Week two of the Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society's commercial cattle show and sale - or the 'Carrick Winter Fair' as it is better known as - kicked off yesterday (Sunday, November 24).

Week one took place on Monday, November 17, and featured senior cattle and weanling bulls, but it is the weanling heifer show and sale that has become a huge attraction in recent years to livestock enthusiasts from across Ireland and further afield.

The showing of the almost 400-head of catalogued commercial weanling heifers took place at the venue yesterday, while selling of the heifers kicked off this morning (Monday, November 24) at 10:00am.

In recent years, the event has drawn huge numbers of young people with an interest in commercial cattle in particular.

There was some impressive prize funds up for grabs at yesterday's show, including:

The €2,000 Dovea Genetics-Sired Calf Bonanza;
Elite Pedigree Genetics Commercial Calf Championship;
€2,500 Progressive Genetics and Munster Bovine Future Champions Calf Extravaganza.

Winning the €2,000 Dovea Genetics-Sired Calf Bonanza was Lot 332, a Claddagh McCabe (LM6529) sired Limousin heifer from a Du Grand Bon Dieu (BB2247) dam owned by Frank Glynn from Dunmore, Co. Galway.

Taking first in the Elite Pedigree Genetics Commercial Calf Championship was Lot 272, a Trueman Idol-sired heifer owned by Derrick Forde from Co. Galway. This heifer sold this morning for €23,000.

Her dam is Corrandulla Nicole, and the hybrid heifer comes from the same bloodlines as the 2024 Carrick Winter Fair €30,000 sale topper.

Winning the €2,500 Progressive Genetics and Munster Bovine Future Champions Calf Extravaganza was lot 411, a Tropique-sired Belgian Blue heifer owned by Joe Davis from Williamstown, Co. Galway.

Selling of the weanling heifers is currently underway and is expected to continue well into the evening.

It remains to be seen if last year's top price of €30,000 will be matched or surpassed.