The cattle breeding company Cogent topped the market at the auction hosted as part of the recent Redhouse Holsteins’ open day.

A bid of £9,200 secured what is believed to be the highest rated Genomic Total Performance Index (GTPI) heifer calf ever sold at public auction in Europe.

Bred by Alan and David Irwin, owners of Redhouse Holsteins, Redhouse 3107 Golley Rud Zip 2 (ET) has a Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) of £781 and a +3390 GTPI.

She is four months old and fully weaned.

Two younger heifer calves, both sired by the much in demand Sheepster Holstein bull also sold at the auction.

Carnhill Sheepster Maisie with a PLI value of £591, from the Co. Antrim herd of Conor Casey, sold for £3,200.

Meanwhile, Beltonanean Sheepseter Leola with a PLI value of £507, from the Co. Tyrone herd of Richard Charles, made £2,400 in the ring.

Auctioneer Michael Taaffe was in the rostrum.

All proceeds form the auction, which included a range of elite bull semen offerings from Worldwide Sires, were donated to the charity Northern Ireland Air Ambulance.

Tremendous crowds attended the open day, with large groups of visitors arriving from all over Ireland from early in the day.

Alan Irwin described the event as a "total success".

Redhouse Holsteins is located close to the Co. Tyrone village of Benburb.

The herd is home to 170 elite Holstein cows, currently averaging some 14,000L per lactation.

Milk solids are currently averaging 1,100kg per cow.

A number of top daughter groups from the Redhouse herd were on display throughout the day.

Air Ambulance

Air Ambulance is a charity working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the region.

Every single day in Northern Ireland, two individuals find themselves in critical need of the air ambulance service.

The charity’s operational helicopter carries a crew compiling pilot, doctor and paramedic, 365 days of the year operating for 12 hours every day. 

They attend some of the most traumatic medical incidents across the province and are dedicated to delivering the very best possible pre-hospital critical care, both at the scene and whilst transferring the patient to the most appropriate hospital for their specific injuries.

The Air Ambulance service receives tremendous support from Northern Ireland farming and rural communities.

While everyone attending the Redhouse event was more than happy to dig into their pockets, a number of visitors made the point that Northern Ireland’s Stormont Executive should also support Air Ambulance, given the critically important service it provides.