An “unrivalled” turnout of beef cattle competed for renowned championship titles at the 2021 Royal Ulster Premier Beef & Lamb Championships.
The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) reported a “record number of entries” at its 2021 BOI-sponsored Premier Beef and Lamb Championships at Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn on Tuesday, November 23rd.
Taking the top honours in the cattle ring was Chris Johnston, Fivemiletown with his home-bred baby Jo Jo (main image) sired by Trueman Idol.
She tipped the scales at 275 kilos and sold for a whopping £5,600 (£20 per kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch.
It was a clean sweep for Limousin as the reserve champion calf brought out by Mark McCartan Crossgar was by Foxhill Ourbest. This 5-month-old steer, which weighed in at 308 kilos, was snapped up by Bobby Patterson for £2,400 (£12/kg).
A Limousin from the JCB Commercials team was tapped out as the supreme champion of the show.
Clocking up 650 kilos on the weighbridge, auctioneer, Richard Beattie, was met with a flurry of bids for this beauty, with the hammer going down at £7,500 to Kitson Family Butchers, N Yorkshire.
Limousin continued their domination as Nigel & Sandra Cochrane, Portadown, scooped the reserve supreme championship silverware.
Nicknamed Skedaddle, this home-bred daughter of Carmorn Cantona, sold at £7,400 to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch (£12/kg).
Another hotly contested title is the Ulster Housewife’s Championship, with Jack Smyth’s £3800 British, Blue-sired steer taking this trophy.
All images: Willie McElroy
Other titles
The reserve housewives championship was awarded Robert & Leanne Workman, Kilwaughter with their home-bred Trueman Idol daughter, Coco. This fleshy heifer sold at £2,400 and will now feature on the menu at The Morning Star, Belfast.
It took £5,800 to secure the breeding heifer champion from the Jalex team of James Alexander, Randalstown, with Gary Beacom being the winning bidder here.
Giving her a tight run in the judging stakes was a British Blue-sired heifer from the JCB team, selling to Owen Miskelly at £5,100.
2021 Beef and Lamb Championships
Prime beef
- JCB Commercials £7500 (£11.79p/ kg) to Kitson Butchers, N Yorkshire
- Nigel & Sandra Cochrane £7400 ((£12.41p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- James Alexander £5800 (£7.53p/kg) to Gary Beacom, Fivemiletown
- JCB Commercials £5100 (£6.76p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- Ryan Kerrigan £4500 (£6.73p/kg) to C Johnston, Donegal
- James Alexander £4300 (£5.71p/kg) to Richard Black, Artigarvan
- James Alexander £3900 (£5.68p/kg) to Hugh Barclay, Scotland
- Martin Gallagher £3900 (£6.03p/kg) to David Bothwell, Killadeas
- Jack Smyth £3800 (£7.01p/kg) to The Morning Star, Belfast
- Jack Smyth £3540 (£5.14p/kg) to Dermot Lunney, Cavan
- James Alexander £3500 (£4.53p/kg) to TR Crawford, Newtownstewart
- John Gallagher £3200 (£5.31p/kg) to H&M Turner, Swatragh
- David Lester £3200 (£6.63p/kg) to C&M Gillespie, Killyleagh
- James Alexander £3200 (£.09p/kg) to Ivan Lynn, Armoy
- Jacob McAuley £3100 (£5.14p/kg) to Seamus McGuigan, Gortin
- JCB Commercials £3000 (3.97p/kg) to Owen Miskelly
- James Alexander £3000 (£3.64p/kg) to Ivan Lynn, Armoy
- James Alexander £3000 (£4.39p/kg) to D O’Ksne Swatragh
- Declan McKenna £2900 ((£4.89p/kg) to John Kane
- Alan Burleigh £2900 (£5.62p/kg) to D O’Kane, Swatragh
- Brian Weatherup £2900 (£4.70p/kg) to H&M Turner, Swatragh
- Gordon Cutler £2800 (£4.88p/kg) to Robert Armstrong, Lisburn
- James Alexander £2700 (£3.97p/kg) to Kitson Butchers, N Yorkshire
- Gordon Cutler £2700 (£5.19p/kg) to JJW Farms, Armagh
- Ian McCaughern £2650 (£4.06p/kg) to B Quinn, Dungannon
- Thomas Johnston £2650 (£3.89p/kg) to P Keown, Roscor
- James Alexander £2600 (£3.29p/kg) to Ed McNeill, Scotland
- James Alexander £2550 (£4.48p/kg) to Ed McNeill, Scotland
- Nigel & Sandra Cochrane £2500 (£4.38p/kg) to Mc Entee’s Butchers, Crossmaglen
- Jack Smyth £2500 (£3.30p/kg) to Kitson Butchers, N Yorkshire
- Gordon Cutler £2500 (£3.96p/kg) to Tony Morning, Donegal
- Alan Veitch £2450 (£3.64p/kg) to Kitcson Butchers, N Yorkshire
- R & L Workman £2400 (£4.63p/kg) to The Morning Star
- RH Sinnamon £2400 (£3.83p/kg) to Foyle Omagh Meats
- Robert Miller £2300 (£3.39p/kg) to the Morning Star, Belfast
- Eamon Healy £2300 (£3,72p/kg) to Hugh Barclay, Scotland
- Andrew Mackey £2250 (£3.16p/kg) to J Stephens, Portadown
- Thomas Johnston £2250 (£3.83p/kg) to S Hughes, Katesbridge
- Malachy McGrath £2200 (£3.47p/kg) to Foyle Omagh Meats
- JCB Commercials £2200 (£3.31p/kg) to Kitson Butchers, N Yorkshire
- JCB Commercials £2200 (£2.89p/kg) to H Barclay, Scotland
- Martin O Neill £2100 (£5.02p/kg) to S Murnion, Kilkeel
- Knockagh Livestock £2100 (£3.16p/kg) to Foyle Omagh Meats
Calves
- Chris Johnston £5600 (£20.28p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- R & N McIlwaine £4300 (£12.79p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- Alan Farlow £3900 (£11.53p/kg) to Johnny Neill, Downpatrick
- Sean McCaughey £3800 (£10.85p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- R & N McIlwaine £3000 (£3.64p/kg) to Karl Lappin, Poyntzpass
- Blackwater Limousins £3000 (£9.14p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- Leonard Bros £2450 (£7.65p/kg) to Kieran McGee, Pettigo
- Mark McCartan £2400 (£8.10p/kg) to Bobby Patterson, Omagh
- Blackwater Limousins £2400 (£6.74p/kg) to Owen Miskelly, Ballynahinch
- Michelle Wright £2250 (£5.59p/kg) to K O Hare, Newry
- Michelle Wright £2100 (£3.98p/kg) to M Doyle, Newry
- Leonard Bros £1800 (£5.29p/kg) to K O Hare Hilltown
- Leonard Bros £1600 (£5.22p/kg) to K & S Lappin, Poyntzpass
- Alan Burleigh £1550 (£5.57p/kg) to G Ringland, Katesbridge
More reports to follow.
