The Designer Gene sale this year celebrated its sixth annual event, again returning to Shrewsbury Auction Centre.

It proved another highly successful sale, with the top price of 13,000gns setting a new female price record for the Hereford breed.

Securing the top price was Pulham Diadem 6th from the Vincent family in Norfolk.

This September 2020-born heifer is a daughter of homebred Pulham Ranger, which is now stock sire for the Trillick and Kye herds in Ireland.

A class winner at the virtual national Hereford show this year, she is out of dam Clipston Diadem M12 and was the pick of A Whitfield in Shropshire.

Dendor 1 Ruby 37th, which sold for 10,200gns. \ MacGregor Photography

Selling for 10,200gns was Dendor 1 Ruby 37th from the Jones family in Powys.

This heifer also had an Irish connection, with her sire Gouldingpoll 1 Moonshine being bred in Co Kerry by breeder Matthew Goulding.

The female line is equally as impressive, with her dam Dendor 1 Ruby 25th a maternal sister to the 2018 female of the year. She was knocked down to L and L Bowen, Glamorgan.

Back in action

Buyers of the sale-topper were back in action when they secured Auckvale 1 Beth 2023T at 7,000gns.

This heifer is no stranger to the limelight, having been crowned senior female champion at Agri Expo 2021.

Bred by the Kemp family from Durham, this heifer is the first ever female sold from the herd's Beth family and goes back to the 2012 World Hereford Conference champion female, which is also a former Hereford miss world.

The Kemp family also sold Auckvale Livesly 1971T at 5,000gns. Homebred on both sides, this Auckvale Kalgoorlie 1322K-sired heifer is out of two-time horned female of the year Auckvale Lively 1058H.

Next in line

Hitting the 6,000gns price tag was next in line, which was Moorside 1 Dawn 2nd.

This August 2020-born heifer was bred by the Shepherd family in Lancashire and was secured by fellow county man John Mooney.

Dawn is sired by the 13,000gns Coley 1 Pilot and is out of a daughter of the former Canadian national champion bull CCR Stamina.

The 11-month-old Midford 1 Kate 2nd was next in line when she met her reserve at 5,200gns.

Bred by William Awan, this daughter of Panmure 1 Henry is out of Moralee 1 Kate 2nd, which sold at the Designer Genes sale in 2017 for 6,200gns.

Having taken the supreme championship at the Hereford Christmas calf show that morning, Spartan 1 Polly T122 then hit the sales ring, selling for 4,000gns.

Bred by SC and GL Hartwright from Oxfordshire, she is sired by the 8,000gns Solpoll 1 Perfection and out of Ruckmans 1 Polly 1306.

In all, 13 lots of Hereford females from 12 consignors sold to average £5,645.77, which is down £570 on last year’s record average sale.