Herd profile: Riverrock Herefords

The Riverrock Hereford herd in north Cork may be a new name for many breeders, but its progress over the last two years has attracted the attention of many. Shane Murphy reports.

Shane Murphy

21 December 2016

Tony Hartnett and his nephew Jerry O'Riordan, Knockatoon, Rockchapel, Co Cork. Photo: Donal O'Leary

Riverrock Super Star, was exported to the UK for the top price paid for a Hereford bull in Ireland this year. /Tim Scrivener

Tony Hartnett, Knockatoon, Rockchapel, Co Cork. Photo: Donal O'Leary

Tony Hartnett from Rockchapel, Co Cork, only started breeding Herefords two years ago but his Riverrock herd has quickly become the envy of many in Hereford breeding circles. Although a small breeder, he has achieved accolades over the last two years that many others have been waiting a lifetime to pull off. “I originally got into the Hereford breed two and a half years ago. I purchased all stock from my brother Noel who turned his hand to dairying. He had been involved in the breed a number of years and had Hereford and Limousin cows at the time, with about 15 of both. I bought about 12 of these, a mix of cows, calves and heifers. Then, last year, I would’ve bought back more he had sold on as well.

“I originally got into the Hereford breed two and a half years ago. I purchased all stock from my brother Noel who turned his hand to dairying. He had been involved in the breed a number of years and had Hereford and Limousin cows at the time, with about 15 of both. I bought about 12 of these, a mix of cows, calves and heifers. Then, last year, I would’ve bought back more he had sold on as well.

“The herd is building up fast. We had eight calvings last year – that was up to 12 this year and there will hopefully be 18 calving down in 2017 with the hope of getting to around 25 over the next few years and cull hard then.

“The original female line would’ve came in the form of a two-year-old heifer Noel purchased in Roscommon from Peter and Pauline Casey in Co Sligo. That was a good few years back. She was Lisnalurg Honey Bea. Noel also bought her mother that day, Lisnalurg Naughty Bea as a 12-year-old with a heifer calf at foot. She would’ve had a background breeding of all show cattle and this still stands as the top line in the herd.”

While the herd has had a bit of embryo work done on this line to expand it further, the majority of calves on the farm are born naturally, using both AI and a homebred stock bull.

With Tony trying to increase numbers over the next number of years, all heifers are kept until such a date that he has enough to employ a strong culling policy.

“I’m only starting out now so most heifers are being kept but the bulls are sold. We’ve sold some to pedigree men, suckler farmers, and we are lucky enough to be in a location where we have plenty dairy farmers around looking for them too.

“As for bulls, the first stock bull Riverrock Jake came from another of the original lines we had – Kilsunny Kathys Beauty; he crossed very well on the Casey’s stock. Now I’m using Riverrock Tyson; he was first at Tullamore in 2015 and should have very good maternal lines with the cow he came from, and the calves seem to be looking the part so I’ll hold on to him.

AI bulls used

‘‘We’ve used a lot of Gageboro Morgan and he has been very lucky for us. I’ll use him again definitely because he has super stars and it’s all going that way whether we like it or not. But we’ll be cautious and use him sparingly, because he’d be related to a lot of Irish breeders’ stock too, so you could run the risk of reducing the customer base. I’ve two embryo heifer calves coming off the English bull Haven Kingpin, and I’ll use a bit of Gurteragh Justice and Moyclare Lieutenant too.”

Show success has come thick and fast for the Riverrock herd, with Tony’s first show in Nenagh a mere two years ago.

“It was Timmy O’Sullivan and Michael O’Keeffe who got me into showing at the start – that was over two years ago now. The first show we went to would’ve been Nenagh on 1 August 2014 and we ended up getting first in class with a heifer. It just took off from there really.

“We had eight calves born in 2015. We took five of them to the nationals at the Tullamore Show this year and we got a first, two thirds, a fourth and a fifth, which we were very happy with.

‘‘At the calf show, we got the overall male champion and first with a heifer too, and in 2015 we got senior male champion there. The first prizewinner at Tullamore show this year, Riverrock Super Star, ended up being purchased by Spinney Herefords in England for this year’s top price. While the money was good, to get into that market so soon was a massive boost. I only had three bulls that year; Super Star went to England, Goldstar won the calf show and the other is no bad calf either.

“In the herd competitions, we got Munster junior bull of the year for the last two years on the trot, and also got junior heifer this year and reserve junior heifer in 2015.

“Honestly, I couldn’t have dreamt of a better two years and to get it this early as a breeder is unbelievable altogether.”

While Tony has only been involved with the breed for less than three years, he already sees the positive they bring to his farming system, but identifies one main issue which may hamper the breed’s progression.

“I’m delighted with the Hereford breed and I suppose I can thank Noel for that. They’re the kind of animal that does very well off grass, and I’m not in the Golden Vale like. They bring easy calving with good growth rates, but above all, they’re fierce placid, easy-to-work-with animals. The land here is split up and I can drive up to a field and load them myself. It’s a serious plus.

“I don’t think the breed faces too many problems but breeders starting with a low €uro-Star base is one. We’re being forced to breed these four- and five-star animals pretty much for a computer and that’s going to lead to irreversible damage. There are lads breeding for years and haven’t they got us this far without any stars?”