Champion heifer at 40th anniversary show sets 12,000gns record price

Editorial Department • Published 26 Aug 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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Fermanagh breeders led the way once again at the 40th anniversary elite female show and sale organised by the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club at Omagh at the weekend.

A record price for a Simmental female sold in Northern Ireland was achieved by Adrian Richardson of Maguiresbridge, when he sold his supreme champion, Cleenagh Avon for 12,000gns. The animal stays in the county, having been purchased by RonnieWilson of Garvary. All the heifers sold averaged 3,654 er head.

The event attracted numerous breed enthusiasts from throughout England, Scotland, Wales and north and south of Ireland.

The champion caught the eye of judge, Hector Macaskill from Dunbar, East Lothian, to take the supreme championship honours at the pre-sale show.

“This is an excellent heifer,” explained Mr Macaskill, who is President of the British Simmental Cattle Society. “She is long and clean, and has fantastic shape. I can’t fault her in any way.”

Born in March 2009, she was sired by the Corrick Kentucky Kid son, Omorga Murray, and is out of the prize winning Raceview King daughter, Cleenagh Trudie. She made her debut at Armagh Show in June, where she stood first in a class of eight heifers, and went on to win another red rosette at Omagh Show, before scooping the runner-up title in the prestigious NISA Ulster Bank Beef Heifer Championship. This heifer attracted considerable attention prior to the sale, and won many admirers at the Omagh Anniversary event.

Auctioneer, Noel Erskine, secured an opening bid of 5,000gns, and after a bidding frenzy she was knocked down to Ronnie Wilson from Garvary, Enniskillen, who had fought off strong competition from ringside bidders and an eager telephone bidder.

The reserve supreme championship was awarded to Kilbride Farm Dora 34a, a February 2009 born heifer exhibited by breed stalwart, Billy Robson and sons, Michael and Norman, from Doagh, Ballyclare. Described by the judge as ‘a stylish heifer’, she was sired by the herd’s 15,000gns stock bull, Cairnview Snazzy, and is bred from a dam by Seaview Prince Charming. She came under the hammer at 6,000gns, selling to pedigree breeder, David Donnelly, who runs the Atlow herd based in Derbyshire.

Third highest price of the day, 5,100gns, went to David Hazelton, who sold five heifers from the Ranfurly herd based at Dungannon to average £3,612 per head.

Following close behind at 5,000gns was the second reserve champion, Cleenagh Alexis, also forward from Adrian Richardson. Born in September 2009 she is by the Raceview King son, Dripsey Super King, and is out of a home-bred dam by Omorga Murray. This one joins the Solitude herd owned by John McMordie, and sons, William and Andrew from Ballygowan, County Down.

Breed society president, and pre-sale judge, Hector Macaskill, congratulated the Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club, and its members, on a successful event. “I am delighted and honoured to have been invited to judge at this special event in the breed’s history. It has been a great event, with some very strong classes. The top end in each class were outstanding, and it is definitely as good a show of cattle as you would get anywhere in the UK.”

The Northern Ireland Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club is indebted to its sponsors, without whom this event would not have been possible. They include: Irwins Feeds, Eglish; Woodcraft Kitchens, Kilrea; John Thompson and Sons Ltd; Redrock Machinery; McGirr Haulage Ltd, Tempo; Millburn Concrete Ltd, Cookstown; and Lafarge Cement.

Other leading prices include:

Robin Boyd, Portglenone, 2,800gns for the fourth prize winning Slievenagh Angel by Curaheen Tyson, to Jim and Patricia Goldie, Newbie Mains, Dumfries.

Kenneth Stubbs, Irvinestown, 2,700gns for the second prize winning Drumbulcan Alesha by Omorga Regan, to Gerry Lenehan, Easkey, County Sligo.

David Hazelton, Dungannon, 2,400gns for the third prize winning Ranfurly Blende 3rd by Knox Haped, to Patrick Murray, Lurgan.

Andy Weatherup, Larne, 2,200gns for the third prize winning Ballyvallough Alison 2nd by Lisglass Trident, to Noel Kilpatrick, Banbridge.

W H Robson and Sons, Doagh, 2,100gns for Kilbride Farm Dora 35a by Cairnview Snazzy, to Les Pennington, Lancashire.

Archie Reaney, Mowhan, 2,100gns for the fourth prize winning Cladymore Angel by Borness Troy, to D and J Todd, Portadown.

Leslie and Christopher Weatherup, Ballyclare, 2,100gns for Lisglass Abigail 2nd by Raceview Stanley, to Nigel Glasgow, Cookstown.

Results from the judging ring include:

Heifer, born between 27/09/08 and 09/01/09 - 1, David Hazelton, Dungannon, Ranfurly Kleeb 22nd by Whitemire King Kong; 2, Kenneth Stubbs, Irvinestown, Drumbulcan Alesha by Omorga Regan; 3, David Hazelton, Ranfurly Blende 3rd by Knox Haped.

Heifer, born between 25/01/09 and 29/03/09 - 1, Adrian Richardson, Maguiresbridge, Cleenagh Avon by Omorga Murray; 2, W H Robson and Sons, Doagh, Ballyclare, Kilbride Farm Dora 34a by Cairnview Snazzy; 3, W H Robson and Sons, Kilbride Farm Dora 36a by Cairnview Snazzy; 4, Robin Boyd, Portglenone, Slievenagh Angel 09 by Curaheen Tyson.

Heifer, born between 03/04/09 and 12/06/09 - 1, Cecil McIlwaine, Newtownstewart, Corrick Amber 2nd by Omorga Tarbuck; 2, Cecil Charters and David Farrell, Lisbellaw, Lakeside Amanda 2nd by Omorga Rega; 3, Andy Weatherup, Larne, Ballyvallough Alison 2nd by Lisglass Trident; Heifer, born between 09/07/09 and 08/10/09 - 1, Adrian Richardson , Cleenagh Alexis by Dripsey Super King; 2, David Hazelton, Ranfurly Lady Diana 13th by Seabank Flint; 3, William and Keith Stubbs, Irvinestown, Rehall Amy by Delfur T-Bone; 4, Archie Reaney, Cladymore Angel by Borness Troy.

Captions

The supreme champion and 12,000gns sale topper was Cleenagh Avon bred by Adrian Richardson, Maguiresbridge. Adding their congratulations are Hector Macaskill, judge; and Ashley Crawford, Irwin Feeds, sponsor.

Zara Stubbs, Irvinestown, exhibited the second prize winning Drumbulcan Alesha which sold for 2,700gns at the Elite Female Show and Sale, Omagh. Included is Michael McGirr, McGirr Haulage, Tempo, sponsor.

Adrian Richardson’s second reserve champion, Cleenagh Alexis, sold for 5,000gns at the 40th Anniversary Elite Female Show and Sale, Omagh.

Scottish judge, Hector MacAskill, with NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club chairman, Pat Kelly, at the 40th Anniverary Elite Show and Sale, Omagh.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 26 Aug 10

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