The annual Irish Hereford Breed Society (IHBS) show and sale was held in Cork Co-op mart in Bandon on Wednesday, April 17.
There were 21 bulls presented for sale following 28 being catalogued for entry. There was a 60% clearance on the day, and the top price from the sale was €4,400 with the average price finishing at €3,300.
The judge on the day was, as is tradition, the IHBS president John Boddy from Co. Leitrim.
John tapped out Lot 12 as his choice of champion on the day. Skehanore Joey owned by Tom and Paddy Hickey from Ballydehob, Co. Cork, was crowned champion by the judge.
This July 2022-born bull, is a son of Free Town Peerless and bred from a Kingsgrove Storm second dam.
Joey has five stars for the Terminal Index, an easy calving figure of 2% on beef cows, +9.9kg for carcass weight, €102 Dairy Beef Index (DBI) and 4% for dairy cow calving. Joey went on to sell for the second-top price of €4,300.
John’s choice of reserve champion was the youngest bull in the sale. Droumdaniel Christopher by Gene Lynch from Bantry, Co. Cork.
Christopher is a December 2022-born bull who was sired by Allowdale Kingpin 817 and bred from an Allowdale Exceller dam – Droumdaniel Delia 12th.
Christopher has four stars for the Replacement Index, five stars for the Terminal Index and +18.8kg for carcass weight.
The top-priced lot was lot 7 Hazel Grovepoll 1 Indiana by Dermot Whelton, Leap, Co. Cork, who was purchased for €4,400.
Indiana is a May 2022 bull who is sired by Hazel Grove Ginger, a Gageboro Morgan son and bred from a Panmure 1 Henry dam.
This Heterozygous polled bull has four stars for both the replacement and the terminal index and a DBI value of €104.
The West Cork Hereford Branch raffle was won by Philip Daunt who selected Appel 1 Justice as his stock bull for the season.
The IHBS expressed its thanks to all who purchased tickets for the raffle and also to Irish Hereford Prime who supported the sale by giving back €200 to the buyer of any bull purchased for €3,200 and over, but who also gave €100 back to the buyer of any bull who purchased a ticket for the raffle.
The Hickey family sold a further two lots in the sale also. Lot 23 Skehanore Jackpot was sold for €3,300.
Another Free Town Peerless son, Jackpot is bred from an Allowdale Exceller dam. Jackpot has four stars for the Terminal Index and is +11.2kg for carcass weight- nearly double the breed average.
Another Free Town Peerless son, Skehanore Jubilant, was also sold on the day for €3,300, leaving the Hickey family returning to Ballydehob with an empty trailer.
Jubilant is bred from a Balleen Plomber dam and has four stars for the Replacement Index and five stars for the Terminal Index, along with an easy calving figure of 3.7% for dairy cow calving.
There were three bulls sold on the day for €3,200 including:
- Lot 16 Clydapoll 1 Bert bred by John Cronin, Mallow. Bert was born in August 2022, sired by Fisher 1 Profile and bred from a Fabb 1 Northern Star dam. This homozygous polled bull has a page of stars including five stars for both the Replacement and Terminal index along with a DBI value of €134 and an easy calving figure of 3.2%;
- The Roycroft family sold three bulls on the day also. Two Springvilla bulls were sold for €3,200 each. Lot 19 Springvilla Lester 1114, born in September 2022, was sired by Drumboy Jamie and bred from a Knockmountagh Super 2 dam;
- Lot 20 Springvillapoll 1 Lewis 1113, born in September 2022 also, was sired by Drumboy Jamie also and bred from a Corlismore Fire 606 dam. This bull has very easy calving figures including 1.7% for beef cow and 4.9% for beef heifer.
The society extended its thanks to the show judge and IHBS president John Boddy, sale auctioneer, staff of Bandon mart, all stewards on the day and Irish Hereford Prime for their continued sponsorship.