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More than 470 cattle flocked to Carrick-on-Shannon last Sunday for the Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society’s 13th annual winter fair.
A crowd of three and four deep formed around the rings from 11am to 9pm.
With two rings running for a lot of the day, eight judges took on the role of officiating the range of classes on offer.
Altogether, the 470 cattle were divided into more than 30 classes, with nine overall championships and nine reserve championships awarded as follows.
Senior Charolais
The senior Charolais championship was awarded to Donegal breeders Roy and Clive Stevenson for their Fury Action-sired golden heifer.
This heifer collected a number of top prizes throughout the summer and was the reserve junior champion at the Winter Fair in 2016.
Charolais judges Robert and Mark McGivern awarded the reserve senior championship to Bailieborough man Ivan Whyte.
His winning Charolais-cross bullock showing no permanent teeth was sired by Lisnagree Elite.
Junior Charolais
The McGivern duo awarded the junior Charolais championship to Harold and Bobby Given.
Their young bull came from the under 400kg category and was sired by Bova Banker.
It was a female in reserve this time, with a heifer from Derek Morehead from Ballinalee, Co Longford, coming out on top.
His stylish heifer continued her form from the Charolais heifer under 450kg class.
Senior Limousin
Sam Coleman of the Glarryford herd took charge for the Limousin-cross classes, and he found his senior champion in the form of Chancey Lady from Michael Martin, Moate.
This heifer is well used to winning ways, having secured numerous championships throughout the year, including overall senior commercial championship at this year’s Tullamore Show.
The sire behind this one was Ampertaine Foreman.
Ollie Walsh took the reserve championship with his March 2016-born bullock. This Limousin-cross bullock showing no permanent teeth was out of a Belgian Blue-bred dam.
Junior Limousin
Kevin Clancy claimed the junior championship with his Elite Ice Cream-bred heifer. She claimed top spot in the Limousin female under 350kg class, which saw more than 50 heifers entered.
Donal Murphy and K Sheehy scooped the reserve spot with their Sauvignon-sired heifer under 450kg.
Senior Belgian Blue
The McGiverns were again centre-stage for the judging of the Belgian Blue-cross championship and found their champion in the form of Longford breeder John Clyne’s bullock showing no permanent teeth. This bullock was sired by Buffalo De Pied.
Reserve went to the second-prizewinner in the same class from the Maxwell brothers.
Junior Belgian Blue
Cian McGloin was top in the strong line-up of Blue-cross calves, with his Empire daughter from a Charolais crossbred dam.
She came out on top of the Blue-cross 450kg or under class and was eventually tapped forward as overall champion.
This black and white heifer was also awarded the overall calf championship at the Ennis commercial cattle exhibitors’ winter fair in Ennis last month.
Securing the reserve championship was Dermot McGinley with an Imperial son who came out on top of the male 500kg or under class.
Overall Angus
Mervyn Richmond found his champion in the Angus ring in the form of Leo McEnroe’s 22-month-old bullock.
Sired by stock bull Goulding Jim Dandy, he goes back on an Angus-bred cow by Mountgordan Pride.
The reserve championship was claimed by the winner of the Angus-cross heifer suitable for export or breeding with no continental breeding. David Gibbons from Strokestown took the red ribbon here with his stylish young heifer.
Overall Simmental
Sandra Killoran was triumphant in the Simmental ring under judge James Costello.
He selected the record-breaking €6,750 heifer as his overall champion.
Sired by Monaduff Snorter, this heifer has collected a number of top accolades after being purchased October 2016.
Two national Simmental-cross championships took place at the event. Claiming the under 350kg class and the reserve overall Simmental championship was David Gibbons.
Andrew and Catherine McCarthy took the national weanling heifer class. This heifer also claimed the Simmental championship at the winter fair in Ennis.
Monday’s sale
The crowds which packed the sheds on Sunday returned to the showground for the fair’s sale on Monday, which saw more than 420 animals through the ring.
Animals started making their way down the lines from 11am in the morning and didn’t stop until after 10pm that night.
This didn’t seem a deterrent, with potential buyers willing to wait around for good-quality cattle, in particular young females which saw a top of €6,000.
Securing the top price was Sean Hughes for his weanling heifer sired by Milbrook Dartangan. This five-month-old heifer hit the scales at 295kg, meaning she cost more than €20/kg.
This heifer’s sire also produced the €5,600 high seller at the sale last year.
Evident showing potential in the young heifer meant she was knocked down to successful Northern Ireland show team JCB Commercials, which consists of Gareth Corrie, Jonathan Neil and Charles Beverland.
Next best of the weanling heifers was James and Michael Brady’s 435kg Belgian Blue heifer who sold for €3,550. This eight-month-old heifer was sired by Imperial.
Securing a price of €3,420 was Dermot Mullaney, Castlebar. His Limousin-cross heifer sired by Elite Forever Brill weighed in at 439kg.
Sean Hughes was in the money again when he sold his second entry for €3,300. A full sister to the high seller, this seven-month-old heifer took to the scales at 385kg.
Weanling heifers ranged from €800 to €6,000, with an average of €1,472 (€4.17/kg). This section also produced the best clearance, with 140 selling to represent a 71% clearance.
Topping the yearling heifer section with a bid of €4,100 was Sean McGreal’s Limousin heifer. This third-prizewinning golden heifer was sired by Wilodge Wilodge Joskins and weighed 485kg at 11 months.
Frank Mulligan was next best of the yearlings, securing €3,800 for his first-prizewinning Limousin-cross breeding heifer. Sired by Ardea Dan, the 20-month-old heifer made €5.63/kg.
A further 61 yearling heifers were sold, averaging over €1,800.
Bullocks and weanling bulls were met with a tougher trade, but still saw a combined total of 39 sell.
Topping the sale across the two sections was Noel and Dee Claffey, Co Westmeath, with their seven-month-old Limousin-cross bull calf. Weighing in at 380kg, he sold for €3,350.
Top of the bullocks was a 20-month-old second-prizewinner from Oliver Walsh, Tubbercurry. This Limousin bullock weighing 805kg sold for €2,300.
Overall, the sale saw a 68% clearance, with 38 exported to Northern Ireland, England and the Netherlands.
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