All roads led to Roscommon Mart on Saturday 23 March for the Irish Simmental Cattle Society premier show and sale. The pre-sale show judging fell at the hands of Fermanagh breeder, Keith Nelson, of the Scribby Farms pedigree herd in Rosslea.
Top honours in the junior and senior sections both fell in the hands of young up-and-coming breeders from the west of Ireland, Jamie Reape and Ethan Watters.
In the senior section, the championship title was awarded to Jamie and Michael Reape from Bonniconlon, Co Mayo, for their September 2022-born bull, Ballycarra Porter ET.
A son of Curaheen Warrior, Porter needed no introduction with Carnkern Titan, Hillcrest Champion, Raceview King and Gretnahouse Super Sonic all building his pedigree.
The Reape family reaped the success of Porter throughout the 2023 summer show season, which culminated in the 18-month-old bull topping this year’s spring premier at €7,000.
The junior championship at Saturday’s show and sale saw Ethan and Gerard Waters from Grange, Co Sligo, take the plaudits with their December 2022-born bull, Rahugh Phoenix.
Phoenix was sired by the €12,500 Lissadell Mr Mullarkey VIP and was bred from a Curaheen Apostle dam.
Boasting another impressive sire stack including Dermotstown Delboy, Kilbride Farm Newry and Milnafua Graduate, the hammer fell for the young champion at €4,200. The second highest price of the day came when November 2022-born Kilkitt Powerhouse was purchased for €5,800.
Bred by Sean Brady from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, the Curaheen Gunshot son was bred from a Clonagh Frosty King cow and was once again extremely well bred with Hillcrest Champion, Bawny T-Rex and Cairnview Snazzy all building his pedigree.
The Brady family continued their success in the sales ring with their February 2023-born bull, Kilkitt Rocky P, that sold for the next highest price of €4,800.
Sired by Auroch Deuter out of Kilkitt Keep Er Lit cow, the 13-month-old bull boasted a massive €149 on replacement and €114 on terminal.
There were two bulls to achieve €4,500 at Saturday’s sale, both of which came from the Co Laois-based husband-and-wife duo, Garreth and Lyndsey Behan.
Up first was Lyndsey’s Jennalyn Pioneer sired by Manor Park Hansome and next was Garreth’s reserve senior champion, Clonagh Prodigy, who was also sired by Manor Park Hansome.
The bulls on offer met a 55% clearance rate that averaged €4,230, which was up €20 on the same sale last year.
Heifer trade
The heifer entries were complemented by a draft consignment of five heifers from the Breezy Hill Herd of Aonghus Foley from Kilmona, Co Cork.
The heifers topped at €4,700 for Breezy-Hill Natalie, a March 2021-born in-calf heifer sired by Curaheen Tyson and bred from a Clonagh Direct Debit dam boasting five stars on both indexes.
Breezy Hill Razmataz was up next and, this time, the March 2023-born heifer was sired by Glebefarm Tyson. She sold with another double five-star rating for €4,100.
The reserve female champion secured the next highest price in the female section when the hammer fell for Liam Connell’s Glynwood Roxane at €3,700.
The February 2023-born heifer was sired by Dermotstown Delboy and he was bred from a Seepa Fionna dam.
The female lots saw a 95% clearance rate with an average sale price of €3,000, up €300 on the 2023 spring premier.
Next sale
The Irish Simmental Cattle Society will hold its annual Tullamore Spring show and sale on Friday 26 April at 7pm.