Top Charolais bull is sold

The bull in question, Melvin Piper (PICTURED), was purchased earlier in the year as a youngster, from breeder Bertie Kerr, showing lots of potential for the future, but progressed rapidly to become an excellent example of the breed.

Piper exceeded all performance expectations for his new owners the Stubbs and Burleigh families, so much so, that when a leading southern Ireland based AI company approached the duo with an offer they couldn’t refuse, he was sold to his new owners K-Genetics, owned by Kevin McDermott, Donegal.

The July 2019 born son of easy calving sire Whitecliffe James, who himself was sired by the renowned Blelack Digger, leaves Melvin Piper with an impressive calving figure of +3 and milk figure of +6. His dam is sired by Pirate.

Semen is now in keen demand from K-Genetics, with orders from across Ireland and the UK. This is the latest in a long line of successes for the Derryharney Charolais Herd.

Perth and more latterly Stirling Spring and Autumn Bull Sales have left many notable highlights for the 20-cow herd lifting the Reserve Intermediate Championship in 2015 with Derryharney Jumbo before selling for 9,000 gns, followed in February 2017, by the Blelack Digger bred son Derryharney Lionheart selling at 10,000 gns.

However Derryharney Outstanding’s photograph still takes pride of place on the dining room wall having been sold in Perth for 18,000 gns to a leading Welsh pedigree herd. His name still features today in the pedigree of many leading Charolais cattle throughout the UK and Ireland, such was his influence on the breed. Recent home sales of £6,500 for Derryharney Piper and £6,000 for the impressive Goldies Eddy daughter Derryharney Millie have been followed by a solid home trade for stock from this renowned herd.

The herd owners were delighted to win the cow class in the inaugural Fermanagh Pedigree Breeders Group last year with the 10-year-old cow Derryharney Fancy Pants. The aim of the herd in the future is to continue to produce easy calving bulls capable of producing top notch suckled calves for their purchasers and no doubt, Melvin Piper’s name will be popping up in a few of the pedigree certificates of Derryharney progeny in the future.

The Derryharney herd would like to wish K-Genetics the best of luck and every success with their new purchase, Melvin Piper.