SCHOOL EDITION 1 MARCH 2023 - Flipbook - Page 30
30 FARM WEEK
NOVEMBER 23 2017
ABOVE: Annadale Marshmallow from Christopher Murray,
Cullyhanna, sold for 3,300gns
PEDIGREENEWS
ABOVE: Female champion, Kilclass Lullaby from Dermot
McCusker, Castlewellan, sold for 2,300gns
ABOVE: Culnagechan Muller from Derek Hume, Randalstown, sold
for the top price of 5,000gns
Culnagechan Muller leads
Dungannon sale at 5,000gns
T
ABOVE: Reserve overall champion Rahoney
Malachi, from H & D McFarland, Trillick, sold for
3,000gns
ABOVE: Greenvale
Mark from William
Sherrard, County Derry,
sold for 3,400gns
HE British Limousin Cattle Society’s
end of year Show and Sale was held
on Friday, November 17 at Dungannon
Livestock Mart.
With buyers present from all over Northern
Ireland, and a clearance rate of 64 per cent,
14 bulls found new homes to a solid average
of £2,721.
Many of the bulls on offer were progeny
of prominent Limousin sires, which offered
particular interest to commercial buyers,
who are without doubt showing their
enthusiasm for the breed.
The Junior Male Champion at the pre-sale
show Culnagechan Muller, from Derek Hume,
Randalstown, topped the sale prices. The
home-bred July 2016-born bull is by Iveagh
Gilkes and out of Culnagechan Elite. He was
knocked down at 5,000gns to F & A King,
Warrenpoint, Newry. In another example of
the strength in the market for Limousin bulls
the leading price was notably ahead of that in
the corresponding sale last year.
Senior Male Champion in the show, and
making the second top price, was Greenvale
Mark from William Sherrard, County Derry.
This April 2016-born son of Ampertaine
Gigolo was knocked down to A Downard,
Markethill, for 3,400gns.
Annadale Marshmallow, a March 2016born bull by Ampertaine Foreman and out
of the dam Annadale Honey followed that
at 3,300gns. Home-bred by Christopher
Murray, Cullyhanna, Newry, Marshmallow
was placed third in his class and was sold to
Pat Casey, Crossmaglen.
Reserve Overall Supreme Champion was
Rahoney Malachi bred by H & D McFarland,
Trillick. Another Ampertaine Gigolo son
Malachi had taken the Reserve Overall Male
Champion spot and Reserve Intermediate
Male Championship. Also born in April
2016, he sold for 3,000gns to Niall Wallace,
Florencecourt, Enniskillen.
There was a small cohort of females
presented through the ring and with a
clearance rate of 88 per cent they averaged a
very respectable £1,557.
The Female Champion in the pre-sale show
and then the top priced female through
the ring was Kilclass Lullaby, a two-yearold heifer by Ampertaine Elgin and out of
Larkhill Harmony. Bred by Dermot McCusker,
Castlewellan, Lullaby sold for 2,300gns to M
& R McGurk, Cookstown.
Chasing this top female price was an
April 2015-born female by Virginia Andy,
Drumadarragh Lucy, who had stood second
in her class in the show. Home-bred by N
Drennan, Ballyclare she sold for 2,100gns to K
Minford, Crumlin. Reserve Female Champion
came from Mr P Campbell, Ballymena in the
shape of Spage Neta a May 2017-born Norman
Ely daughter. She sold for 1,250gns to A
Johnston, Dundrod.
The robust prices achieved at Dungannon
follow those at the recent BLCS sales held at
both Carlisle and Stirling and further goes
to re-emphasises the healthy demand for
Limousin bulls 2017 has delivered. A feature
of all these sales has been the emphasis
buyers have been placing on bulls that had
good calving figures along with length, shape
and good tops.
Beef producers all over the UK are looking
for easy calving easy care cattle that are feed
efficient and produce high end suckled calves
with tremendous carcase attributes. The
Limousin breed is synonymous with these
traits and that’s what is continuing to driving
the solid demand at sales throughout the
country.
o The NI Limousin Cattle Club would like
to express their gratitude to Dungannon
Mart and judge Michael Gunn of the Ovaun
Limousin Herd, Elphin for their support
on the day. Also thanks to Norbrook
Pharmaceuticals for their continued
sponsorship of the event.