The Northern Ireland Charolais Club held its annual November Charolais sale last Friday in the new Swatragh location.

Trade throughout proved exceptional, with the average sale price exceeding £4,500 to a top of 15,000gns. In total, 31 bulls forward sold to represent an 86% clearance rate.

Securing the top price was the senior and supreme champion of the pre-sale show Stranagone Reagan.

This bull is no stranger to big days out, having claimed the junior and reserve overall title at Balmoral Show in September. Bred by R McWilliams from Maghers in Derry, this 20-month-old bull is a son of the homebred bull Stranagone Jones, who himself stood champion in Balmoral in 2016. Out of a Prime Columbo-bred dam, he was secured by Scottish breeder W Kingaby.

This topped a serious day of trading for McWilliams, who also took home 6,700gns for the junior champion Stranagone Roman. This stylish 13-month-old bull was again sired by Stranagone Jones, with the dam this time out of the 55,000gns Thrunton Voldemort.

The next-highest price of 9,400gns was secured by the intermediate and reserve overall champion Tullygarley Roscoe.

Reserve supreme champion Tullygarley Roscoe sold for 9,400gns. \ Willie McElroy

This young bull was bred by Ballymena-based J K Currie and sired by the popular Blelack Digger, with the dam by Tullygarley Rollerball.

Hitting the 8,400gns price tag was Brogher Robroy from T Phair, Enniskillen. This bull was also sired by Blelack Digger, with the dam out of the 26,000gns Balbithan Vespasian.

Securing the reserve intermediate championship and selling for 7,800gns was Kenaghan Ronsie. Bred by Strabane breeder L Ruddy, Ronsie is a son of Irish-bred AI bull Liscally Eti, with the dam sired by the well-known Pirate.

The Short family of the Woodpark herd were next in line when they sold the reserve senior champion Woodpark Robin for 6,000gns.

This 19-month-old was sired by the 11,000gns Woodpark Elgin, with the dam being a daughter of Blelack Digger.

Killadeas Roly secured the next-highest price of 5,800gns for breeders S & D Bothwell of Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh. Sired by Westcarse Houdini, he is out of a homebred Gwenog Braveheart daughter.

The top price for females was 4,600gns, secured by reserve female champion Brogher Ruth. Sired by the 10,000gns Goldies Icon, she sold four months in-calf to Whitecliffe James.