Ian Millar with all guns blazing during the Charolais judging at Tullamore at the weekend
Charolais breeders who produced a top quality yard of bulls for their Spring Premier met a solid commercial trade at the packed Society’s Spring Premier event in Tullamore. Seventy per cent sold to average €4,412 (up from the €3,692 average at the 2011 premier) with 17 lots making €5,000 and over. Price range was from €2,400 to €7,300.
The huge crowd included buyers from Northern Ireland and Scotland but the vast majority of bulls were purchased by Irish Suckler beef farmers. They included committed Charolais breeders and numerous others who having used other breeds were now returning to Charolais knowing that with escalating feed costs the Charolais crosses will finish the fastest and most efficiently and they will be easily managed and sealable into numerous markets.
Three bulls were exported to Northern Ireland and one to Scotland.
Bidding peaked at €7,300 for second prize winner “Cottage Frey”. This 16 months old bull, Senior Calf Champion from the 2011 National Show was bred in Co. Tipperary by Anne-Marie Butler, Gooldscross, Cashel. He is by “Texan-Gie” and out of the home bred “Cottage Adel” (“Oscar”/”Farmleigh Lourda”). He has the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, for the production of weanlings for export, for beef carcases and for docility. He was purchased by Jimmy Cosgrave, Newcastle, Enfield, Co, Meath.
€7,200, second highest price of the sale went to Ronan Carey, Sion Hill, Killucan, Co. Westmeath for fifteen months old “Sionhill Fionn” by “Balthazar” (CF85). Dam “Boragh Ben” is by “Blakestown Templier”. He also has the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, and 4 Stars for the production of weanlings for export and for beef carcases plus 3 Star for calving ease. He was purchased by Pat Monaghan, Rossavalley, Ballinalack, Enniskillen.
€6,400 went to the Quin Family, Clenagh, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare for “Clenagh Gem” just 11 months old and by the “Texan-Gie” son “Cottage Devon” (DEZ) He is out of a home bred dam “Clenagh Cortina” by “Dromiskin Viceroy”. With the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, for the production of weanlings for export, for beef carcases and for docility he also has a massive BLUP muscle score of 123 which puts him in the top 5% of the breed for muscle. He was purchased by Robert Abbot, Whitehill, Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford.
Two lots shared the €6,100 price tag:
First to sell was “Ballydownan Fletcher” bred by local breeder Peter Spollen, Geashill, Tullamore. Sixteen months old he is by the famous “Texan-Gie” and out of a home bred dam “Ballydownan Destiny” by “Major”. With a BLUP muscle score of 131, the highest in the sale catalogue he was purchased by Tom Redmond, Crannhill, Crannford, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
The second €6,100 went to Seamus McCann, Bettystown, Co. Meath for “Topnotch Fugative” by “Erriff Savo” (Hermes) and out of the great cow “Anneskeagh Naomi” by “Anneskeagh Jeopardy”. With the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, for the production of weanlings for export and for beef carcases he was purchased by Eugene Hanrathy, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh.
Three bulls were knocked down at €6,000.
First at the €6,000 price tag was Senior Male Champion “Roughan France” bred by Pat McClean, Newtowncunningham, Lifford, Co. Donegal. No stranger to the top placings at Society shows and sales Pat’s bull is by the stock bull “Roughan Divin” (Sesame) and out of an “Erudit” dam. With the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, for the production of weanlings for export and for docility he was purchased by Declan Lynch, Kilcar, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.
Next at €6,000 was paid for 1st prize winner “Fieldview Frerro” bred by David Erskine, Crosses, Monaghan. By “Prime Roberto” (PBT) and out of an “Enfield Plexus” dam he was purchased by Thomas Quigley, Corrigeen South, Timahoe, Portlaoise. He has the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, for the production of weanlings for export, for beef carcases and for docility.
The third €6,000 was paid for 2nd prize winner (from the same class) “Drumcrow Finbar” bred by David Abbott, Drumcrow, Killeshandra, Co. Cavan. By the easy calving sire “Nelson” he is out of a home bred dam by “Burradon Talisman”. Also with the top 5 Star Ratings for Suckler Beef Value, for the production of weanlings for export and for beef carcases he was purchased by W & E Carson, Ballynoe Rd., Downpatrick, Co. Down.
€5,600 was paid for second prize winner “Kinnard Goliath” bred by Adrian Morris, Elphin, Co. Roscommon. By “Maerdy Sinndar” and out of “Ballymartle Daffodil” he was purchased by Murray Lyle, Drombane, Scotland to run with his pedigree Charolais herd.
€5,500 was received by Basil Bothwell, Dereskit, Killeshandra, Co. Cavan for his eleven months old calf “Dereskit Goldfinger”, a first prize winner from the 2011 national show. With the top 5 star ratings for all the sub-indices that make up the Suckler Beef Value index he was purchased by Ambrose Downey, Higginstown, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. By “Sesame” (SXS) he is out of a home bred dam by “Meillard”.
€5,200 was paid for first prize winner “Cloughbrack Fabion” bred by Mattie Kelly, Newbridge, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. By “Sportsman Colombo” and out of a home bred dam by “Jupiter” he was purchased by Jimmy Cosgrave, Newcastle, Enfield, Co. Meath.
The second €5,200 was received by Pat McClean, Newtowncunningham, Lifford, Co. Donegal for a half brother of the senior champion. “Roughan Farid”, by the same sire as the senior champion “Roughan Divin” is out of a home bred dam by the same sire as the dam of the senior champion. He was purchased by Sam Doughlas, Bailieboro, Co. Cavan.
€5,050 also went to Pat McClean for his third sale offering “Roughan Floyd” by another of his stock bulls “Roughan Condor” and out of a home bred dam “Roughan Caoimhe”. He was purchased by Eddie Buckley, Goldengrove, Annfield, Drombane, Thurles.
€5,150 was received by the Quin Family, Clenagh, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare for their second sale offering “Clenagh Fritz” by their home bred stock bull “Clenagh Diego” and out of a home bred dam “Clenagh Vicki” by “Roundhill Rocky”. He was purchased by Finbar Twomey, Ballyriorta, Middleton, Co. Cork.
€5,100 went to Aidan Farrell, Boyanna, Moate, Co. Westmeath for “Williamstown Fraser”, born December 2010 and by “Doonally New”. He was purchased by John Ryan, Woodbank, Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly.
Junior Championship went to Matt Ryan, Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co. Tipperary for thirteen months old “Kilvilcorris Goliath”. By “Thrunton Voldemort” out of a “Grove Victor” dam he was purchased by John Donoghue, Ballybur, Cuffesgrange, Co. Kilkenny for €5,000.
€5,000 also went to Seamus McCann, Bettystown for his second sale offering “Topnotch Gangster”. By “Jupiter” and out of “Anneskeagh Shannon” by “Oldstone Egbert” he was purchased by Richard Maguire, Milverton, Ballyboughal, Co. Dublin.
Champion Female “Camross Gracie” was bred by Catherine Sheeran, Coolrain, Mountrath, Co. Laois. By “Thrunton Voldemort” and out of a home bred dam she was withdrawn unsold at €5,000
Reserve Female Champion “Western Ellie” was bred by Joe Clancy, Gortreevagh, Oughterard, Co. Galway. By “Dovea Gin Tonic” and out of a home bred dam by “Doonally New” she sold for €3,300 to Breege Conway, Clogher, Claremorris, Co. Mayo.
Next Charolais Society Show and Sale is on Saturday, 24th March in Tullamore.
Report Courtesy of Irish Charolais Society
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