Over the past four years the Designer Gene sale has grown in reputation to become the undisputed pinnacle of Hereford sales across the UK and Ireland. Manager Josh Dowbiggan and sale assistant William Awan do much work behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running and success year after year. The sale only allows a select number of pre-inspected, in-demand pedigree Hereford cattle to attend, which is one of the main reasons for its previous record-breaking sales.

This year’s sale saw the biggest entry yet, with 29 live heifers forward. This was complemented by the Designer Gene Goes Global sale the previous night, with top genetics from around the world offered through semen and embryo packages.

From the prestigious catalogue, to the final touches in around the sales ring, it all helps entice a wider range of prospective buyers from all around the world. This certainly proved the case for 2019, with buyers from the US, Finland, Denmark, the UK and Ireland.

Irish breeders

While Matthew Goulding sold embryos at the DGS Global sale last year for a record-breaking price, this was the first year Irish breeders brought live stock.

Ray Hunt and Veronica Brennan brought over two heifers from their award-winning Herberry herd based in Co Tipperary. Both heifers were full sisters born as a result of embryo transfer and entered the ring together, with the successful bidder offered the pick of the two.

Herberry 1 Lucy Belle which sold for 7,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography

The choice lot was Herberry 1 Lucy Belle, a 24-month-old heifer secured by P Martindale Bolton at a price of 7,000gns. Her full sister, Herberry 1 Lucy Sky, was then offered up, meeting her reserve at 3,700gns and selling to L and L Bowen.

Herberry 1 Lucy Sky which sold for 3,700gns. \ MacGregor Photography

Both these heifers were sired by Dendor 1 Kohinoor and out of the Gouldingpoll 1 Lucy 641, making them full-sisters to the 2018 Irish National calf show female champion.

Top priced heifer Moralee 1 Lucy which sold for 10,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography

Topping the sale at 10,000gns was the Moralee 1 Lucy KS S1 from T and D Harrison. This stylish heifer is by UK sire of the year SMH Kingsize and stood as champion at Bucks county show. Auctioneer Johnny Dymond took quick bids before finally dropping his hammer. The successful bidder was MJ Ludgate from Oxfordshire and 50% of the sale price was donated to UK Hereford Youth to support the UK team for The World Hereford Conference in New Zealand next year, and for a restricted fund for other travel opportunities for UKHY.

L and L Bowen also forked out 6,000gns for Auckvale 1 Janet 1705. Brought out by the Kemp family, she is a paternal sister to Auckvale 1 Curly 1725, which was purchased at the 2018 Designer Gene sale and took the breed championship at the Royal Welsh the following year.

Matching this price tag was Rempstone 1 Bertha H311, a first-calved cow from MJ Ludgate.

A popular heifer on the day, Romany 1 Ishbel BW R55 from JRB Wilson and Sons was knocked down to J Hodge, Berwick Upon Tweed, for 6,200gns to join his Fellowhills Herd.

Also from JRB Wilson and Sons was Romany 1 Dawn BL S36, daughter of 2018 Sire of the Year Barwise 1 Lancer. She sold to A Sweetnam, Mullinahone, Ireland. Going to the same home is Burmill 1 Dowager 21. Sold by R Allcock, she is another daughter of SMH 1 Kingsize.

Also heading over the water, selling at 5,200gns to Co Tyrone to the home of AW Shaw, is Grifford 1 Primrose, from first-time consignor NJ Griffiths. She is a daughter of bull of the year and Royal Highland and Royal Welsh Interbreed champion 2016 Normanton 1 Laertes.

Beckhall Princess Charlotte was the highest-priced of the horned females and was brought out by 13year-old Beth Vincent. A daughter of former national show champion Haven Kermit, Charlotte sold at 4,000gns to D Marsh, Chorley, Lancashire.

Overall, 19 heifers sold to average just shy of £4,500.

Goes Global sale

As mentioned, the night before the live auction the Designer Gene Goes Global sale is hosted. This is the second year of this global sale, with offerings such as pick of calf crops, flushes, embryos and semen packages from around the world.

Topping this sale was the pick of the calves from the world-renowned Moeskaer herd in Denmark. This gave the purchaser the right to select one of the heifer calves born in the herd during the spring of 2020. The lot was knocked down to Dara Entwistle, Illinois, US, for £6,800.

Next up was the 50% interest in a future donor cow from the Harvie ranch in Canada. The heifer offered was Harvie Ms Firefly 145G, a granddaughter of the famous Firefly 51F and one of the first daughters of the $150,000 NJW Endure. A private buyer secured the lot at £6,000, which includes 50% of all embryos she produces and a 25% royalty on all natural calves she produces.

Five flushes were offered in the sale from Argentina, Uruguay, Canada and Ireland. Topping these was a pick of the cow herd Flush from Las Tranqueras, Argentina, which sold to Juha Moisander, Finland, for £3,800. The five flushes averaged £3,060.

Embryo lots saw a top of £500/egg for four eggs, with four different crosses hitting this price.

Top of the semen lots was a call of £175/straw for 10 straws of Remitall Super Duty 42S consigned by Moeskaer Herefords.