The Irish Hereford Cattle Society held the first of its spring sales this Tuesday in Tullamore. The premier attracted a catalogue of 57 bulls, of which 39 were presented for sale. However, the strong sale witnessed last year, where many dairy farmers were out in force outbidding pedigree breeders to secure their bull of choice, wasn’t to repeat itself. In fact, the lack of dairy farmers present lead to a large portion of bulls going unsold. While averages increased slightly on the year – up to €3,354 – the clearance rate was slashed to 30%, meaning only 12 bulls found new homes.
The Irish Hereford Cattle Society held the first of its spring sales this Tuesday in Tullamore. The premier attracted a catalogue of 57 bulls, of which 39 were presented for sale.
However, the strong sale witnessed last year, where many dairy farmers were out in force outbidding pedigree breeders to secure their bull of choice, wasn’t to repeat itself. In fact, the lack of dairy farmers present lead to a large portion of bulls going unsold. While averages increased slightly on the year – up to €3,354 – the clearance rate was slashed to 30%, meaning only 12 bulls found new homes.
The mixed weather conditions can be largely to blame for this, with many farmers putting buying a bull on hold until the time he is needed for work. On the positive side, the select few that did sell, sold well. Pedigree breeders confirmed their confidence in the breed by investing in new stock bulls for their respective herds.
Those that sold, sold well
Cill Cormaic Nevada, one of the first lots into the ring, went on to claim the day’s top price of €5,200. Bred and exhibited by David Larkin, Birr, Co Offaly, this first-prize winner in the pre-sale show caught the eye of John Conlon, who runs the successful Drumatree herd in Co Armagh. Born May 2015, Nevada is sired by stock bull Cedar Liam, who also bred a bull to €4,500 for David at the October sale held at the same venue.
Claiming the second top price and overall championship under judge John Kemp, who runs the Auckvale herd in the UK, was Moyclare Oliver. This October 2015-born son of Brocca Saviour was brought out by Michael Molloy, another breeder from Birr, Co Offaly. Oliver claimed the reserve senior male champion at the society’s calf show back in November. After a flurry of bids he was he was knocked down at €4,750 to Kerryman David Lovett.
Placing second in the class to the champion and ultimately being awarded the reserve overall championship was Riverrock Gold Star from Tony Hartnett, Rockchapel, Co Cork.
This bull was also successful in the calf show, claiming the supreme male championship. Sired by Gageboro Morgan and out of a Yarram Star General-bred dam, Gold Star failed to meet his reserve.
First-prize winner in the youngest class of the day, FH Unique secured the next best price of €4,000. Bred by Frank Harrington, Strokestown, Co Roscommon, Unique carried five stars on both the terminal and replacement indices combined with a calving difficulty of just 3%. Sired by Australian bull Yarram Unique F181, he found a new home with breeder J J Melody, Ennis, Co Clare.
The judge’s decision was counting on the day with another of the red rosette receivers, Glaslough Rooney, securing a price tag of €3,900.
Exhibited by Samuel and Nigel Heatrick, Co Monaghan, Rooney was by homebred bull Glaslough Navigator and sold to James Farrell of the Trillick herd. This was one of two to sell from the Heatrick outfit.
The second, Glaslough Pompeii, secured the next best price tag at €3,700. Pompeii, a son of Ballyaville Ger, found a new home in Co Waterford with Percy Kingston.
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