Suckler and dairy men battle for best of NIBelgian Blues
Suckler and dairy men battle for best of NIBelgian Blues
SUCKLER herd owners and milk producers competed strongly for sires at the Northern Ireland Belgian Blue Clubs inaugural spring show and sale at Portadown.
A much admired son of Garanti de Maurage from Jack Morrisons Chatham herd at Mallaghduff, Armoy, made the top price of 3400gns. The Nov 1996-bred Chat-ham Nero is out of a Stoneleigh Claudius dam and is similarly bred to the Chatham bull that stood champion in the same ring in November and made 3600gns.
Lockerbie-based breeder James Reid sorted out the entry and found his champion in the all-white Lisdrum Nevin, an Apr 1996-bred bull from Roger Morrison, Maguiresbridge.
Bred from an easy calving strain and having already worked on dairy and suckler cows, this son of Bringlee Forster looked a good investment for E McEntee, Cross-maglen, at 2650gns.
Fellow Maguiresbridge breeder Trevor Beacom was pulled into reserve place with Boyhill Mike, a well-grown son of Savant Pierre-combe and out of a Gribouille De La Bonne Raie dam. He realised 2050gns to Mr Anderson, Ban-burb, Co Tyrone.
A son of Gribouille De La Bonne Raie, Knockraven Morris from Alan Clarke, Teemore, Co Fermanagh, enjoyed keen competition from the packed ringside, which could have done justice to a larger entry. This Lawns Gentle-man grandson made 2500gns to A Slane, Co Tyrone.
Hazelwood Jupiter son
And more of the same breeding was responsible for well-known stockbreeder Adrian Richardsons Black Moor Noon, an impressive Hazelwood Jupiter son from his herd at Maguiresbridge. Bred out of a cow by Gribouille De L Bonn Raie, he made 2450gns to Peter Gilleece, Co Fermanagh.
A full-brother, in the hands of Mervyn McElroy, Irvinestown, made 2000gns to James Leitch, Castlederg.
The pure-white bull Lukeroyal Nice Guy looked a great prospect on paper, being by the Opticien son Domino De Somme and out of the 1994 Royal Ulster female champion Jacobee Te DArgenton. He certainly met the crowds expectations, which bid keenly up to 2450gns. Buyer was Oscar Shiels, Co Londonderry.
Sons of Lawns Gentleman Jim continue to impress the Portadown ringside and Newtownards breeders Martin Bros Springhill Moun-tain was no exception. He made 2400gns to Desmond Wilson, Co Fermanagh.
This bulls influence came through again when the in-calf heifer Bannview Nikki from Thomas Boyd, Portglenone, Co Antrim, made 1250gns. She was in calf to Springhill Magician and was bought by Mr Brodison, Dungannon. (Automart.)