The Gigginstown annual on-farm Angus sale took place on Saturday with 40 pedigree bulls and heifers on offer. The glorious sunshine played its part in reducing the number of potential buyers present, however a near 100% clearance was still achieved.

Bulls

Bulls were first to kick off with averages rising by nearly €300 on the tough sale of 2018. Five of the 23 sold made €3,000 or more, with the remaining lots sold for over €2,000 each. The overall Angus bulls’ average settled at €2,600.

Gigginstown Lord Incaid T724, one of the youngest bulls through the ring, led the trade. This December 2017-born bull is a son of one of the herd's senior stock bulls Friarstown Empire, while its grandsire is the 32,000gns Penguin Mr Elevate. It has four stars on the terminal index. The auctioneer dropped the hammer at €4,300.

The only red Angus presented for sale secured the second top price of the day when knocked down at €3,800. Gigginstown Red Gaffer T687 is an October 2017-born son of three time all-Ireland champion Rosemead Karona. With five stars on the replacement index, Red Gaffer's pedigree also contains Friarstown Empire and Aughnamona Lord Hedian.

Overseas buyer

The third top male price of the day went to Gigginstown Bellini T676, which was sold to an overseas buyer for €3,300. This stylish bull is out of former national calf show champion Friarstown Lord Big with the female line going back to some of the herd’s first imports from Canada.

Two bulls hit the €3,000 mark, Gigginstown Elevation T681 and Gigginstown Sword Play T690. These two October 2017-born bulls carry five stars on both the replacement and terminal indices and are both sired by the aforementioned Friarstown Lord Big.

In the female section, averages dropped to €2,330 from €2,800 in 2018. Overall female quality was back on that witnessed at previous sales but the sale still recorded a 100% clearance.

There were some highlights in the section though, with the top female Gigginstown Kid Gloves T652 selling for €3,550. This two-year-old heifer is sired by Liss Maxy R537 while the dam goes back to the well-known Kim line. Kid Gloves carried five stars down the line and sold in calf to Luddenmore Kingkong.

Not far behind at €3,350 was the aptly named Gigginstown Tiger Roll U785. This yearling maiden heifer was sired by the previously mentioned Friarstown Lord Big, with Drumcarbin Lord Inver H088 and Arnydie Black Saracen also in the lineage.

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