Slideshow: Kilbride Farm Foreman tops Simmental entry at 22,000gns

Northern Ireland’s haul of prizes included the junior, intermediate, reserve intermediate, reserve senior, reserve supreme, and supreme overall titles, as well as the female championship.

Simmentals met a solid trade with nine lots attracting five-figure price tags, and 122 bulls selling in a 79% clearance to average £5,675 - representing an increase of £711 on this time last year.

Sale leader at 22,000gns was the intermediate and reserve supreme champion Kilbride Farm Foreman TSI+84 SRI+85 from the Robson family’s 100-cow herd based at Doagh, County Antrim. Born in July 2014 he was sired by stock bull Crugmelyn Brenin, and is bred from the Milnafua Graduate daughter Kilbride Farm Jolly 7T. He ranks highly for milk +10 and eye muscle area +4.1, and was snapped up by pedigree breeder Clive Houdley for his Manor Park and Manor Fields herds based at Waterbeck near Lockerbie.

Herd founder Billy Robson OBE has been exhibiting at Perth and Stirling for 36 years, and was delighted to set a new herd record, beating the previous best of 20,000gns realised by Kilbride Farm Comber -intermediate and supreme overall champion in October 2012.

The Robson family traded eight bulls to average £8,557.50 per head. Selling for 15,000gns was the reserve intermediate champion Kilbride Farm Fearless TSI+104 SRI+98, another Brenin son bred this time from a Kilbride Farm Newry dam. He is in the breed’s top 1% for milk +12, and top 5% for eye muscle area +4.4. This one was snapped up by pre-sale judge Gary Christie who runs pedigree and commercial suckler herds at Midtown of Glass, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Crugmelyn Brenin was also behind the breeding of the second placed Kilbride Farm Foley TSI+98 SRI+102 sold for 7,500gns. Bred from a Kilbride Farm Newry daughter, he is +12 for milk and has an eye muscle area +3.9. Buyers were Messrs Campbell from West Watten, Wick, Caithness.

Kenneth Veitch, Lisbellaw, realised 10,000gns for the November 2014 born Drumlone Fabulous TSI+77 SRI+86. He was sired by the noted Carnkern Titan, and is bred from a Raceview King daughter carrying the Corbally prefix. This second prize winner sold to Hugh Brunton, Crudie Acres Farm, Arbroath, Angus.

Omorga Volvo was behind the breeding of the June 2014 born Drumlone Finley TSI+68 SRI+81 which sold at 5,200gns for Kenneth Veitch. This third prize winner caught the eye of Terry Coghill from Muce, Orkney.

Pedigree breeder Joe Wilson paid out 10,000gns to secure the reserve junior champion Denizes Fantastic TSI+89 SRI+91 for his Newry-based Ballinlare Farm Herd. Born in November 2014, he is by the Woodhall Dynamite son Whitemire King Kong, and is out of a home-bred dam by NI-bred stock bull Ashland Tornado.

Fermanagh duo Harold Stubbs, and grandson Alan Burleigh, claimed the junior and supreme overall championship for the second year in succession. Their show stopper was the October 2014 born Derrycallaghan Fireworks TSI+59 SRI+59. He was sired by the 10,000gns Slimero Victory 2 – Perth reserve champion in 2009, and is bred from Derrycallaghan Winner. This one came under the hammer at 8,000gns, selling to Liam Muir from Upper Onston, Stromness, Orkney.

A third prize winner from the same vendors changed hands at 5,500gns. At fourteen-months-old Derrycallaghan Foxtrot TSI+90 SRI+99 was the youngest bull in the catalogue. He was sired by Kilbride Farm Delboy, and is bred from the Raceview King daughter Derrycallaghan Beauty. He sold to Mayne Farms based at Elgin in Morayshire.

William and George Nelson, Rosslea, realised 7,500gns for the unplaced Drumacritten Fermanagh TSI+78 SRI+95. Born in June 2014 he was sired by Omorga Volvo, and is out of a home-bred dam by Slievenagh Fantastic. In the top 5% for eye muscle area +4.6, he sold to W Mitchell from Hazelside, Lanark.

The same vendors sold the fifth placed Drumacritten Franko for 5,500gns. Sired by the10,000gns Drumlone Anchor – junior and supreme Stirling champion in 2010, he is out of a home-bred Dripsey Super King daughter. This May 2014 born entry also sold to W Mitchell.

The fifth placed Cleenagh Fred TSI+72 SRI+74 sold at 7,500gns for Adrian Richardson, Maguiresbridge. This July 2014 born Whitemire King Kong son was bred from the Hillcrest Jerome daughter Celtic Vine. He sold to Messrs N and B Isbister, Feolquoy, Stromness, Orkney.

Also commanding a price tag of 7,500gns was the fourth placed Lisglass Fortune TSI+82 SRI+92 bred by father and son team Leslie and Christopher Weatherup, Ballyclare. Born in September 2014, he was sired by Kilbride Farm Warren, and is out of the Banwy T-Rex daughter Ranfurly Lady Diana 15th – purchased for 6,000gns at the Ranfurly production sale at Moira in 2012. In the top 1% for milk +13, he sold to Messrs Sinclair from Unigarth, Orkney.

The Weatherup duo also realised 5,200gns for the second prize winning Lisglass Fortune TSI+71 SRI+78. Sired by stock bull Dermotstown Delboy – Balmoral champion in 2014 and 2015, he is bred from the Omorga Volvo daughter Lummin Bronte. This one was senior champion at last year’s inaugural pedigree calf fair in Belfast, and sold to Messrs Stout from Stronsay, Orkney.

Michael and Eamon McCloskey, Kilrea, sold the third placed Drumagarner Faris TSI+56 SRI+66 for 7,000gns. Born in September 2014 he was sired by Curaheen Wakeman, and is out of a home-bred Lisglass Python daughter. Buyer was pedigree breeder Peter Burgess, owner of the Tilbrook herd based at Hexham, Northumberland.

The home-bred Drumagarner Derry, sired by Barnattin Wally, was behind the breeding of the McCloskey’s 6,200gns Drumagarner Flasher TSI+82 SRI+97. This third prize winner was born in August 2014, and was bred from Rooklea Anna 9th. He sold to D Campbell from Thurso, Caithness.

John and William McMordie, Ballygowan, realised 5,800gns for the unplaced Solitude Figaro ET TSI+92 SRI+97. Born in August 2014, he was sired by the 15,000gns Cairnview Snazzy, and is bred from the polled Lykke Sirius daughter Ranfurly Weikel 7th – purchased for 6,200gns at the Ranfurly production sale. He joins the Lyvennet herd owned by Messrs R and C Addison, Penrith, Cumbria.

The unplaced Ranfurly Formidable TSI+50 SRI+54 came under the hammer at 4,800gns for David Hazelton, Dungannon, This August 2014 born Hillcrest Valentine son was bred from the Carnkern Titan daughter Ranfurly Kleeb 9th. Buyer was AC Brodie from Argyll.

Next best at 4,600gns was Hiltonstown Ferrari TSI+91 SRI+87, a second prize winner exhibited by NI Simmental Club chairman Richard Rodgers, Portglenone. Born in August 2014, he was sired by the 12,000gns Kilbride Farm Bantry, and is out of the Dirnanean Salvador daughter Slievenagh Annie.

Club vice-chairman Matthew Cunning, and son Charlie, Glarryford, realised 4,500gns for the June 2014 born Pointfarms Fernando. Sired by Auroch Amos, he is bred from the Cleenagh Nelson daughter Hilstownstown Bronte.

John Moore, Beragh, sold six bulls from his noted Omorga herd to average £3,832 per head. Leading his entry at 4,200gns was the October 2014 Omorga Five Star TSI+80 SRI+88. Sired by Kilbride Farm Delboy, he is out of a home-bred dam by Cleenagh Flasher.

Kilbride Farm Delboy was also behind the breeding of the second placed Omorga Falcon TSI+98 SRI+94 sold for 4,000gns. This September 2014 entry was bred from Omorga Maud ET, a daughter of the 21,000gns Corrick Kentucky Kid.

Simmental females peaked at 3,900gns, paid to the Boyd family, Robin, Darla, Christopher and Jamie, from Portglenone, for their female champion Slievenagh Flirt. This twenty-five-month-old heifer was sired by Auroch Amos, and is out of a home-bred dam by Kilbride Farm Newry. She travels back to Northern Ireland to join Nigel Glasgow’s Bridgewater Farm Herd at Cookstown.

A draft entry of females from William Young’s Skerrington herd at Kilmarnock topped at 3,000gns, realised by the June 2014 Skerrington Regalia 30th. Sired by the 2013 Royal Highland Show champion Sowenna Aristorcrat, she is bred from a dam by Sterling Nelson 2nd. This one joins Cecil McIlwaine’s Corrick herd based at Newtownstewart.

Cecil McIlwaine also paid out 2,200gns to secure the July 2014 Skerrington Rhona 41st. She was sired by Sowenna Aristocrat, and is out of a dam by Skerrington Verify.

Averages: 24 Simmental females £2,275