Fresh off the back of reaching a new Irish Hereford female record at its inaugural event last year, the Genetic Gems sale hit the highs once again as yet another record price for Hereford females in Ireland was secured at the sale on Saturday last in Tullamore Mart.

Dreams came true for Kerry native Matthew Goulding and his family when their December 2021-born heifer Gouldingpoll 1 Ravette 1262 ET broke all Irish Hereford female records when she secured €11,000 for a half share in the sale.

The terms of the half share heifer meant that the powerful female would reside in Ballyduff with the Goulding herd, with all progeny and embryos to be split equally between the breeder and the purchaser.

After the sale, Kieran Mariga and Paul Mc Grath of Coolmara Herefords doubled their bid and took Ravette home to Coolmara for a record smashing €22,000.

The Panmure 11 Henry daughter’s full ET brother recently sold to a well-known Irish AI company.

Second-highest price

From the same stable came the second-highest priced female in the sale Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 1244 ET, which needs no introduction.

The August 2021-born Gouldingpoll 1 Superduty ET-sired heifer is a maternal sister to the Royal Highland Show champion Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 916 and sold for €6,500.

Trailing closely behind at €6,300 was Grianan Orange W944 from the Grianan herd of Tom and Anslem Fitzgerald, Moate, Co Westmeath.

This July 2021-born heifer comes from the famous Orange line and is sired by the breed improvement scheme Australian import Karoonda Sampson.

Balleen Cece 1322, a Ballinveney United 2 yearling heifer from the Balleen herd of Tom Brennan, Co Kilkenny, secured the next-highest price of €5,500 fresh after her win at the National Show in Tullamore earlier this year.

For more photos and a full report on the Genetic Gems Hereford sale, make sure to pick up a copy of this week's Irish Farmers Journal.