It is always a good sign when you see a yard full of empty trailers and a packed ringside at any sale. This was the case at Friday night’s Northern Ireland Charolais Club show and sale of bulls in Swatragh Livestock Mart.
It is always a good sign when you see a yard full of empty trailers and a packed ringside at any sale.
This was the case at Friday night’s Northern Ireland Charolais Club show and sale of bulls in Swatragh Livestock Mart.
Forty-seven bulls passed inspection for the sale, with 85% of them going on to find new homes, selling to an average of 5,165gns. A total of 16 bulls sold for over 5,000gns.
Top price of 14,800gns
Trade peaked at 14,800gns for the overall senior champion Coolnaslee Ulex, exhibited by William Whyte from Co Antrim.
Bred by the late Gilbert Crawford, Ulex was purchased as a calf at the Coolnaslee dispersal in 2023.
A son of Elrick Oxygen and the Newhouse Bigal daughter Coolnaslee Peach, this May 2023-born bull sold with a calving figure of +1.0 and carries one copy of both myostatin genes.
After a marathon of bidding, he was knocked down to S and O Quigg from Coleraine, Co Derry.
Rossavalley Uptownlad, overall champion, which sold for 10,000gns. \ Willie McElroy
Judge Medwyn William from Wales awarded the intermediate and overall championship to Rossavalley Uptownlad, brought out by Martin Baxter from Co Fermanagh.
This May 2023-born son of Corrie Alan goes back to Allanfauld Vagabond and Burradon Talisman on the dam’s side.
Just like the sale leader, Uptownlad carries one copy of both the F94L and Q204X genes.
A bid of 10,000gns secured the overall champion for Michael, Seamus and Mary Mc Manus.
Drumacritten Ugo, reserve intermediate champion, which sold for 9,200gns. \ Willie McElroy
Norman Johnston from Co Fermanagh had the last call on Drumacritten Ugo ET at 9,200gns.
Exhibited by George Nelson, Ugo claimed the reserve intermediate championship earlier in the evening.
A double F94L carrier, this Whitecliffe James son goes back to a Pirate-bred dam and catalogued with an impressive calving figure of +7.2.
Junior champion
Selling at 7,800gns was the overall junior champion and reserve overall champion Springlane Universe ET, exhibited by the Cochrane family from Co Armagh.
Born in June 2023, Universe is sired by Woodpark Elgin and is out of the Deeside Gulliver-bred cow Woodpark Judith.
Also selling at 7,800gns was the reserve junior champion Drumconnis Ulysses, shown by Co Tyrone-based breeder John McGrath.
This Thrunton Russel son boated a terminal index of +76 and a self-replacing index of +69, which coincided with an eye-catching calving figure of +5.3.
For a full report from Friday’s show and sale in Swatragh, pick up a copy of next week's Irish Farmers Journal.
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