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In a busy weekend in the pedigree world, the Irish Shorthorn Cattle Society hosted its premier sale in Roscommon on Saturday. This is one of the highlights of the beef Shorthorn calendar and attracted a catalogue of nearly 70 animals.
Numerous comments came throughout the judging in the morning of the quality of females on show. Bull numbers were back in line with trends in recent years, with the sale usually lucrative for heifers while bulls are harder sold.
This year was to be no exception, with females being met with a flying trade. Averages for females rose by nearly €400 on 2016 levels, with 13 more heifers sold this year. In total, 43 females sold to average €2,155, which represented a 90% clearance.
Leading trade with a record price of €4,600 was Ricketstown Millicent Kim from Martin Kelly, Rathvilly, Co Carlow. This April 2016-born roan heifer is sired by Creaga Flash and from UK imported cow Holmeere Millicent 18th. This heifer stood second in the pre-sale show and is no stranger to success, having claimed a number of champion and reserve champion titles at shows throughout the summer. Securing the sale topper was pedigree breeder Richard Henderson, who runs the successful Crofts herd in Northern Ireland.
Securing the second-top price of €4,200 was Rockville Dainty 375 from the herd of Anthony Dockery, Elphin, Co Roscommon. Sired by Fanore Leader 2008, the 18-month-old is out of Drimna Dainty, making her a maternal half-sister to last year’s premier sale topper who sold for €4,500. Carrying four stars on the replacement index, this heifer also found a new home in Northern Ireland, this time with Antrim-based breeder Dr SP Fitzgerald.
This topped an exceptional day for Mr Dockery, who was also awarded the overall championship with another exhibit of his, Rockville Anna 385.
This yearling heifer was again sired by Fanore Leader 2008, while dam is Clounmaccon Toyboy-sired Ballaghcross Anna. Again a proven line, with Anna’s half-sister selling for €3,200 at the 2015 premier sale. After back and forth bidding, the roan-coloured champion was knocked down to Leitrim-based Gerry Pye at a price of €3,500.
This was only the tip of the iceberg for the Rockville outfit, with a total of eight heifers selling to average nearly €2,900. The outfit also secured the third- and fourth-top prices.
Third-top price went to Rockville Yabby 399, a February 2017-born heifer. This stylish young heifer carried a special pedigree, being sired by Eionmor Mr Gus 80c and out of a Deerpark Furty-bred dam. With stars down the line, she sold for €3,200 to Tommy Staunton for his Caramba herd in Co Galway.
Also selling to Mr Staunton was the fourth-top priced heifer Rockville Nancy 386, who traded at €3,100. Again sired by the aforementioned Eionmor Mr Gus 80c, Nancy also sees Waukaru Coppertop and Lickeen Sovereign in her lineage.
Judge David Alexander awarded the reserve female championship to Ardnaskea Dolly 2nd from Patrick Hehir, Inagh, Co Clare.
This November 2016-born heifer is sired by AI bull Paintearth Rama 53u, while the dam is a homebred Dovea Sir James daughter. Carrying five stars on the replacement index, she sold for €2,850 to Co Fermanagh breeder Raymond Wallace. Twenty of the 43 heifers sold headed to Northern Ireland.
As previously mentioned, bulls were again met with a tougher trade. Only 12 bulls went through the ring, of which six sold to average €1,385, back over €100 on the year.
Securing the top male price with a price tag of €1,800 was Ballinlig Buddy from Terry and Amelda Middleton, Moate, Co Westmeath. This six-month-old weanling bull was sired by Creaga Java and out of homebred dam Ballinlig Nakisa. The five-star bull sold across the border to Tyrone breeder James McGrath.
Both the day’s male champion and reserve went unsold. Securing the overall male championship was the previously mentioned Tommy Staunton with his April 2016-born Caramba Ultra Kern K188.
This all-white bull is sired by Bushypark Ultra and also sees Glenisla Zinzan and Tornado of Skailhouse in the back breeding.
Claiming the reserve championship was Bethlehem Hurricane from Thomas Fox, Athlone, Co Westmeath. This roan-coloured January 2017-born bull was this year’s intermediate bull calf champion at the society all-Ireland in Strokestown. He is sired by Bethlehem Breeze and out of Bethlehem Beauty, two previous all-Ireland champions.
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