A new record sale price was set at Tuesday’s RUAS beef and lamb championships, with £18,000 paid for the supreme champion from Kilkeel breeders Arthur and Alise Callaghan.
Their homebred Charolais heifer, born in November 2023, weighed 588kg and was initially stood forward as breed champion, before winning the supreme championship and the coveted Allams cup.
The 2024 champion animal surpassed the previous record price of £15,000, set last year by JCB commercials.
The JCB team took the reserve supreme champion honours this year, ending a three-year winning run, with their February 2023-born champion Blue heifer selling for £11,000.
The housewife’s choice class was won by the Cochrane family, Portadown with a 556kg Limousin heifer, born in July 2023, which made £6,100.
The breeding heifer title went to James Alexander, Randalstown for a January 2023-born Charolais cross, which sold for £5,400.
The winning pair of lambs went to Tommy Jackson, Ballynahinch for two Dutch Spotted animals weighing 29.5kg halfweight. The lambs sold for £390/head.