It was a great day out for the McKay’s Ampertaine Limousin Herd at the Northern Ireland Limousin Cattle Club’s 50th Anniversary Show and Sale on Saturday (August 20) at Ballymena Livestock Market in Co. Antrim.
The herd secured the top two prices achieved on the day and the highest price ever paid for a bovine animal at Ballymena Livestock Market.
The event featured a show and sale of 37 Limousin animals from Northern Ireland, which is said to be home to some of the finest Limousin herds in Europe.
Judge Craig Ridley of Haltcliffe Limousins, Cumbria, and president of the British Limousin Cattle Society began judging at 11:00a.m. Harrison and Hetherington’s auctioneer James Little got the selling underway at 1:00p.m.
The top-priced heifer was Lot 35: Ampertaine Sherry. This November 2021-born heifer was sired by the prolific Ampertaine Elgin and its dam is Ampertaine Orchid.
Sherry was the youngest heifer the McKays from Maghera, Co. Derry, had at the sale. Her full brother, Ampertaine Romeo, sold in Carlisle in May 2022 for 8,000gns.
There has been a number of famous Limousin bulls from this line, including Ampertaine Brigadier who sold to AI Services.
Ampertaine Sherry has Elgin, Rossignol and Vantastic in her breeding and selling for a price of 22,000gns, she was described as being “sure to breed muscle and milk” and “a terrific young heifer with a great future”. Ampertaine Sherry’s new owner is Owen Miskelly Ballynahinch, Co. Down.
The second-highest price of 20,000gns was secured by Lot 19: Ampertaine Special, also bred by the McKays.
Ampertaine Special was sired by Ampertaine Elgin who sold in Carlisle for 32,000gns. Special’s dam is Ampertaine OneLove who is sired by the 70,000gns Ampertaine Magnum. Ampertaine OneLove was described in the catalogue as “an outstanding female with power, shape and milk” and as being “out of a consistent breeding family”.
The catalogue also noted: “There have been numerous five-figure sons sold out of this line, including the 35,000gns Ampertaine Punch and 10,000gns Ampertaine Lieutenant.”
Special was purchased outside the sale ring at a price of 20,000gns by Craig Ridley (Haltcliffe) and Trevor Shields, Glenmarshall.
The third-highest price went to Lot 11: Jalex Resta, bred by James Alexanders.
Resta was sired by Trueman Natkingcole and her dam is Haltcliffe Hesta and sold for 12,000gns.
Resta was described in the catalogue as “showing muscle and plates from the start”. Resta was class winner and part of the Champion Group of three and Champion
Group of five at Balmoral Show in May.
She stood Champion Limousin and Interbreed Champion at Ballymoney show in June.
Her dam also bred Jalex Notorious who was Male Champion and Reserve Overall Champion at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS), 2018.
Resta’s sire is bred by two Limousin Congress Champions in the form of Trueman Jagger and Trueman Euphonium.
Also securing 12,000gns was Lot 20, Ronick Sopretty, shown by Trevor Shields and bred by R. Dick, Stirling. This April 2021-born heifer was sired by Westpit Nando and her dam was Ronick Maho.
LOT 38: Bernish Tinajodi bred by Kieran McCrory also secured 12,000gns.
This June 2022-born heifer embryo calf was sired by Foxhillfarm Ourbest and its dam was Bernish Jodifortune.
Another notable price went to Neill Martin’s Lot 30 Ashmara Sheba heifer which sold for 11,000gns.
In the bull section, Lot 4: Millgate Speedy bred by Michael Loughran took the top price of 11,000gns.
Two bulls secured 10,000gns. These were Lot 1 Ballyrobin Salvatore from Joan Gilliland and LOT 5: Bernish Sportsman from Kieran McCrory.
