Champion leads Ballymena Limousin sale at 8,000gns

Bidding was underpinned by commercial farmers with auctioneer Graham Loughrey confirming that 29 bulls changed hands to level at £4,039 each (76% clearance).

Sale leader at 8,000gns was the day’s intermediate, male and supreme overall champion Eniver Toby bred by Michael McKeefry from Garvagh. Mr McKeefry has been breeding pedigree Limousins for more than 20 years and was delighted to win his third overall championship at a society sale.

The much-admired Eniver Toby was sired by the 35,000gns Ampertaine Majestic, intermediate and supreme overall champion at Carlisle in May 2018. His dam is the home-bred Ampertaine Gigolo daughter Eniver Lulu, who has three daughters retained in the 20-cow herd.

The eighteen-month-old champion has a F94L/Q204X myostatin pairing and is ranked in the breed’s top 10% for beef value LM44. Highest bidder was Darren McKinty from Templepatrick, County Antrim.

Judge Martin Conway from the 30-cow Craigatoke Herd based at Plumbridge in County Tyrone, described the supreme champion as an outstanding bull. “This bull really caught my eye. He oozes breed character, has length, width and walks well on good feet and legs.”

Joan Gilliland, and niece Kim Montgomery, exhibited three bulls from the Ballyrobin prefix to average £4,970 per head.

Leading their line-up at 6,000gns was the twenty-three-month-old senior champion Ballyrobin Tigerroll. He was sired by the 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion, reserve junior champion at Carlisle in Feb 2017; and is bred from the Lowerffrydd Empire daughter Ballyrobin Nina – one of 25 cows in the herd. His full brother sold for 7,200gns at Ballymena twelve months ago.

Carrying double F94L myostatin genes the senior champion sold to John Doyle from Ardglass.

The junior, reserve male and reserve supreme champion Aghadolgan Tiger attracted a bid of 5,800gns for Raymond Savage and daughter Louise Cowan, Drumahoe. This seventeen-month-old bull was sired by the 30,000gns Lowerffrydd Empire, supreme Carlisle champion in 2010; while his dam is the home-bred Goldies Jackpot daughter Aghadolgan Renee. He has F94L/Q204X myostatin genes and was snapped up by D McGarel, Glenarm.

Judge Martin Conway added: "The reserve overall champion is another well-muscled young bull, with a level top and good locomotion.”

Joan Gilliland’s third placed Ballyrobin Topnotch attracted a bid of 5,000gns from Robert and William Ferguson, Sperrin View Farm, Stewartstown. Born in November 2022, he was sired by the home-bred Ballyrobin Joop, sold to the Haltcliffe Herd for 20,000gns. His dam, Millburn Mags was purchased at the Millburn dispersal sale in 2020 for 5,600gns. This bull also carries double F94L myostatin genes.

Messrs M and J McPolin, Newry, sold the second placed Newhillfarm Thor for 4,200gns. Born in September 2022 he is a son of the 35,000gns Foxhillfarm Jasper, and is out of a home-bred dam by Mereside Lorenzo. Carrying double F94L myostatin genes, he is in the breed’s top one per-cent for beef value LM57, 200-day, 400-day growth rates and muscle depth. Buyers were J F Savage and Partners, Ballywalter.

Four lots came under the hammer of auctioneer Graham Loughery at 4,000gns each.

They included the reserve junior champion Ashview Unique from Victor and Stephen Keys, Dromore, County Tyrone. This fifteen-month-old was one of the youngest bulls in the catalogue and has a mix of F94L and NT821 myostatin genes. Sired by the Saphir son, Norman, his dam is the Goldies Northstar daughter Ashview Ruth. Highest bidder was A Minnis from Comber.

Also selling at 4,000gns was the first prize junior bull Mossbrook Uno, a Plumtree Fantastic son from Derek and David Campbell, Magherafelt; and Carnew Turbo, a first placed Whinfellpark Lomu son exhibited by J and J Aiken, Dromara.

Wilodge Cerberus was behind the breeding of the third prize winning Lealies Troublemaker, who secured 4,000gns for J Wilson, Templepatrick. The same price was paid to Henry Savage and Sons, Newry, for the fourth placed Trueman Thinlizzy by Ampertaine Elgin.

A small entry of females topped at 2,500gns, paid to Jim Quail, Banbridge, for the first prize in-calf heifer Lynderg Tinsel. Sired by Mereside Goldolphin, she is bred from the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Lynderg Fay.

Results from the judging ring:

Championships

Supreme Overall Champion: Michael McKeefry, Eniver Toby. Reserve: Raymond Savage, Aghadolgan Tiger.

Senior Male Champion: Joan Gilliland, Ballyrobin Tigerroll. Reserve: Trevor Shields, Glenmarshal Theo.

Intermediate Male Champion: Michael McKeefry, Eniver Toby. Reserve: John O’Kane and Sons, Gleneagle Thunder.

Junior Male Champion: Raymond Savage, Aghadolgan Tiger. Reserve: Victor and Stephen Keys, Ashview Unique.

Female Champion: John O’Kane and Sons, Gleneagle Uptowngirl. Reserve: M Loughran, Millgate Ulady.

Classes

Class 1, Senior Bull – 1, Joan Gilliland, Ballyrobin Tigerroll by Gunnerfleet Lion.

Class 2, Senior Bull – 1, Trevor Shields, Glenmarshal Theo by Carrickmore Maximum; 2, Ian Davidson, Ballyrickard Titan by Goldies Comet; 3, M and J McPolin, Newhillfarm Tinder by Mereside Godolphin; 4, Ian Davidson, Ballyrickard Tipsy by Plumtree Fantastic.

Class 3, Intermediate Bull – 1, John O’Kane and Sons, Gleneagle Thunder by Pabo Peredur; 2, M and J McPolin, Newhillfarm Thor by Foxhillfarm Jasper; 3, Jim Quail, Lynderg Titanic by Lynderg Dimitri; 4, Henry Savage and Sons, Trueman Thinlizzy by Ampertaine Elgin.

Class 4, Intermediate Bull – 1, J and J Aiken, Carnew Turbo by Whinfellpark Lomu; 2, J and J Aiken, Carnew Topnotch by Westpit Omaha; 3, J Wilson, Lealies Troublemaker by Wilodge Cerberus; 4, K Magee, Bobbys Tomdickharry by Ampertaine Elgin.

Class 5 – Intermediate Bull – 1, M McKeefry, Eniver Toby by Ampertaine Majestic; 2, Quinn Bros, Killydun Titan, Mereside Lorenzo; 3, Joan Gilliland, Ballyrobin Topnotch by Ballyrobin Joop; 4, Trevor Shields, Glenmarshal TJ by Goldies Jackpot.

Class 6 – Junior Bull – 1, RAG Savage, Aghadolgan Tiger by Lowerffrydd Empire; 2, DG Green, Derriaghy Tommy by Haltcliffe Vermount; 3, Mel and Diane Lucas, Lukeroyal Tonto by Barrons Major; 4, Dermot McCusker, Kilclass Tombull by Woodview Fidele.

Class 7 – Junior Bull – 1, Derek and David Campbell, Mossbrook Uno by Plumtree Fantastic; 2, Derek and David Campbell, Mossbrook Upright; 3, Ruairi McCloskey, Owenbeg Underwriter by Ampertaine Elgin; 4, Quinn Bros, Killydun Ultimate by Ampertaine Elgin.

Class 8 – Junior Bull – 1, Victor and Stephen Keys, Ashview Unique by Norman Ely; 2, Henry Savage and Sons, Trueman Upbeat by Sympa; 3, Ian Davidson, Ballyrickard Uok by Elderberry Galahad.

Class 9 – Female – 1, Jim Quail, Lynderg Tinsel by Mereside Godolphin.

Class 10 – Female – 1, John O’Kane and Sons, Gleneagle Uptowngirl by Whinfellpark Lomu; 2, M Loughran, Millgate Ulady by Carrowreagh Navigator; 3, M Loughran, Millgate Urock by Kilcor Sylvester.