The second Royal Ulster premier beef and lamb championships took place in Balmoral Park last week, with a top price of £5,300 obtained for the overall champion. The Limousin-cross heifer Flash, brought out by Down-based JCB Commercials, took the overall championship and overall top price of the event.
A large crowd packed out the cattle sale ring for the highly anticipated auction for this year’s Royal Ulster beef and lamb championships. \ Brian Thompson
The super May 2018-born heifer is a daughter of Claragh Mufassa and goes back on a Blue-cross Limousin-bred cow. Securing the champion on behalf of the Kitson and Son Butchers in north Yorkshire was the pre-sale judge Blair Duffton.
Busy judge
This finished a busy few days for the judge, who showed his own cattle at LiveScot in Lanark on Saturday before heading to judge the Carrick winter fair.
He then made his way to the Welsh winter fair, before flying back on Monday evening to purchase his choice of champion at Carrick for €10,000. Finally, he headed to judge the Royal Ulster beef classes on the Tuesday, where he again picked up a number of high-priced lots.
Auctioneer Richard Beattie oversaw the cattle and sheep auctions at this year’s Royal Ulster beef and lamb championships. \ Brian Thompson
The Kitsons also forked out £2,500 for the show reserve supreme champion from Alan Veitch. This Charolais-sired bullock is a son of Ashleigh Admiral and is out of a Limousin-cross Blue-bred dam and was homebred.
Leading the way in the one of the highlight classes, the Ulster housewife’s championship, was Jack Smyth with an Angus-cross heifer.
The housewife’s champion was awarded to Jack Smyth from Newtownstewart with his Aberdeen Angus heifer, On The Button: (L-R) Jack Smyth; Bank of Ireland chief executive Ian Sheppard; and RUAS president Billy Martin.
\ Brian Thompson
This meat machine is a daughter of Drumdow Primera N005 and goes by the name In The Money. Securing the champion was the pub and restaurant, The Morning Star, which paid £4,700.
Standing reserve in this championship was a homebred Simmental heifer from the McKenna brothers, which weighed in at 530kg and sold to Country Meats for £1,800.
This championship also had an award for the best opposite sex, which was won by the Rodgers family with their homebred steer. Weighing in at 490kg, this Limousin-sired entry sold for £2,550 to Lynda Hamilton for further showing.
Top of the calves on show was the seven-month-old Charolais heifer Tequilla, which won the champion baby class. Exhibited by the O’Kane family, she was secured for £2,000 by Tommy Williamson for the 2020 show season.
Champion calf was won by O’Kane brothers from Carnlough. Shannon O’Kane receiving the award from Richard Primrose, agri manager Bank of Ireland, and RUAS president Billy Martin. \ Brian Thompson
On the sheep side, best butcher lambs sold for £600 per head to the Mayfly Inn. The same purchaser also secured the reserve champion pair at £250 each.
The first-prizewinning Blue Texel-sired ewe lambs from Allen Shortt and Samantha Allen sold at £480 per head, selling to Bowland Foods.
Shortt & Smyth from Castlederg was awarded champion Shorthorn at the Royal Ulster Beef & Lamb Championships. Bank of Ireland’s Sharon Woodside presents the award to handler Emma Allen, with Rhonda Geary of RUAS. \ Brian Thompson
Speaking after the event, RUAS chief executive Alan Crowe said: ‘‘The RUAS was delighted with the success of the second Royal Ulster premier beef and lamb championships. This event has grown in stature from last year and we were delighted to welcome both new and existing exhibitors to the Logan Hall.”
The second Royal Ulster premier beef and lamb championships took place in Balmoral Park last week, with a top price of £5,300 obtained for the overall champion. The Limousin-cross heifer Flash, brought out by Down-based JCB Commercials, took the overall championship and overall top price of the event.
A large crowd packed out the cattle sale ring for the highly anticipated auction for this year’s Royal Ulster beef and lamb championships. \ Brian Thompson
The super May 2018-born heifer is a daughter of Claragh Mufassa and goes back on a Blue-cross Limousin-bred cow. Securing the champion on behalf of the Kitson and Son Butchers in north Yorkshire was the pre-sale judge Blair Duffton.
Busy judge
This finished a busy few days for the judge, who showed his own cattle at LiveScot in Lanark on Saturday before heading to judge the Carrick winter fair.
He then made his way to the Welsh winter fair, before flying back on Monday evening to purchase his choice of champion at Carrick for €10,000. Finally, he headed to judge the Royal Ulster beef classes on the Tuesday, where he again picked up a number of high-priced lots.
Auctioneer Richard Beattie oversaw the cattle and sheep auctions at this year’s Royal Ulster beef and lamb championships. \ Brian Thompson
The Kitsons also forked out £2,500 for the show reserve supreme champion from Alan Veitch. This Charolais-sired bullock is a son of Ashleigh Admiral and is out of a Limousin-cross Blue-bred dam and was homebred.
Leading the way in the one of the highlight classes, the Ulster housewife’s championship, was Jack Smyth with an Angus-cross heifer.
The housewife’s champion was awarded to Jack Smyth from Newtownstewart with his Aberdeen Angus heifer, On The Button: (L-R) Jack Smyth; Bank of Ireland chief executive Ian Sheppard; and RUAS president Billy Martin.
\ Brian Thompson
This meat machine is a daughter of Drumdow Primera N005 and goes by the name In The Money. Securing the champion was the pub and restaurant, The Morning Star, which paid £4,700.
Standing reserve in this championship was a homebred Simmental heifer from the McKenna brothers, which weighed in at 530kg and sold to Country Meats for £1,800.
This championship also had an award for the best opposite sex, which was won by the Rodgers family with their homebred steer. Weighing in at 490kg, this Limousin-sired entry sold for £2,550 to Lynda Hamilton for further showing.
Top of the calves on show was the seven-month-old Charolais heifer Tequilla, which won the champion baby class. Exhibited by the O’Kane family, she was secured for £2,000 by Tommy Williamson for the 2020 show season.
Champion calf was won by O’Kane brothers from Carnlough. Shannon O’Kane receiving the award from Richard Primrose, agri manager Bank of Ireland, and RUAS president Billy Martin. \ Brian Thompson
On the sheep side, best butcher lambs sold for £600 per head to the Mayfly Inn. The same purchaser also secured the reserve champion pair at £250 each.
The first-prizewinning Blue Texel-sired ewe lambs from Allen Shortt and Samantha Allen sold at £480 per head, selling to Bowland Foods.
Shortt & Smyth from Castlederg was awarded champion Shorthorn at the Royal Ulster Beef & Lamb Championships. Bank of Ireland’s Sharon Woodside presents the award to handler Emma Allen, with Rhonda Geary of RUAS. \ Brian Thompson
Speaking after the event, RUAS chief executive Alan Crowe said: ‘‘The RUAS was delighted with the success of the second Royal Ulster premier beef and lamb championships. This event has grown in stature from last year and we were delighted to welcome both new and existing exhibitors to the Logan Hall.”
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