Record NI Simmental bid of 16,500gns set at Ranfurly sale

Records were smashed at Saturday’s Ballinlare Farm and Ranfurly Simmental production sale, held at Moira, when a maiden heifer attracted a top bid of 16,500gns.

The sale topper sets a new herd record for David Hazelton’s Ranfurly Herd, and shatters the previous 12,000gns record set in 2010 for a Simmental female sold in Northern Ireland. The price is also believed to be a UK record for a Simmental maiden heifer.

Hitting the headlines at 16,500gns was the much-admired Ranfurly Beauty 5^th, a twenty-month-old heifer sired by Whitemire King Kong, and bred from the Raceview King daughter, Raceview Mandy Beauty – full sister to Raceview Merle Beauty, dam of the 20,000 Euro Curaheen Tyson.

There was standing room only at the County Down-based Pedigree Sales Arena, as spectators from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, witnessed the historic milestone in the Ranfurly herd’s 40-year history.

After spirited bidding the capacity crowd applauded as auctioneer Michael Taaffe brought the hammer down at 16,500gns. New owner is telephone bidder Michael Barlow, who runs the noted Denizes herd based Four Oaks, Nr Leyland in Lancashire.

The Ranfurly offering provided a rare opportunity for breed enthusiasts to acquire a daughter and four granddaughters of the herd’s noted brood cow South Park King Kong Weikel 2^nd. The Weikel line-up topped at 9,100gns, with the five lots selling to average £6,594 per head.

Second highest price of the day came late in the sale when the yearling heifer Ranfurly Weikel 10^th came under the hammer at 9,100gns (below).

Sired by Raceview King, she is bred from the Balist daughter Ranfurly Weikel 4^th. This one made her debut at Lurgan Show in June, winning the junior class at the Simmental Club’s 2012 Heifer Derby. Buyer was pedigree breeder Chris Traynor from Armagh who established the Rosemeadow herd in 2010.

Also on Mr Taynor’s shopping list at 7,000gns was the eleven-month-old Ranfurly Stella 6^th. Oozing show potential she is by Whitemire King Kong, and is bred from the Raceview King daughter, Raceview Melisa Stella.

Leading the Wilson family’s offering at 6,600gns was the June 2011 born Ballinlare Farm Champagne, which also caught Chris Traynor’s eye. Sired by the herd’s 20,000gns stock bull, Auchorachan Wizard – junior and supreme Perth champion in February 2010, she is bred from a Kilbride Farm Newry daughter purchased privately from the Robson family at Doagh.

Three lots came under the hammer at 6,200gns. First into the salering at 6,200gns was the April 2010 born Raceview King daughter, Ranfurly Weikel 6^th. This red heifer is bred from a Balist dam, and is scanned in-calf to the 8,500gns Banwy T-Rex. She was reserve champion at Antrim show in July, and was one of five lots snapped up by Scottish breeder Richard McCulloch who runs the Overhill House herd at Armadale, West Lothian.

John, William and Andrew McMordie from the Solitude herd at Ballygowan, County Down, paid out 6,200gns to secure Ranfurly Weikel 7^th. Born in May 2010 she is by the polled Danish-bred sire Lykke Sirius, and is out of a dam by the noted Carnkern Titan. This one was reserve female champion at Enniskillen Show, and is in-calf to the New Zealand-bred Rissington Grandeur.

A final call of 6,200gns was paid to Joe Wilson for the June 2011 born Ballinlare Farm Clare. Sired by Auchorachan Wizard, she is out of the home-bred Camus Brandy daughter, Ballinlare Farm Waverley. Buyer was David Donnelly owner of the Atlow herd based at Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

Joe Wilson’s Balmoral female and reserve supreme champion Ballinlare Farm Buttercup 2^nd, came under the hammer at 6,000gns. Born in January 2010, she is by the 20,000 Euro Curaheen Tyson, and is out of the Innerwick Krackerjack daughter, Ballinlare Farm Pussy Galore. Scanned in-calf to Auchorachan Wizard, she joins Steve Gummow’s Killiworgie herd in Newquay, Cornwall.

Also selling at 6,000gns was the Banwy T-Rex daughter Ranfurly Lady Diana 15^th. This February 2011 born heifer is bred from the Milnafua Graduate daughter Ranfurly Lady Diana 7^th, and joins Leslie and Christopher Weatherup’s Lisglass herd based at Ballyclare, County Antrim.

Next best at 5,400gns was the Auchorachan Wizard daughter Ballinlare Farm Camilla. Born in June 2011, she is bred from the Whitemire King Kong daughter Ballinlare Farm Vespa Lynn. This one also joins Richard McCulloch’ s herd.

The Ballinlare Farm entry included a batch of 13 first-crop daughters from the herd’s stock bull Auchorachan Wizard, which sold to average £3,485 per head.

New breeder Duncan McDowell paid out 5,100gns to secure Ranfurly Weikel 9^th ET for his Castlemount Herd based at Newtownards, County Down. Born in March 2011, she is by Hillcrest champion and is a full ET sister to Ranfurly Weikel 3^rd – winner of 10 successive breed championships and Northern Bank Female of the Year in 2009.

Auctioneers David Lowry and Michael Taaffe said:”It was a fast trade with numerous bidders keen to secure new genetics for their pedigree herds. The fast and buoyant trade reflected the huge pre-sale interest, and is testimony to the quality of the cattle on offer from the Ballinlare Farm and Ranfurly herds.”

Averages: Ranfurly 15 in-calf and maiden heifers £5,558 per head; Ballinlare Farm 29 in-calf and maiden heifers £3,134 per head.

Auctioneers: Taaffe Auctions