It was another busy weekend at the H&H Borderway auction centre in Carlisle, which hosted spring sales for the Blue, Blonde and Charolais breeds.

For those across the water who didn’t already know the quality of stock produced in Ireland, last weekend made it very evident.

In the Blue ring, judge Harry Emslie tapped forward Brownview Nelson Et as the day’s junior champion. This powerful young bull went on to take home one of the top prices the next day at 15,000gns (£15,750).

Exhibited by Ben Haigh, Nelson was originally bred in west Cork by Richard, Fidelma, Stephanie, Samantha and Christopher Stanley.

Sired by Empire D’Ochain, Nelson is out of one of the Bandon herd’s most successful cows, Ballinakill Holly.

This tremendous breeder will need no introduction to those in the Irish Blue scene, having secured the overall championship at Tullamore on one occasion and the reserve a further two times.

Mr Haigh purchased Brownview Nelson ET from the Stanley family last summer. He had originally come to see his herd-mate Brownview Nancy having spotted her on Facebook after she was awarded overall pedigree champion at last year’s ISA virtual show.

Having initially planned to use him for breeding, a change of circumstances in Haigh’s farming setup meant he was then destined for Carlisle.

Speaking about the sale, Richard Stanley said: “We’ve been breeding since 1993 and the small herd of Blues we have is a real family-run operation.

“We’re all in it together so for our breeding to be recognised in possibly the biggest sale of the breed is something very special.”

Hallfield Plato who set a breed record of 12,000gns. He was sired by Irish bred bull Broccagh Kingfisher ET. \ Wayne Hutchinson

Blonde

The Blonde sale also proved how in-demand Irish genetics are.

Saturday’s sale witnessed a new Blonde breed record price of 12,000gns, this was paid for Hallfield Plato from the Weightman family.

Sire of the record breaker was Broccagh Kingfisher ET, a powerful stock bull in the Hallfield herd that originated in green pastures outside Athlone.

Kingfisher was bred by well-known Irish Blonde breeder John Barry Moran, who sold him in a private deal to the English herd back in 2017 following a successful summer of showing. Before leaving he collected championship wins at Ossory, Tullow and Iverk shows.

His dam Broccagh Winnie is equally as impressive, claiming the reserve overall championship in Tullamore and breeding the breed champion and reserve breed champion at Tullamore on two separate occasions.