Maximus tops Hereford sale at Dungannon Mart
Alan McFadden made the headlines with his top selling bull at Monday's Elite Breeders sale in Dungannon.
Having made his sale debut at this event in 2016 with one of the top prices Alan was back with a full brother to last year’s entry to go one better by securing the day’s top bid of 2,500 guineas.
J D 1 Maximus is sired by top Australian sire Wirruna Daffy who is one of the top performers in the Hereford breed in terms of calving ease and carcass quality.
Maximus was much admired in the pre-sale parade for his style and presence and attracted keen interest when he came to the sale ring.
Following closely behind Maximus and selling for 2,400 guineas was Graceland 1 Mack presented by Robin and James Irvine from Whitecross.
Mack is the first bull to be offered from Fisher 1 Jubilee, senior sire with the Graceland herd and he impressed onlookers with his power and scale.
The Elite breeders again invited students from Greenmount college to the event and following a short presentation on bull selection they were invited to put their judging skills to the test.
Students closely scrutinised the bulls in the pre -sale parade. They considered the performance figures and estimated breeding values printed in the catalogue and the health status of the animals on offer before making their selections.
The winner – the student whose selections correlated most closely with the prices paid in the sale – was Matthew Donaghy from Camlough in Co Armagh.
The next event on the Elite Breeders calendar will be the spring sale – scheduled for Monday 3rd April and again to be held in the Dungannon mart.
A good entry of useful young bulls is anticipated but this event will also feature a unique offering of quality females suitable for new or expanding pedigree herds.