The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) embraced a new location for this year's premier show and sale which was held in GVM Mart Kilmallock, Co Limerick on Wednesday 27 March.

There were 16 bulls forward for sale which met a 85% clearance rate as well as 63 heifers including a consignment of 30 heifers from Tom Lynch from Ballingarry, Co Limerick.

Bull trade

The pre-sale show on the day was judged by renowned Cork breeder, Rickey Barrett of the Laurelelm holstein herd who found his overall champion in a full brother to the 2023 champion, Mountfarna Gulliver. Gulliver was a September 2022- born bull sired by Welcome Silver Griff ET out of the high yielding home bred cow, Mountfarna Armour Prester bred from the herd of John O’Callaghan from Bandon, Co Cork. He was bred by seven generations of VG/EX and sold for €4,000 on the day.

Top price of the day came just a little bit later when Barrett sang Radney Kentucky out of the ring at an impressive €4,800. Bred by Henry O’Keeffe from Charleville, Co Cork, the January 2023-born bull was one of the youngest in the sale and boasted an impressive EBI of €276. Kentucky was sired by Gortcreen Sebastian and was bred from the VG87 classified cow, Radney Steve Triempress and was tapped forward as the honourable mention alongside the champion and reserve champion in the pre-sale show.

Premier heifers

The premier heifer sale trade was topped by the Lisnalty herd of Paul Hannon and family from Crecora, Co Limerick with their January 2022 born heifer, Lisnalty Artist Zandra who classified VG87.

The Stone-Front Artist ET daughter was bred from the EX91 dam, Woodmarsh Mogul Zandra who had a massive yield of just under 13,000 litres last year and Zandra herself is projected to yield 9,165l in her first lactation. She was tapped forward by judge Rickey Barrett as the female champion in the pre-sale show earlier in the day and sold to a Co Cork breeder for an impressive top female price of €4,150.