The Irish Simmental Cattle Society held its Premier Spring Sale in Roscommon on March 11, where bulls made an average price of €3,800.
Selling to a clearance rate of 89%, the average price received by sellers was up compared with the corresponding sale in 2016.
Clonagh Go Go Dancer, the Senior Champion of the sale, topped the day’s trading at a price of €8,700.
The September 2015-born bull is sired by Kilbride Farm Dragoon and was sold by Garrett Behan from Co. Laois. The bull was purchased by R&M Hamilton from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Source: Irish Simmental Cattle Society
A Curaheen Dickens son, Towerhill Happy Harry, achieved the next best price on the day and was sold by the Aherne Family from Cappamore, Co. Limerick.
The March 2016-born bull was purchased by the Woods Family for €8,000.
Exhibited by Nigel Hogan, Bennykerry, Co. Carlow, Rathnashan Hunzo was crowned the Junior Champion on the day.
The Auroch Bullet P son was purchased by Padraig Fegan, a Co. Westmeath suckler farmer, for €6,400.
The Reserve Senior Champion, Dermody Gus, was exhibited by Noel Jagoe, Drinagh, Co. Cork and sold for €3,000.
The Junior Reserve, Rathlee Hunk, exhibited by Gerry Lenehan, Rathlee, Easkey, Co. Sligo fetched €2,300.
The National Cattle Breeding Centre added to its Simmental collection with the purchase of Kickhams Handsome from Michael Keating, Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary.
The bull, sired by Curaheen Wakleman, was purchased for €5,200.
Female average down
A number of pedigree Simmental heifers were also on offer on the day, but the average price of €2,460 was down by €500 on the corresponding sale in 2016.
The Overall Champion title went to Shiloh-Farm Glamorous Lady, exhibited by the Murray Family, Parkwood, Moate, Co. Westmeath.
This April 2015-born heifer is sired by Delfur Decider and is in-calf to Samark Superman. She was purchased by JJ and JM Saunders, Newcastle for €2,900.
Suirville Grace, sold by Killian Farrell, Golden, Co. Tipperary, topped the heifer sale at €3,600.
The November 2015-born heifer is a daughter of Kilbride Farm Dragoon – also the sire of the Senior Champion Bull on the day.
The Reserve Champion, Mount Heidi, was exhibited by Joe Kelly, Ballynacally, Co. Clare and sold for €2,600.
The January 2016-born Delfur Decider daughter is out of a Glebefarm Tyson dam, Mount Carol, and joins the Atlow Pedigree herd of David Donnelly, Derbyshire.
The next Simmental sale will take place in Tullamore on Friday evening, April 7.
