Dorepoll Hereford reduction sale tops at 8,000gns

The on-farm reduction sale of Ivan and William Haire’s noted Dorepoll Hereford herd, Crumlin, Co Antrim, topped at 8,000gns on the weekend (26 September).

The decision was taken to reduce the size of the herd after son William re-located to Peterborough after taking a new job as agricultural business development manager for the East of England Show.

William said he was “very pleased” with trade, which was up £700 on the herd’s previous sale in 2007. He said the buyers, who had traveled from as far as Denmark, were looking for the combination of strength and good figures the herd had to offer.

“We have developed a lot of strength in the herd but we haven’t lost the femininity.”

He said the stock also had some of the highest maternal EBVs of the breed, with one lot boasting a massive +15 for milk.

Leading the day’s trade was a young bull, Dorepoll 1 579 Manhattan, sired by the herd’s stock bull Dorepoll 1 499 Heritage, who sold later in the day for 5,200gns.

Manhattan, aged just 10-months, is bred from the herd’s prolific Kim family, which has bred many show winners. He was shown with his dam and won classes at the Royal Ulster and Antrim shows. After ferocious bidding the hammer finally fell to the newly formed Manhattan Syndicate, with a TSI+ of 22 and SRI of +27.

Next best and selling for 6,000gns was the 17-month-old Dorepoll 1 579 Legacy, another Heritage son this time bred from the renown Tessa family, who sold with a carcase weight of +35. He was secured by a local breeder T and S Andrews, Larne, County Antrim.

The five-year-old bull Dorepoll 499 Heritage was much-admired pre-sale, having sired many females in the sale. Sired by Dorepoll 1 73J Jonathan 499 he is out of Dorepoll 1 13P Kim 540.  This bull has a fantastic track record having sired many show winners. He was secured by James Ludgate, Oxon, for 5,200gns, who also purchased several other lots, including a ‘surprise’ lot offering one lucky bidder the chance to flush Dorepoll 1 553 Classic Kim – the dam of Manhattan – to a sire of their choice.

Females

Leading prices in the female division was Dorepoll 518 Tessa 545E. This Nationwide daughter sold with her heifer calf by Heritage and back in calf to Heritage. She was snapped up for 7000gns by the Manhattan Syndicate.

Next best at 4,900gns was the maiden heifer Dorepoll 1 Tessa 629, by Dorepoll 1 73J Jonathan 499. She was bought by Mr Ludgate, who also secured the in-calf heifer Dorepoll Victoria 619, for 4,800gns. Sired by Heritage she is due to calve late October to Knight Hawk.

Dorepoll 1 Katie 611 sold for 4,400gns to Mr DRA Fabb, Cambridge. Sired by Chinook, she sold in calf to Heritage, due in October.

Dr AFJ Williams, Aberystwyth, secured the six-year-old cow Dorepoll 1 531 Katie 556, for 4000gns. Sired by Patriot she sold having run with Heritage. Joining her on the journey back to Aberystwyth was the ten-month-old bull Dorepoll 1 498 Monarch at 4300gns. Sired by Online he is bred from the Duchess family.

Averages: cows and calves, £4494.00; cows in-calf, £3167.50; served/maiden heifers, £4646.25; bulls, £5180.00; A Flush, £2730.00; Embryos, £500.25;  semen, £89.25.

(Wright Marshall).