Averages: 14 heifers, £8115
THE Northern Ireland Limousin Cattle Club’s Ladies in Red show and sale turned out to be another record-breaking day, with prices soaring to a new high of 25,000gns, with 14 heifers changing hands to cash in at £8115 per head.
The club’s second Ladies in Red event in Ballymena, it was conducted by Harrison and Hetherington in conjunction with JA McClelland and Sons.
There were three five-figure prices and five heifers sold for export to England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Auctioneer James Little said: “There was a fantastic interest in the sale, resulting in a packed ringside audience and a strong online following. Top-quality females were easily sold. There was strong competition from pedigree breeders who were intent on buying something to either add a new family or improve their herds.”
Surpassing last year’s 24,000gns Ladies in Red record, and setting a new 25,000gns high for a Limousin female sold at an official auction in Northern Ireland, was William Gabbie whose two-cow herd is based at Crossgar, Co Down.
The first-time exhibitor was delighted to secure the pre-sale show’s reserve intermediate championship, but all his dreams came true when the home-bred Hollowdene Ulay topped the sale. His 13-month-old heifer is sired by the Ampertaine Foreman and Millbrook Gingerspice son, Claddagh McCabe, and bred from Norman Lacey, purchased for 5500gns at Carlisle seven years ago. She has NT821 and Q204X myostatin genes.
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Described by Scottish judge Stephanie Dick as a great example of the breed with a big top, square plates, and a lovely head, she was snapped up by Mary Cormack, buying for her Rougemont herd based in Hereford.
James McKay who runs 130 pedigree cows at Maghera claimed the junior championship and supreme overall for the second year in succession. His show stopper was the nine-month-old ET heifer, Ampertaine Ujlo which has F94L and Q204X genes and made 20,000gns, selling to Tony and Jo Smith for the Smithy herd based at Jacobstow in Cornwall.
Ujlo is a daughter of Whinfellpark Lomu and bred from the Ampertaine Elgin-sired Ampertaine Jlo which is a maternal sister to the 38,000gns Ampertaine Foreman and full sister to 20,000gns Ampertaine Jackpot. Ampertaine Jlo also bred Ampertaine Squire which made 20,000gns at Carlisle in February 2023.
Judge Stephanie Dick, who runs the 20-cow Stephick herd alongside her family’s 250-cow Ronick herd at Stirling, said: ”It has been a strong show with a very good top end in every class. The overall champion is a very stylish young heifer, well-grown for her age. She has a lovely head and is a fantastic example of the breed with a bright future ahead of her.”
Club chairman Kieran McCrory, Sixmilecross, secured the intermediate championship and reserve supreme with the 13-month-old heifer, Bernish Uptowngirl ET. Boasting an NT821 and Q204X myostatin pairing, she sold for a herd female high of 19,000gns and joins the Collegeland herd owned by Thomas Clancy from Moy, Co Tyrone.
Sired by the 19,000gns Maraiscote Lothario, her dam is Bernish Rihannajuli, winner of the best year-old heifer in the club’s 2021 herd competition; while her granddam Bernish Julifortune bred the 22,000gns Bernish Memphis and is also granddam of the May 2024 Carlisle champion Bernish Toplad that sold for 16,000gns.
Mr McCrory’s first prize Bernish Pippa ET made 6500gns to Raymond Savage, and daughter Louise Cowan, for their 20-cow Aghadolgan herd based in Co Londonderry. Sired by Meadowrig Pedro, this 11-month-old heifer is bred from the Ampertaine Foreman daughter, Bernish Pippafortune.
Will and Gareth Corrie, Newtownards, took 8000gns for the senior champion Drumhilla Utopia. This 15-month-old Westpit Omaha daughter bred from Ampertaine Matilda, carries two copies of the Q204X gene and sold to the Lurgankeel Herd owned by Malachy Byrne from Forkhill, Newry, Co Down.
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