The Premier Autumn Hereford Show & Sale was held last Saturday 16^th October in GVM Tullamore. The show was a nice addition after a long 18 months with no shows being permitted and a chance to allow breeders to get back to showcase their breeding ahead of the sale. Taking on the task of judging the first Hereford show connected to a sale since 2019 was Mr. Michael Molloy of Moyclare Herefords, Offaly. The sale was a flyer with the average sale price resting at €3000 for the bulls and 22 out of the 30 head exhibited moving onto greener pastures. Many thanks are extended to Irish Hereford Prime who supported the sale as usual by awarding €250 to the buyers of each bull sold for €3000 & over.

Top of the sale was the earlier crowned Male Champion; Corlismore Caesar 092, bred by Sean & Gary McKiernan of Corlismore Herefords, Cavan. This Five Star Terminal bull also has five stars for carcase weight and carcase conformation. He was sired by Allowdale Rory 594 & bred from a Cill Cormaic Leo dam. Caesar sold to a fellow breeder in Donegal for €5300.

With a very close second top price was Beaghmore Hans who sold to a Wexford breeder for €5000. Hans was bred by Ms. Leila McCabe of Beaghmore Herefords. He has a Five Star replacement index rating, five stars for milk and four stars for calving interval. Hans was sired by Gageboro Morgan and bred from a Bowmont Storm Dam.

There was great success for Hugh P. Murray of Newland Herefords, Westmeath with Newland Denzel on his second day out this year. The August 2020 born bull was crowned Hereford bull of the year last month at the National Hereford Show 2021. After wowing the judge last month, he went onto win Reserve Male Champion ahead of the sale. Denzel is a Four Star Terminal bull with five stars for carcase conformation. He is sired by Smithston Darby and bred from Newland Val, a Bowmont Storm dam, who won her class in Nenagh as a calf & won in Tullamore the following year as a yearling. Denzel was purchased by a new breeder form Clare for €4000.

Bowmont Herefords also influenced the next top price which was lot 30 – Grianan Vancouver. Bred by Tom & Anselm Fitzgerald of Grianan Herefords, Westmeath – Vancouver was sired by Grianan Parker and bred from a Bowmont Vancouver dam. This four star replacement bull also has four stars for milk & an easy calving figure. He sold to a Kilkenny farmer for €3900.

Niall Daly & John Holloway of Gageboro Herefords, Westmeath kicked off the sale in good fashion with their February 2020 born bull. Uitlander was the first bull into the sales ring and started the sale off with a bang. Sired by a Gageboro Morgan son & bred from a Balleen bonus dam, this four star replacement bull was purchased by a Hereford breeder from Northern Ireland for €3800.

There was great success for John Appelbe of Appel Herefords, Cork. Appel 1 Skywalker, sired by Fabb 1 Northern Star, who is a short gestation & easy calving sire and bred from a Solpoll 1 Lawman dam. This bull has stars across the board rating at Five Star for both Replacement and Terminal index and also has a very good temperament. Skywalker was purchased by a Galway farmer for €3800.

There was success once again for the National Hereford Male Reserve Champion 2021; Rockbrook 1 Dover, who after winning the prestigious title last month in Tullamore, was sold through the ring for €3700 to a breeder from Kerry. Dover has a five star index for both the replacement and the terminal index along with five stars for carcase conformation and a tremendous temperament. Dover was sold by new member; Alan Gibbons of Carrowboy Herefords, Roscommon.

Another bull that sold to a Galway farmer was lot 17 – Rathnollag Prince, bred by Sinead Conry of Rathnollag Herefords, Roscommon. Prince is a full Border bred bull with four stars for terminal index and carcase conformation and already has heifers scanned in calf. Prince fetched €3600 on sale day.

The next lot into the sales ring – lot 18, was Mullaghdoo Frank, bred by Basil Arnold of Mullaghdoo Herefords, Cavan. This April born bull was sired by Gageboro Morgan and has three stars for both replacement and terminal index as well as four stars for milk. Frank was purchased by a breeder from Meath for €3600.

Knockmountagh Tyson, bred by Eamon & John McKiernan of Knockmountagh Herefords, Louth, was purchased by a Monaghan buyer for €3000. Sired by Allowdale Rambo 738 and bred from a Cill Cormaic Kasper daughter; Tyson is a very stylish U-shaped bull. His grandmother Cindy was All-Ireland Female Champion in Tullamore in 2014 at nine months of age. Tyson is a four-star replacement bull with five stars for milk.

Clouncagh Drover also sold for €3000 to a breeder from Laois. Bred by John O’Connor of Clouncagh Herefords, Limerick – Drover is a stylish young bull with a full English Pedigree; bred from Free Town Dancer & sired by Dieulacresse Royalist who is a son of Knockmountagh Marshal. Drover has a four-star Terminal index with five stars for carcase weights.

Females

There was great demand for the Hereford heifers that were up for auction on the day also.

Top priced heifer went for the final lot of the day & the Reserve Female Champion; Appel 1 Skygazer, bred by John Appelbe of Appel Herefords, Cork. Skygazer is bred from an excellent cow & a Solpoll 1 Lawman daughter who was National Hereford Champion 2018 and the new stock bull for the Haven Hereford herd in the UK.

Appel Herefords had a very successful sale all round when they sold their third lot of the day and second heifer; Appel 1 Starlight sold for €2900 to a breeder north of the border. Starlight is also a daughter of Fabb 1 Northern star & bred from a Solpoll 1 Lawman dam. With a five star replacement rate across the board – starlight is bred from one of the best Appel cow families whose mother is the full brother to the current stock bull in Pulham Herefords and a full sister to class winner in Tullamore 2019.

Pike 1 Cindy was also a top attraction as she sold for €3000 to a local Westmeath herd. Bred by John Farrell of Boyanna & Pike Herefords, Westmeath, Cindy was sired by Kilsunny Goliath and bred from a Glaslough Esquire daughter. Cindy has a four-star rating for carcase weight, conformation and milk.

The Premier sale was also the second successful day out for Laphoil Joy, who previously won the yearling heifer class in the National Hereford Show last month. Bred by John Boyd Jnr of Laphoil Herefords, Leitrim – Joy is sired by Kilsunny Goliath and bred from a Kye Rodge daughter. Joy was crowned Female Champion of the day before being purchased by a breeder from the North of Ireland for €2800.

Congratulations to all buyers and sellers on a very successful sale. Many thanks to the steward; Ms. Lesley Sandes, the judge; Mr. Michael Molloy, the auctioneer; Mr. Richie Ryan, the photographer; Ms. Shanon Kinahan, the staff of GVM Tullamore and Irish Hereford Prime.