Read a report with prices and photos from the Irish Hereford Society premier sale held at GVM Tullamore on Saturday, March 27th, 2021.
10 out of 17 bulls sold for at least €3,000, with eight earning above the mark at the Irish Hereford Breed Society’s premier sale on Saturday, March 27th, 2021.
Despite Covid-19 restrictions, there was a 65% clearance rate and entries levelled to an average selling price of €2,970.
Kye Nando 881 (main image), a four-star terminal bull, led the charge when he exchanged hands for €4,200. Padraig McGrath presented the Free Town Nevada, son, out of a Steil Gerard dam, for sale.
Next in line at the top of the sales prices was Airhill Raffael, exhibited by Nigel Heatrick of Glaslough Herefords.
Nigel purchased this bull as a calf with a cow at the Airhill reduction sale in 2019. This calf proved his value on Saturday when he sold for €4,000.
Raffael, sired by Cill Cormaic Napoleon, has served cows in the Glaslough herd already, and his first calf was born just days before he went under the hammer.
Under €4,000
There was a great success for Longford breeder’s duo, Edwin & Robert Jones of Keenagh Herefords.
The pair showed Keenagh Pedro, who came into the ring as Lot 10, a son of Keenagh L-Jay, a home-bred sire out of Hollow Point Broker, and a Kilsunny Goliath dam. This five-star terminal and replacement bull was next in line with a call of €3,900.
Success did not end there for the Keenagh herd as they sold Pedro’s stablemate, Keenagh Prince Pablo, a Keenagh L-Jay son, for €3,600.
William Duff’s Ballinalick Felix, a five-star terminal bull by Ballinalick Gold, found a new home at €3,200.
€3,100 or under
Feevaghmore Las Vagas 2, sired by Haven Kingpin and standing as a five-star terminal and four-star replacement index bull, fetched €3,100.
To note, there were a number of other bulls that sold for €3,100, including lot 24 – Fortviewpoll 1 Party.
This five-star terminal and five-star replacement index bull “combined the best of traditional and modern genetics” and was out-wintered, fertility tested and confirmed myostatin free.
Furthermore, Lot 25 – Woodviewpoll 1 Oskar also pushed up to €3,100. This five-star terminal & five-star replacement bull was sired by Allowdale Rory 594 & bred from a Solpoll cow.
It was a good sale for Grianan Herefords, who sold Lot 23 – Grianan Ultra for €3,000.
Sired by Grianan Parker, who has produced champions to €5,000 and bred from a Churchill Storm bred cow, who is a full sister to Grianan Firecracker, this bull has a birth weight of 38kgs as well as a 200-day weight of 324kgs.
Boyanna Storm 1st, a Cavehill Storm son, with five-star terminal and four-star replacement ratings, was fertility tested and had cows scanned in-calf before selling to €3,000.
Summary
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Irish Hereford Breed Society said:
“A sale very different from what breeders are used. There was no washing or parading of bulls permitted, and sellers had to leave the premises once they had unloaded their bull into the pens.”
“Viewers were then allowed on-site by appointment only at an allocated time slot before the sale commenced. Congratulations to all exhibitors and the best of luck to all purchasers with their bulls.”
“Many thanks are extended to all who sold and purchased at the sale, worked and volunteered their time to ensure a smooth running of the sale, GVM Tullamore for hosting the sale and the staff, to our newly appointed auctioneer, Richard Ryan, and to Irish Hereford Prime for sponsoring this sale and contributing the fantastic sum of €2,500 to over half of the buyers.”
Irish Hereford Prime kindly sponsored €250 to the buyers of each bull sold for €3,000 and over. “This was an invaluable support to breeders and proved just how helpful and worthy a contribution it is.” the spokesperson concluded.
