Clenagh top Charolais Christmas Cracker

Strong export trade for the premier pedigree sales continued at the weekend as the Irish Charolais Cattle Society’s biggest sale of the year took centre stage in Elphin.

A total of 23 animals were exported on the day, with five of these heading across the water. This represented close to 25% of sales on the day, on par with that of the society’s 2015 sale.

Bulls on the day were met with solid trade, averaging at €4,600, with a clearance of 80% and a ceiling of €13,000. While this was back from an average close to €5,000 at last year’s record sale, it was still higher than its 2014 equivalent.

Topping trade at €13,000 was the pre-sale show’s junior champion Clenagh Lyle from Co Clare breeder Michael Quinn. This wasn’t Lyle’s first time in the show ring, having secured the senior male calf champion title at the society’s national calf show held at the same venue in September. Sired by Domino and out of home-bred Clenagh Tranquil, the 14-month-old embryo-bred bull boasted five stars down the line. Lyle will now join the Burradon pedigree Charolais herd in Northumberland, England, which is owned by Messrs Curry.

Claiming the senior championship was the 18-month-old Ballym Louis XIV. Bred by Louise and Colm Quinn, Edenderry, Co Offaly, Louis XIV ticked all the boxes for judge Ian Cambell, who runs the well-known Thrunton herd. Home-bred on both sides, Louis XIV carried five stars on both terminal and replacement indices. However, he failed to meet his reserve in the ring so it was decided to run him as a junior stock bull for the Ballym herd.

Donegal breeders were next best in the senior championship when Roughan Logan 2 secured the reserve champion sash for Patrick McClean. This June 2015-born bull is homebred on the mother’s side, while the sire is French import Galant who is sired by Eldorado. Again a bull for stars boasting five for terminal, replacement, docility and carcase weight, he found a new home at €7,800 with Mervyn Waters from Gowlan, Co Longford.

Roughan’s success did not stop there, as they then sold Roughan Larry 3 for €6,000. Another son of the aforementioned Roughan Galant, he found his new home with Tony Martin from Dunloy, Ballymena, Co Antrim. To cap it all off, Pat’s third bull, Roughan Leigh 2, fell to Martin Barr from Crocketford, Scotland, for €5,400. This time the sire was Roughan Echo 2.

Claiming the last of the championships in the male ring was Brocca Lee ET, who claimed the reserve junior championship for John Barry Moran, Athlone, Co Westmeath. Sired by Maerdy Impeccable, this one is out of homebred Major cow Brocca Is a Star and met his reserve at €6,000.

AI purchases

Major was also in the breeding of the second top priced bull of the day, Lisnagree Laurence ET, who sold for €11,000. Bred and exhibited by Jim Geoghegan, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Laurence also sees Hermes and Excellent in the back breeding. He found a new home with AI company, World Wide Sires. Jim also received €4,500 for his September 2015-born Texan Gie son, Lisnagre Lomen ET.

Directly after Laurence, Gerard Lynch, Ennis, Co Clare, sold his bull Knockmoyle10 Loki ET for €7,000. Born September 2015, Loki sees Pirate, Doonally New and Jupiter in his lineage along with boasting five stars on the terminal index. Loki was also secured by an AI company, this time Dovea Genetics.

Two other bulls also hit the €7,000 mark. First at the money was Thurles breeder Matt and PJ Ryan with a son of Prime Roberto, Kilvilcorris Luke. While not long after, Geremy McGonigle from Co Donegal matched him with his October 2015-born Whinfort Luca by Cavelands Fenian.

In total, 23 of the 74 bulls went on to make €5,000 or more.

Heifers

While heifer averages saw an increase of nearly €500 to just over €4,000, clearances saw a substantial drop to 52% (80% in 2015) with buyers tending to be more selective. However, the top female price at the sale saw a healthy increase from last year, up to €8,200 from €7,200. This was achieved by Brendan and Niall Canning for their show heifer Sagesse Lauren ET. Lauren picked up a number of red rosettes in the summer, including a first at both the national show and Tullamore. Sired by Farmleigh Ludovic, Lauren is out of Roundhill Cameron-bred cow Kilcumeragh Grimaldi. She was wrapped up by a new breeder from Co Cavan.

Esmor Evans, a well-known breeder in the Charolais circles running the Maerdy herd in Wales, took on the role of officiating judge for the female section. He found his champion in the form of Bostonia Joy ET from Brendan Feeney, Enniscrone, Co Sligo. Joy, a now two-year-old heifer, is sired by Elgin Davinci and out of Major-bred cow Enniscrone Fiona.

Joy, who was champion at numerous summer shows, was withdrawn from the ring unsold at €9,500 and returns to the Bostonia herd for breeding.

Reserve champion went to Kilkenny-based Noel Timothy Sugrue, Bennettsbridge, for Kilbline 1 Jolene ET. Sired by Hutch and out of a Doonally New-bred dam Jolene sold in-calf to Fiston, calving in January. She met her reserve at €5,800.

Limerick breeder Jerry O’Keeffe realised the second top price in the female ring of €7,200 for his Grangwood Jeanie. This April 2014-born daughter of the 25,000gns Inverlochy Ferdie sold in-calf to Stirling champion Thrunton Bonjovi.

Next best at €6,100 was Goldstar Lavender ET from Martin Ryan, Thurles, Co Tipperary. Born September 2015, Lavender stood as one of the youngest heifers in the sale.

Goldstar Echo was the sire behind this one, with Jupiter and Meillard Rj in the back breeding.

The Ryans also secured €5,500 for the much-anticipated Goldstar Lulu, again a Goldstar Echo daughter. The Ryans’ final offering, Goldstar Linda by Nelson, sold for €2,800 to Martin Cullen, Killeshandra, Co Cavan.

Presentation

The day will also go down as a memorable one for former secretary of the Society Nuala Hourihane, who received a presentation to mark her retirement from the Society which occurred earlier this year, after a 42-year stint as secretary.