In-calf heifers were a roaring trade at the annual Corries Leading Ladies sale in Ballymena Mart on Tuesday 17 October, on behalf of Will and Gareth Corrie, Newtownards, Co Down.
Just over 80 Limousin-cross heifers went under the hammer and with buyers turning out in force ringside, along with online interest, a new record was set for highest-priced animal and sale average.
All heifers forwarded where scanned in-calf to a range of Limousin sires, with the majority of lots due to calve from early January onwards.
With a 100% clearance rate, heifers averaged £3,211 (€3,733) across 84 lots, an increase of almost £800 (€930) on last year.
Topping the trade
Topping the trade and setting a new sale record at £7,200 (€8,372) was a strongly muscled Limousin-cross-Blue heifer, up £200/head (€234) on last autumn. Scanned in-calf to Ampertaine Lance for early January, she is carrying a heifer calf.
Minutes before the top-priced lot entered the ring, another January calving heifer carrying a bull calf sired by Lance, was met with a bidding frenzy that saw the hammer fall at £7,000 (€8,140).
Next up was a third January calving heifer, again carrying a heifer calf to Lance, which sold for £5,600 (€6,512).
Breaking the run of Lance-mated heifers was two February calving heifers, both carrying to Carmorn Redrock, with bull calves and each lot making £5,000 (€5,814).
Heifers in-calf to the homebred Drumhilla Rocky topped £4,100 (€4,767) for a January calving animal, while Ampertaine Parker-mated heifers peaked at £4,000 (€4,651).
Heifers carrying to Carmorn Misty topped out at £3,600 (€4,186) for a January calving animal with a female calf due.
Across the sale, two heifers sold above £7,000 (€8,140), with a further three animals making over £5,000 (€5,814) and four lots commanding above £4,000 (€4,651).
Ten heifers sold between £3,500 and £4,000 (€4,070 to €4,651), with another 25 lots selling above £3,000 (€3,488), while the main run of animals made £2,500 to £3,000 (€2,907 to €3,488).
