Beachview Uberto shown by breeders Dermot O’Dowd and Sarah Curran caused quite a stir at Saturday’s Christmas Cracker sale in Elphin Mart.

This outstanding young bull was awarded the overall intermediate championship before going on to sell for the top price of €15,000 to the famous Maerdy herd in north Wales. However, it was the fact the bull does not qualify for the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) that had everyone talking. Carrying just a two-star replacement index of €57 and a one-star terminal index of €99, the bull was unsaleable to most Irish customers.

The lack of stars didn’t stop the Welsh farmers taking home this Champion - less stars must be rated better over there..