While the BDGP’s focus on star evaluations may not be working for every breed, it is having a positive effect for Salers. The breed is now seen as an alternative to some of the more common continental breeds given their ease of calving and high valued replacement traits.

Last Saturday, the Irish Salers cattle society held its annual spring show and sale in Tullamore Mart. Once again, the breed saw an increase in average sale price on the previous year, with bulls up by over €300 and heifers up by €90.

The sale saw haltered and un-haltered animals exhibited, with a top of €3,500 achieved. This was realised by the pre-sale show reserve male champion Ballyconneely Poseidon. Bred and exhibited by Sean and Terence Sweeney, Ballyconneely, Co Galway, this two-year-old Rio son carried a replacement index of €165.

Overall male title

The overall male championship was awarded to Lisbawn Paul from Brian McNulty, Swinford, Co Mayo. Sired by French-bred AI bull Vanlooy, this stylish 15-month-old bull was out of dam Sligo Miata. Carrying five stars on the terminal index with a calving figure of 1.9% he sold for €3,000.

The September 2015 born Powerstown Pablo was next in the money for the haltered males when he sold for €2,500. Sired by Ublo and out of an Ugolin-bred dam, he sold with a replacement value of €118. Females didn’t quite reach the highs of the males, but haltered heifers still sold to average at €1,800. Topping the female prices was the 14-month-old Highfield Rebel. Bred by Niall O’Connell, Macroom, Co Cork, this five-star heifer is sired by his French imported stock bull Icare and sold for €2,500.

Claiming the championship in the female section was Connemara Riona from John O’Malley, Recess, Co Galway. This young heifer sired by Bronson carried five stars across breeds on the replacement index and found a new home in Northern Ireland at €2,500. Close behind at €2,200 was the reserve champion Glenmore Robin owned by Thomas Mulcahy, Strand, Co Limerick. Sired by homebred stock bull Glenmore Oscar, Robin is out of French import Eclipse. Only 11 months old, she sold with a replacement index of €164.

The small number of in-calf heifers forward saw a top of €2,400 for Highfield Petal. This 26-month-old heifer by Whitebog Convener was again exhibited by Niall O’Connell.

Just like the haltered animals, the un-haltered animals also had to go through a pre-sale inspection. Topping the prices for this section was Cuan Princess from Tadgh Crowley, Stradbally, Co Waterford. He secured €2,450 for his two-year-old heifer sired by stock bull Knottown Hermes.

Crowley also exhibited the Salers heifer with the overall highest replacement index at the sale with a value of €197, making her five stars both within and across breed. Again sired by stock bull Knottown Hermes, this two-year-old sold for €1,900.