Lively trade for Aberdeen-Angus Bulls as Birches Leads Dungannon Entry at 5,100gns:
By Julie Hazelton
Aberdeen-Angus bulls attracted a steady trade and reached a ceiling of 5,100gns at the Society’s regional sale, hosted by Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.
Auctioneer Trevor Wylie described the sale as lively and confirmed that 12 lots achieved a 92% clearance, averaging £3,613 per head – an increase of £446 on the same period last year.
“Trade was brisk from start to finish, with ringside and online bidders keen to acquire Aberdeen-Angus stock bulls for their dairy and suckler enterprises. “
Topping trade at 5,100gns was the twenty-month-old Birches Bellboy V916 TSI+27 SRI+35 bred by the Matchett family – Nigel, Gail, Sarah and Sam from Portadown, who were 2020 winners of the NI Aberdeen-Angus Club’s best large herd award.
Bellboy was sired by the herd’s former stock bull Cheeklaw Emlyn P480 – All-Ireland champion and reserve breed champion at Balmoral Show in 2017. He was bred from the Carrigroe Fred daughter Birches Bell S216 – whose dam Knockadrinan Bell J460 was All-Ireland champion and interbreed champion at Clogher Show in 2009 when she was just four-months-old.
Buyer was Meadow Brook Farm based at Newtownstewart, County Tyrone. The Matchett family also topped the society’s October 2020 sale in Dungannon with another Cheeklaw Emlyn P480 son, Birches Lord Jock V732.
Second highest price of the day 4,800gns was paid to Jonathan and Lisa Doyle, Cookstown, for the twenty-one-month-old Drumhill Lord Highway V271. He caught the eye of Robin Boyd who was bidding on behalf of AI Services (NI) Ltd.
Sired by stock bull Wedderlie Tarquin L383, this one was bred from the Blelack Prince Consort A286 daughter Drumhill Lady Heather P366 – from one of the best cow families in the 40-cow herd.
His maternal granddam Blelack Lady Heather J169 bred the October 2016 intermediate and supreme overall Stirling champion Drumhill Lord Hatfield R532 ET sold for 11,000gns; as well the 4,600gns male champion at Dungannon (Feb 2018) Drumhill Lord Handsom S963. Another son Drumhill Lord Harry R635 ET sold at Stirling (Feb 2017) for 8,500gns to the Shankill Herd owned by Pat and Finbarr Cahill from County Cavan, and went on to secure the breed’s supreme senior championship at Tullamore Show in 2018.
AI Services stud manager Robin Boyd said: ”This bull really caught my eye. He boasts the complete package – conformation and breed character, above average Breedplan figures, and a strong, proven cow family.” Drumhill Lord Highway V271 is in the breed’s top 5% for milk+19, top 10% for terminal sire index +43, and top 25% for self-replacing index +51 and eye muscle area +4.6.
Next best at 4,300gns was the twenty-month-old Glen Cowie Royal Senator V634 brought out by Gary Hanna on behalf of barrister Iain Colville, who runs a herd of 15 pedigree cows at Newtownards. He was sired by the herd’s former stock bull Blelack Evolution R454 ET, and is bred from foundation female Ardoyne Royal Lavender N231 – 3,300gns female champion at Stirling (Oct 2014). He joins the suckler herd based at Castle Dobbs near Carrickfergus.
Another Blelack Evolution R454 son, bred from Old Glenort Victoria G464, sold for 3,300gns. Glen Cowie Vince V623 sold to Trevor Beacom from Maguiresbridge.
The second youngest bull in the catalogue, and the highest ranking in terms of Breedplan terminal sire index +55 and self-replacing index +72 was Solitude Elite V777 ET bred by John, William and Andrew McMordie from Ballygowan. He came under the hammer at 4,000gns, selling to John and Ann Henning for their noted Drumcorn Herd at Moira.
This fifteen-month-old bull was sired by Netherallan Peter Pershore E052 ET, and is bred from Rawburn Ellen Erica G669 who has produced sons to a top of 10,000gns.
Achieving 1.82kgs DLWG, this young bull is the number one bull in Ireland under two-years-old for TSI and SRI (top 1%). He is also ranked in the breed’s top 5% for milk +20 and eye muscle area +6.3.
The Drumcorn prefix comprises of 14 breeding females. John Henning commented: “We were impressed by the bull’s EBV figures, and liked his power on the day. Hopefully he will do a good job for us.”
The first bull into the salering was Lurgaboy Bono V013 bred by Joe Conlon from Markethill. This March 2019 entry was sired by Penguin Jock G296, and bred from Lurgaboy Beauty T103. He sold for 3,400gns to dairy farmer Andrew Wilson, Templepatrick.
Mr Conlon sold three bulls from his Lurgaboy prefix to average £3,010 each.
Also selling at 3,400gns was the May 2019 Kiltariff Lord Tate V203 bred by Kenneth Bready from Rathfriland. He was sired by Shadwell Earl P777, and is out of the home-bred Kiltariff Lady Trudy K271 – one of 10 cows in the herd. This bull boasts an eye muscle area +7.7 in the breed’s top 1%, and is ranked in the top 5% for milk +20, TSI+50 and SRI+62. Highest bidder was David Hadden from Mountnorris.
Kenneth Bready’s Kiltariff Herd recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary. He also sold the April 2019 Kiltariff Lord Terran V181 TSI+37 SRI+43, by Haymount War Smith R578, for 3,300gns.
Jonathan, Lisa and Jack Doyle, Cookstown, with their Aberdeen-Angus bull Drumhill Lord Highway V271. He sold for 4,800gns at the Aberdeen Angus Society’s regional sale in Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.
Top price at the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society’s Dungannon sale was the 5,100gns Birches Bellboy V916 exhibited by Sam Matchett, Portadown.
Drumhill Lord Highway V271 bred by Jonathan and Lisa Doyle, Cookstown, sold to AI Services (NI) Ltd for 4,800gns.
Solitude Elite V777 ET realised 4,000gns for Messrs McMordie, Ballygowan.
