Belgian Blues were in demand once again at the recent Showtime Supreme Blues online sale of pedigree heifers, bulls and embryos.

Run by Denis Barrett in conjunction with Harrison and Hetherington, the sale attracted significant interest from throughout Ireland and the UK through the MartEye platform.

There was a 100% clearance across the 21 lots, which were consigned by Shay Hayden, Richard Stanley and Joe Lyons.

The eight heifers on offer averaged €8,575, while the two bulls catalogued averaged €4,900.

The 11 lots of embryos also traded well, with the pedigrees averaging €550 and the commercial hybrids averaging €875 per embryo.

Kilcombe Queen Lily

Living up to her name and topping the trade at €15,400 was Kilcombe Queen Lily ET.

The property of Shay Hayden from Co Wexford, this September 2022-born heifer is a daughter of Empire D’Ochain and Kilcombe Nadine ET, which goes back to the great Bringlee Sandy.

She went to auction having won the all-Ireland junior breeding heifer championship in 2023 and the all-Ireland senior breeding heifer championship in 2024 and attracted massive interest online before finding a new home in Northern Ireland.

Right behind her was her full sister Kilcombe Quiana ET, which realised €13,600 for the Co Wexford-based herd.

This 26-month-old heifer also enjoyed a successful show career, winning the reserve all-Ireland junior breeding heifer championship in 2023. A herd in Co Kerry had the last call on this four-star replacement heifer.

Hailing from the same stable was Kilcombe Queen Blanc ET, which went under the hammer at €8,600.

Born in September 2022, this white heifer is sired by Rutabaga Beauffaux and is out of the Ballyfin Borat ET daughter Kilcombe Nora.

Snapping up this five-star replacement heifer was a herd in Northern Ireland.

Kilcombe Queen Lizy ET was next best at €8,200 for Shay Hayden.

A full sister to Queen Lily and Quiana, this black and white heifer was catalogued with a four-star replacement index of €41 and a five-star milk figure +5.7kg.

Brownview

Leading Richard Stanley’s consignment was Brownview Quartz at €5,400. A daughter of James Vd Jorchrishoeve and Ballinakill Indigo ET, this black and white heifer turned two years old in October and went to sale with a string of show accolades to her name.

Hot on her heels at €5,200 was her herd mate Brownview Queen B, a 27-month-old daughter of Imperial De L’Ecluse.

Nohoval Ryder, the top-priced bull at €6,000.

Topping the bull trade was the 14-month-old Nohoval Ryder at €6,000.

This exciting young bull is a son of Bedgebury Kent and Corrandulla Missy ET, which goes back to the same dam line as the record-breaking €30,000 heifer calf at this year’s Winter Fair in Carrick.

Displaying a page full of stars, he went for sale having claimed the all-Ireland male calf championship at Ossory Show in the summer.

Embryos

There was a flying trade for the embryos on offer, with a top price of €1,200 achieved for a single embryo of the sale-topping Kilcombe Queen Lilly ET and the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin.

Pick up a copy of next week's Irish Farmers Journal to read all about it.