Renowned commercial and pedigree breeder Pearse McNamee of Convoy, Co Donegal, saw the hammer fall at €10,100 for his second entry of the day at Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart.
The well-marked black and white heifer weighing 390kg opened at €5,000 with a flurry of bids ensuing before going on the market at €8,700.
A cheer erupted from the crowd when the heifer hit €10,000, with a bid to follow in quick succession to see the hammer fall at €10,100 (€25.90/kg).
The March-born heifer has a history of show-winning genetics in her back breeding.
Sired by Sultan (STQ), her mother is a Fury Action-bred cow that herself was a multiple championship winner for McNamee and family, with her granddam sired by the renowned show calf producer EPI Des Granges, again a winner of multiple championship awards in her show career.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal afterwards, McNamee was in a state of elation as he exclaimed “that is some feeling. A lot of people had said to me that she would top the sale, but I never expected all of that to happen”.
The heifer was purchased by NI breeder Sam Matchett, Portadown, and will likely be seen on the show circuit in 2023.
McNamee’s second entry of the day was a Limousin-cross heifer calf that had collected a host of prizes during the summer show season.
The Haltcliffe Dancer-sired calf had won supreme calf champion and calf of the future at the Tullamore Show back in August to add to her championship wins at Virginia and Finn Valley shows earlier in the summer.
She weighed 480kg and sold for €4,200 (€8.75/kg).
The second highest price of the day went to Gerry Boyle, Castleblaney, Co Monaghan for his Limousin-cross heifer calf Black Magic.
Sired by popular commercial calf producer Ballinloan Jaegerbomb from a hybrid Limousin/Belgian Blue dam with Lorenzon, Imperial and Empire in her back breeding, the smart black heifer born in March 2022 weighed 396kg and sold for €6,700 (€16.92/kg) to Patrick Hughes, Cootehill, Co Cavan.
Boyle saw his second entry, a bull calf who is a full sister to Black Magic and weighing 410kg, sell for the second highest price of the sale at €2,500 (€6.10/kg).
Kieran McGee of Corlea Livestock saw his highly successful heifer Corlea Sasha top the breeding heifer section.
Sasha had a successful summer on the show circuit in Donegal winning the All-Ireland Maiden Heifer Championship at the Finn Valley show, later in the summer winning the breeding heifer championship at the Ballyshannon show.
Sasha was sired by show calf producer Doonally New (CF52) from a Simmental-cross Blue cow. On the day, she weighed 730kg and sold for €5,400 (€7.40/kg).
The top-priced bull calf came from the yard of Ivan Mahon, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. The Blue roan-coloured Limousin-cross bull weighed 406kg and sold for €2,580 (€6.35/kg).
Averages
Limousin bull calves averaged €1,477 per head (€4.07/kg), with Belgian Blue bulls averaging €1,484 (€3.71/kg) and Charolais bulls averaging €1,708 (€4.04/kg).
Limousin heifer calves averaged €1,954 (€5.96/kg) with Belgian Blue and Charolais heifers averaging €1,946(€6.22/kg) and €1,394(€4.20/kg), respectively.
The 32 breeding heifers had an average weight of 439kg and sold to an average price of €2,279 (€5.14/kg).