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There was a strong demand for Simmental females, with prices reaching a ceiling of 8,000gns, at the fourth joint production sale from the noted Ballinalare Farm and Ranfurly herds.
The sale, which took place at Rathfriland Farmers Mart in Co Down, attracted strong interest from the UK mainland and southern Ireland, with six lots going for export.
Ballinalare Farm’s two heifers with calves at foot averaged £3,412, with their 19 in-calf and maiden heifers selling for an average of £2,990.
Ranfurly’s offering of two in-calf heifers averaged £4,515, while their 12 maiden heifers averaged £4,646.
Balmoral champion
Star of the catalogue was the multi-awardwinning show heifer Ballinalare Farm Nikita, a February 2022 Saltire Impressive daughter bred from Ballinalare Farm Ilyssa.
She has enjoyed overwhelming success in the showring, winning Balmoral Show and the national show supreme champion two years in succession, as well as a number of interbreed honours.
Bidding reached 10,000gns, which fell short of the Wilson family’s expectations and she returned home unsold.
Leading the trade at 8,000gns was the much-admired show heifer Ranfurly Weikel 52nd from David and Jonny Hazelton’s 20-cow herd at Dungannon, Co Tyrone.
This 15-month-old heifer was sired by the homebred Auchorachan ACDC son Ranfurly Limelight, which was reserve intermediate champion at Stirling in October 2022 and sold for 16,000gns.
Her dam Ranfurly Weikel 18th is by Raceview King and was female and reserve supreme champion at the NI Simmental Club’s national show in 2019.
Ranfurly Weikel 52nd is bred from three generations of EX cows. She was junior champion at the Four Breeds Calf Show in 2023; reserve junior champion at Balmoral in May 2024 and a first-prizewinner at the national show, held in Antrim.
This heifer came under the hammer of guest auctioneer David Lowry, selling to John Warnock’s Templefyn Herd based at Carrowdore, Co Down.
Two heifers shared the day’s second-highest bid of 6,000gns. First to sell was the January 2022 born in-calf heifer Ranfurly Weikel 47th.
Sired by Samark Superman, she was bred from the Raceview King daughter Ranfurly Weikel 33rd VG87, a maternal sister to Auchorachan ACDC and the 15,000gns Ranfurly Formula One, which was supreme champion at Stirling in October 2015.
In-calf to Clonagh Tiger Gallant and due in February 2025, she sold to the Bowhill Herd, owned by David Smith and Rachael Reid from Low Bowhill Farm, Newmiln, Ayrshire.
Also selling at 6,000gns was the November 2022-born Ranfurly Stella 15th ET, a Woodhall Ferrari daughter, bred from Raceview Fancywinty 652 ET EX93. She sold to pedigree breeder John Byrne from Ballinaskeagh, Banbridge.
Ballinalare Farm Trade
Leading Joe Wilson’s Ballinalare Farm line-up at 4,900gns was the January 2023-born Ballinalare Farm Polly.
Sired by the Carnkern Titan son Curaheen Wakeman, she is out of Ballinalare Farm Ladybird, which is a daughter of the herd’s 10,000gns stock bull Denizes Fantastic. Buyers were Messrs P and R Murtagh from Newry.
Next best at 4,600gns and also selling to John Byrne from Banbridge was the April 2023-born Ranfurly Beauty 18th.
This one is by the Team Celtic son Ranfurly Klinker, which sold privately to the Boyerstown herd in southern Ireland and is widely available through AI. Her dam, Ranfurly Beauty 10th EX90, is a Samark Superman daughter bred from Ranfurly Beauty 8th ET.
The October 2022-born Ranfurly Kleeb 47th sold for 4,300gns to the Dodd family - William, Jane, Jamie and Lewis - for their Craigy Herd at Saintfield. Sired by Curaheen Bandit, she is bred from the Whitemire King Kong daughter Ranfurly Kleeb 32nd EX92.
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