliona, Leo is a full brother to Drummin J-Lo who sold at last year’s international congress for €16,200.

John also secured €2,800 for his second exhibit in the show, Drummin Klaus. This first-prizewinning bull was sired by Brutus Hashtag, again going back to the noted Drummin Peach.

The small female section saw only three animals forward, with only one finding a new home.

Newtown Lucky 2 from Stanley Richardson was awarded the reserve female championship in the pre-sale show before selling for €2,100. This 17-month-old heifer is sired by Loosebeare Fantastic, while the dam is homebred Newtown Dixie.

Claiming the overall championship was nearby breeder Brendan Hanley from Edgeworthstown with Keeltown Lucy. Sired by Brutus Hashtag, Lucy also featured Olympian and Gamin in her pedigree, but unfortunately failed to meet her reserve.