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Nearly 30 years of Limousin breeding was dispersed last week when Michael Sexton sold off his entire Mount Scott pedigree herd. The sale, which encompassed 110 animals, saw everything from old cows to young calves on recipients hit the market. Given the success of the herd throughout the years, the sale was met with a flying trade.
Clearance sales are known to buck the trends and this was no exception. Despite the downturn of pedigree sales due to the crisis weather, Michael’s sale brought in over €270,000. All but two young bulls sold on the day, with 66 lots selling to average €4,110.
Top price
The sale was led with a price tag of €8,000. However, this price was matched on four separate occasions throughout the sale. First to hit the high mark was the second lot into the ring, Mount Scott Gabrielle. This seven-year-old cow was sired by homebred Mount Scott Dessie ET, while the dam went back to Loughane Bluebell. She sold alongside her August 2017-born calf Mount Scott Melanie, an Ampertaine Foreman daughter. Successful bidder was Aidan Keenan, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
Matching her at the money was Mount Scott Gouldy. Another seven-year-old, Gouldy’s breeding included Sympa, Gamin and Ideal 23. Scanned back in-calf to Wilodge Cerberus, she sold alongside her September-born Cerberus calf Mount Scott Miriam 2. This five-star cow and calf head back to Clare with Sean Moroney for his Ballykinncura herd.
Mount Scott Eileen
Last of the cow and calf pairs to hit the €8,000 mark was Mount Scott Eileen and her calf, Martha 3. This eight-year-old cow was a hit with many potential customers, having produced a number of exceptional embryo calves which were also sold on the day. Sire of Eileen is Milou-Mn, while the dam is by Cloughhead Lord. Martha 3, her December 2017-born calf, was sired by Bavardage. Jerry Huiban was the successful bidder.
The last of the sale leaders came in the form of Mount Scott Lotto, an 18-month maiden heifer. This stylish heifer is sired by Ampertaine Gigolo and a maternal sister to the previously mentioned Mount Scott Eileen.
Five-star cow
The three-year-old Castleview Jewel was acquired by Joseph McGarry, Caldragh, Co Longford. This five-star cow features Wilodge Tonka and Nenuphar in the sire stack, while the grand dam is the famous G7 cow. Selling alongside her August 2017-born Ampertaine Commander calf, she traded at €7,400.
Adrian Buckley from Inchcol Limousins was in buying spirit, picking up two lots on the day. Setting the sale off to a flyer, he purchased the first cow and calf pair in to the ring at €7,200. Mount Scott Ita 2 alongside her calf Mount Scott Mercy were the outfit. Ita 2 is a daughter of the €8,000 donor cow Eileen sired by Ballyfin Empire, while Mercy is an October 2017-born Lodge Hamlet daughter.
Cow and calf outfits met a very strong trade, with 24 lots selling to average €4,846. Only four in-calf heifers sold on the day, averaging at €3,275. Maiden heifers saw a high of €8,000, with 11 in total recording an average of €4,463.
Embryo calves
Five embryo calves out of Mount Scott Eileen sold on the day. These were all autumn-born calves, which sold through the ring alongside the recipients who reared them. Leading the prices from the bunch was a €6,500 call for Mount Scott Mia. This Sympa-sired heifer calf was acquired by Stanley Richardson. Richardson also secured the top-priced male embryo calf, Mount Scott Major, for €5,300. This one was sired by Ampertaine Foreman. Altogether, the five embryo calves averaged €4,420.
Young bulls
Last of the animals through the ring were the young bulls. Twelve of the 14 managed to sell to average €3,275. Leading the way was the much-anticipated Mount Scott Lifeboy at €5,400.This Ampertaine Gigolo son had been awarded the reserve junior championship at the breed’s national finals in Tullamore last summer. Successful bidder of this powerful bull was Martin Sexton.
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