Prices top 6,600gns at Simmental female sale, Moira
Bidding reached a ceiling of 6,600gns at the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club’s 45th Anniversary Elite Female Show and Sale, at Moira.
Hitting the headlines in both the show and sale rings was the much-admired Lisglass Emerald, an August 2013 born heifer consigned by Leslie and Christopher Weatherup, Ballyclare. Sired by the 20,000gns Stirling junior and supreme champion (Feb 2010) Auchorachan Wizard, she is bred from the Kilbride Farm Newry daughter Lisglass Babe – one of 35 cows in the County Antrim herd.
She stood second in the intermediate heifer class at Balmoral Show in May, and caught the eye of breed society president and judge David Donnelly, Derbyshire, to secure the supreme championship ribbons at the anniversary event.
After spirited bidding from the packed ringside audience she was knocked down at 6,600gns to Simmental breed stalwart Thelma Gorman, who founded her select Woodford Herd at Armagh almost 40 years ago.
Next best at 5,600gns was the day’s reserve champion Kilbride Farm Eunice 169E from the Robson family, Billy, Michael and Norman, who run 90 pedigree cows at Doagh, County Antrim. This two-year-old heifer was sired by Kilbride Farm Warren, and is out of a home-bred Carnkern Titan daughter.
Scanned in-calf to Danish stock bull Sneumgaard Imperator, she sold to County Londonderry breeders Roger Henderson, and son Jonathan, who established the Drumsamney herd in 2011.
County Fermanagh’s Harold Stubbs, and grandson Alan Burleigh, realised 4,600gns for the first prize winning Derrycallaghan Fancy Me. Born in April 2014, her sire is the 21,000gns Corrick Kentucky Kid, while her dam is the Popes Laird daughter Corskie Vesna .
She was runner-up at the Woodcraft Kitchens (Kilrea) junior heifer derby at Lurgan, and was placed second in her class at Enniskillen Show. This one joins Gareth Wilson’s Hillhead Farm Herd at Garvary, Enniskillen.
The Robson family sold four heifers to average £3,426 per head. Selling for export to Patrick Hogan, County Carlow, at 3,500gns was Kilbride Farm Eunice 168E. This fifth prize winner is a daughter of the 15,000gns Cairnview Snazzy, and is bred from a Kilbride Farm Newry dam.
Harry Moore, and son John, Beragh, County Tyrone, sold four heifers from their noted Omorga herd to average £2,992 each. Their best at 3,200gns was the third placed Omorga Fabia, a June 2014 Ashland Brandy daughter, bred from a Blackford Explosion dam. This one goes back to the noted Cleenagh Daffodil, and caught the eye of John Barlow from the Denizes Herd based in Lancashire.
The March 2014 Omorga Faith sold at 3,100gns. She is by Dermody Butcher, and is out of a home-bred dam by Glebefarm Future. This one joined Cecil McIlwaine’s Corrick Herd based at Newtownstewart, County Tyrone.
Average: 14 heifers £3,282.
(Taaffe Auctions)