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Ninety six bulls were presented in Roscrea this week for the first of the Irish Limousin Cattle Society’s 2017 sales. While originally 135 bulls were catalogued, a number of breeders have witnessed good demand for private sales over the past month.
Trade throughout remained “sticky”, with people’s purchasing power still driven strongly by the bull’s star evaluations. However, averages remained on par with the equivalent sale last year, levelling at €3,749 for 73 bulls sold, giving a 76% clearance, slightly back on the 83% witnessed at the 2016 sale.
Topping trade at €10,800 was John and William Smith’s powerful first prize winner Brookmill Klunk. Sired by Wilodge Tonka, the October 2015-born Klunk is out of Millbrook Enya, a daughter of the 2009 National champion Millbrook Ulla. No stranger to success, this young bull also picked up a red rosette at last year’s National show in Kilkenny held in conjunction with the International Congress. Having been met with a flurry of bids, he was eventually knocked down to Martin and Gerard Davis for their Castlebrock herd in Co Longford.
It was Hefin Jones who runs the Garnedd herd in north Wales who was given the job of officiating in the pre-sale show on the Sunday evening. He found his senior champion in the form of Portauns Kilcruig from John Lynch, Kilmallock, Co Limerick. Sired by Ulm, he sees Requin and Lino in the back breeding.
After a slow start to the senior bull trade, he sparked a bit of life into the ring when he sold for the second top price of the day at €6,700. Successful bidder was Harte Peat, Co Monaghan, who have acquired a number of top priced females at a number of sales over the past year. The reserve senior championship of the sale went to Michael Sexton, Ennis, with Moohane Kingo. Sired by Dinmore Goldcrest, he is out of a Rocky bred dam but unfortunately failed to meet his reserve on the day.
Junior championship
Cappaduff Lorenzo from the Moran family continued his successful show career to claim the junior championship. Loosebeare Fantastic was the sire behind this one, with Rocky and Mas Du Clo also in the direct lineage.
Having secured the northwest calf championship in Glenamaddy and the reserve junior championship at the International Congress, Lorenzo also ticked all the boxes for judge Jones, who backed his decision securing the January 2016 bull outside the ring at €6,000.
Reserve honours in the junior section were awarded to Elite Keeley Et from the Tynan Family, Mountrath, Co Laois. Sired by Brutus Hashtag, he is out of Elite Forever 1, a full sister to AI bull Elite Forever Brill. Carrying five stars on terminal along with four on replacement, he met trade at €5,000 selling to Owain Llyr, Wales, who secured 10 lots on the day.
First-time exhibitor Joe Collins from Carrick-on-Shannon began his sales career with a bang when he sold his two bulls for €6,200 and €5,500 respectively. Topping his outfit was the first prize-winning Bos Luke. Luke had it all behind him with the 20,000gns Ampertaine Commander as sire and the dam a full sister to the €16,000 Newtown Freeman. Successful bidder was Charles Colthurst, who runs a highly regarded commercial herd in Blarney, Co Cork. Collins’ second bull Bos Koe Et saw On-Dit, Wilodge Cerberus and Dauphin in the breeding. He was knocked down to Scottish based K Stewart and sons.
Sarah McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry, also experienced a good day with her two bulls selling for €5,400 and €5,000. Kaprico Eravelle and Ampertaine Commander was behind the €5,400 Shannon Keltic, with Charles Colthurst again the successful buyer. McElligott’s second bull was again out of a Commander cow with Bavardage the sire this time.
Kaprico Eravelle proved to be in high demand on the day with four bulls sired by him selling to average €4,425. Next-best after Sarah McElligott was the Liverpool herd of Michael and Kevin Graham, who sold two sons at €4,600 and €4,100 respectively. Liverpool Kian was knocked down to Jimmy Ryan, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, while Liverpool Kenny 2 found a new home in Waterford with John Power. The last Eravelle son Corlea Knight from Thomas Connor met trade of €3,600 selling again to the previously mentioned Owain Llyr.
Finishing off the sales at €5,000 or more was Richard O’Beirne, who sold his Fieldson Alfy son Millburn Knowledge at €5,100 to Peter Holland, Co Monaghan.
WP Hughes and Son, who purchased the October sale topper, were back to secure Carrefour Kaiser from John Kenny at €4,900. Kaiser is sired by the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin with Mas Du Clo and Dauphin in the back breeding.
Exports remained strong on the day with 17 bulls finding homes across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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