Charolais flying trade reaches 7500gns
Buyers of quality cattle were out in force at the Northern Ireland Charolais Club’s autumn show and sale of bulls in Dungannon Farmers Mart in November 2007 and the furious bidding highlighted the fact that the quality they required was at this event.
Topping the bill was John Erskine’s, Dartonhall Brandy which realised 7500 gns and was knocked down to a consortium of three buyers – Sean McGovern, Martin Donaghy and Gregory Donnelly, who earlier this year won the Royal Highland Show with the sire of this bull.
The conformation and turn out of this June 06 superior bull made him a major attraction at the event and judge, John McMordie awarded him the reserve supreme championship title. He also has a wealth of breeding behind him, with his sire, Ashleigh Victor,
a Doonally New son, having been junior champion at the Irish National show at Tullamore and supreme champion at the Premier show and sale in Tullamore before being purchased by John Erskine. John has a number of quality progeny from this sire and sold him on to the Co.Tyrone consortium who showed him at the Royal Highland where he took the breed championship.
Dartonhall Brandy’s dam is the very famous Greaghglass Josephine which John Erskine purchased in France and which has bred three other champions including Brandy’s maternal grand sire, Jupiter.
Another well bred bull which caught the attention of a number of buyers when he entered the show ring was Cloonmore Bernard, a Prince son, which carried a second prize rosette and was exhibited by Gordon Cutler, Enniskillen. This April 06 son attracted keen bidding and was eventually knocked down to Joe Connon, Ballymena for 5600gns.
Robert Henry Sinnamon from Pomeroy exhibited Aughafad Bigben , a May 05 Meillard grandson by Roundhill Rocky and out of an Oldstone Egbert dam, which again attracted a lot of interest and was eventually purchased by McCabe Brothers of Downpatrick who run a very successful suckler cow enterprise and always buy top quality bulls at the Charolais Club sales. The price for this lot was 4200gns.
Next in the price line up was the supreme champion, Clooncommon Brendan a Doonally New son, out of an Indurain daughter which was exhibited by Victor Bothwell and Gordon Cutler, Enniskillen and sold to Eric Lindsay of Strabane for 4000gns.
In total the 41 bulls sold averaged £2246 with eight lots selling at 3000 gns and over and 21 lots selling in excess of 1500 gns.
Steve Nesbitt, chairman of the British Charolais Society and David Benson, Chief Executive, travelled over to Dungannon for the sale and were delighted with the trade. The current difficulties in the beef sector and the depressing results from the Red Meat Task Force in Northern Ireland did not deter the purchasers at the Charolais sale. David Benson explained “ When the sector is in difficulty it is important that the commercial beef producer provides exactly what the market requires and what he can produce economically. These people know that they need a Charolais sire for growth and conformation and they are ensuring that they will be the survivors by going for quality sires.”
John McGrath, chairman of the NI Charolais Club congratulated the exhibitors on such a quality turnout which attracted record trade. He pointed out that the current demand for Charolais animals for the export trade had also encouraged the trade for Charolais sires. John went on to thank Danny and Stephen McKay, DSB Developments from Ballymena for their generous sponsorship of the event and John McMordie who had the unenviable task of judging the exhibits and did it most professionally.
7500 gns J Erskine, Killylea to Martin Donaghy, Sean McGovern & Gregory Donnelly, Dartonhall Brandy (Ashleigh Victor ET)
5600 gns G Cutler, Enniskillen to Joe Connon, Ballymena, Cloonmore Bernard (Prince)
4200 gns R H Sinammon, Pomeroy to McCabe Bros, Downpatrick, Aughafad Bigben (Roundhill Rocky ET)
4000 gns Victor Bothwell & Gordon Cutler, Enniskillen to Eric Lindsay, Strabane, Clooncommmon Brendan (Doonally New)