Just over 40 bulls exchanged hands at the recent show and sale of Limousin bulls and heifers in Ballymena Livestock Mart.
JA McClelland and Sons reported an average of £5,962 (€6,892) – representing an increase of £737 (€851) on last year’s sale, with 11 more bulls sold.
Topping the trade at 14,000gns (€16,993) was the reserve intermediate and reserve supreme champion Eniver VIP, bred by Michael McKeefry from Garvagh, Co Derry.
This 17-month-old bull came with a nice balance of figures backed up by two copies of the F94L gene and sold to John Gallagher for his Mulnafye Herd based just outside Omagh.
Sired by the 2018 Carlisle champion Ampertaine Majestic, he is bred from the Ampertaine Elgin daughter Eniver Olay – one of 16 cows in the herd.
It's been a successful couple of weeks for the Eniver herd, clinching the junior champion in Carlisle with Eniver Volvo, which sold for a new herd record of 18,000gns just a few days previous.
Brilliant Ballyrobin
Next best in the bulls at 9,000gns (€10,924) was the third-prizewinner Ballyrobin Verstappen bred by Joan Gilliland and niece Kim Montgomery from Co Antrim.
Sired by Glenrock Redemption, this 20-month-old bull is bred from the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Ballyrobin Felicity. Snapping up this double F94L carrier was Mr A Dobbs from Carrickfergus.
The Gilliland and Montgomery partnership continued their strong vein of form by taking the reserve senior champion with the 13-month-old Ballyrobin Vance.
Boasting double copies of the F94L gene, he is a son of Ampertaine Jackpot and the homebred dam Ballyrobin Havannah. He was purchased by TG Stevenson from Lurgan for 8,000gns (€9,710).
Raymond Savage, Drumahoe, realised 7,000gns (€8,496) for the 16-month-old Aghadolgan Ace. Sired by Glenrock Redemption, he is the first calf bred from the Aughalion Prince daughter Haltcliffe Truffle. Acquiring this double F94L carrier was Andrew McKnight from Co Antrim.
Judge Philip Crowe, who runs the Powerful Herd in Co Cavan, found his overall male champion in Bernish VIP.
Bred by well known Tyrone breeder Kieran McCrory, this November 2024-born bull was awarded the intermediate champion before going all the way to claim the supreme title.
Sired by the 52,000gns Craigatoke Seanog, his dam is the Westpit Omaha daughter Bernish Tequilajuli. The champion failed to meet his reserve and returned home unsold.
Females
In the small female section, six heifers sold to average £4,742 (€5,481), with a top price of 11,000gns (€13,350) for the reserve champion Rathkeeland Veronica from Herbie Crawford and son from Co Fermanagh.
Rathkeeland Veronica, reserve female champion, which sold for 11,000gns. \ Alfie Shaw
Sired by the 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion, her dam is the Haltcliffe Nijinsky daughter Rathkeeland Premier – interbreed beef cow champion at Antrim Show in 2024.
A carrier of the F94L and Q204X genes, she sold in-calf to the 25,000gns Glenrock Redemption. Adding this two-year-old heifer to her Kernan Herd in Co Armagh was Caitlin Kernan.
Just over 40 bulls exchanged hands at the recent show and sale of Limousin bulls and heifers in Ballymena Livestock Mart.
JA McClelland and Sons reported an average of £5,962 (€6,892) – representing an increase of £737 (€851) on last year’s sale, with 11 more bulls sold.
Topping the trade at 14,000gns (€16,993) was the reserve intermediate and reserve supreme champion Eniver VIP, bred by Michael McKeefry from Garvagh, Co Derry.
This 17-month-old bull came with a nice balance of figures backed up by two copies of the F94L gene and sold to John Gallagher for his Mulnafye Herd based just outside Omagh.
Sired by the 2018 Carlisle champion Ampertaine Majestic, he is bred from the Ampertaine Elgin daughter Eniver Olay – one of 16 cows in the herd.
It's been a successful couple of weeks for the Eniver herd, clinching the junior champion in Carlisle with Eniver Volvo, which sold for a new herd record of 18,000gns just a few days previous.
Brilliant Ballyrobin
Next best in the bulls at 9,000gns (€10,924) was the third-prizewinner Ballyrobin Verstappen bred by Joan Gilliland and niece Kim Montgomery from Co Antrim.
Sired by Glenrock Redemption, this 20-month-old bull is bred from the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Ballyrobin Felicity. Snapping up this double F94L carrier was Mr A Dobbs from Carrickfergus.
The Gilliland and Montgomery partnership continued their strong vein of form by taking the reserve senior champion with the 13-month-old Ballyrobin Vance.
Boasting double copies of the F94L gene, he is a son of Ampertaine Jackpot and the homebred dam Ballyrobin Havannah. He was purchased by TG Stevenson from Lurgan for 8,000gns (€9,710).
Raymond Savage, Drumahoe, realised 7,000gns (€8,496) for the 16-month-old Aghadolgan Ace. Sired by Glenrock Redemption, he is the first calf bred from the Aughalion Prince daughter Haltcliffe Truffle. Acquiring this double F94L carrier was Andrew McKnight from Co Antrim.
Judge Philip Crowe, who runs the Powerful Herd in Co Cavan, found his overall male champion in Bernish VIP.
Bred by well known Tyrone breeder Kieran McCrory, this November 2024-born bull was awarded the intermediate champion before going all the way to claim the supreme title.
Sired by the 52,000gns Craigatoke Seanog, his dam is the Westpit Omaha daughter Bernish Tequilajuli. The champion failed to meet his reserve and returned home unsold.
Females
In the small female section, six heifers sold to average £4,742 (€5,481), with a top price of 11,000gns (€13,350) for the reserve champion Rathkeeland Veronica from Herbie Crawford and son from Co Fermanagh.
Rathkeeland Veronica, reserve female champion, which sold for 11,000gns. \ Alfie Shaw
Sired by the 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion, her dam is the Haltcliffe Nijinsky daughter Rathkeeland Premier – interbreed beef cow champion at Antrim Show in 2024.
A carrier of the F94L and Q204X genes, she sold in-calf to the 25,000gns Glenrock Redemption. Adding this two-year-old heifer to her Kernan Herd in Co Armagh was Caitlin Kernan.
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