The Belted Galloway Club of Ireland and the Galloway Cattle Society of Great Britain and Ireland, held the second Irish National annual sale of Galloway cattle on Saturday 5 September in Ballymena Mart. It was represented by belted, black and white Galloways, with good demand for all colours in the sale. The day kicked off with a show of Belted Galloway heifers and bulls, followed by the black Galloway cattle. The show was judged by Helen Ryman, who travelled from Wigtownshire from her Kildarroch herd. First class was the heifers, with Colm O’Neill’s 33-month-old heifer Glensbrae Brigid taking the win and going on to be overall champion in the Belted Galloway classes.

Sired by Bigginvale Ragner and in-calf to Gruige Inis, she later made 4,000gns (€4,378) selling to Harry Irvine from the Tardree herd.

Broomhill Go Get Em, a February 2023-born heifer came a very close second. Sold by Messrs Edgar later in the day, the heifer made 4,300gns (€4,707), and went to Mr Rea from the Boghill herd.

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Two Belted Galloway bulls were presented for the show and both owned by Richard Creith from the Ballylough herd. A familiar face to many in the Belted Galloway world, his bull Ballylough Prince took the top spot. Sired by Mochrum Kingfisher, his dam was Speddoch Afton. This package of quality Scottish genetics sold to the Grassknop herd for 6,000gns (€6,568).

One single white Galloway was brought forward for sale by Brian Moorhead from the Briglands herd. This stylish second calver, sired by Ballylough Brooke and in calf to Trolosse Hunor, turned plenty of heads in the run up to being sold.

The heifer was crowned top-priced female of the sale, selling for 5,400gns (€5,911) to Messrs Elkin, setting a new breed record for white Galloways in the UK and Ireland.

In the black Galloway section, despite being a small show of two heifers and two bulls, they were still big in quality.

Brooke Huey took overall champion with his bull Armoy Buffalo Bill. Born in May 2023, this bull was sired by Oisin CP4 of Castlegore.

Mr Huey also took reserve champion with his heifer Armoy Eimer, also sired by Oisin. This heifer shared the top price black Galloway spot with the Heifer, Gruige Donna. Both heifers sold in-calf for 3,400gns (€3,721) each.