Conducted by Taaffe Auctions, the Sizzler Select sale of 16 deep pedigree dairy heifers took place recently online via MartEye.

The majority of the heifers offered for sale were born from embryos purchased by the Sizzler syndicate of Andrew Kennedy, Mark Henry, David Simpson and Rory Timlin.

These embryos were sourced from top herds in North America and Italy. The heifers catalogued were generally from three to six months old.

International interest

The sale created resounding international interest, with buyer registrations from all over the UK and Ireland, together with registrations from as far away as Spain and the Netherlands.

The sale concluded with all 16 lots forward selling to an incredible average of £8,393 (€10,613), with buyers from throughout Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Topping the sale at £31,000 (€37,308) was the September 2024-born Sizzler Drop It Likes Its Hot ET. Sired by Kings-Ransom Dropbox, her dam is Miss Tatoo Fern ET, winner of the milking yearling class at the World Dairy Expo in Madison and at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, and subsequently nominated All-American and All-Canadian.

Her grand-dam is the world-famous Oakfield Solom Footloose ET, which won overall champion at World Dairy Expo in 2022. Further back in her incredible pedigree is Harvue Roy Frosty, herself a champion at the World Dairy Expo in 2009 and 2010.

This young heifer is the only Fern daughter outside of North America, which made her an incredibly unique and attractive lot.

Following some spirited bidding, the buyer of this outstanding lot was SBG Partners, consisting of the well-known Slatabogie, Boghill and Glamour pedigree herds.

Unique genetics

Realising the second-highest price of £17,000 (€20,473) was Sizzler Rompen Rouge Red, a July 2024-born daughter of Trent-Way-JS.

Sizzler Rompen Rouge Red ET, which sold for £17,000.

Rouge Red is believed to be the first-ever red and white member of the famous Have Not family to sell at public auction. Her dam is Duckett Ranger 1132 ET, a three-star OH Ranger daughter from the famous S-S-I Doc Have Not 8784 ET, which sold at auction for $1.925m in 2022.

Securing this interesting young heifer was the Hynes family of the Rahard herd in Co Cork.

Selling at £8,500 (€10,235) was Sizzler Daisys Alligator ET, which was purchased by a syndicate of top Scottish herds in the form of Boclair, Grayridge and Overside.

This September 2024 daughter of Stantons Alligator is out of Duckett Lambda Daisy ET, a Lambda daughter of the famous S-S-I Doc Have Not 8784 ET.

Sizzler Daisys Alligator ET, which sold for £8,500.

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