The annual Elite Commercial Haltered Cattle Show and Sale took place at Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart, Co. Donegal on Friday and Saturday (November 6-7).

The show took place on the Friday, which saw 229 cattle go under the hammer.

Speaking to Agriland after the sale, mart manager Brian Crawford said that "prices were generally not as dear as other years", but noted that the best cattle were still "very well sold".

The top price of the sale was claimed by a 'Trueman Idol', a sired heifer calf out of a purebred Belgian Blue cow.

The October-2025-born heifer, owned by Liam and Katie Dolan from Co. Donegal, sold for €12,800.

Second top price went to a Belgian Blue heifer from Rodney McLaughlin from Co. Donegal, which sold for €10,800.

Out of the 229 cattle on sale, there was a 90% clearance rate. A total of 52 cattle were sold to customers from Northern Ireland.

"The Northern Ireland demand is really driving the market," the mart manager said after the sale.

The overall champion was a Limousin-cross heifer born in February 2026 and owned by Martin McLaughlin.

The heifer, weighing 418kg, sold for €7,100.

Speaking about the cattle on offer, Crawford said: "The quality and standard has stepped up again this year" in a sale that saw trade "back very slightly".

Samples of prices from the sale:

A 282kg Charolais crossed bull, born in June 2026, sold for €3,900;
A Belgian Blue heifer, sired by 'Priceless' and out of a pedigree Simmental cow, sold for €5,000;
A Charolais heifer out of ROS Alo cow sired by Furey Action, sold for €7,000;
A Limousin-cross heifer weighing 830kg sold for €6,400.

After the sale, the mart manager said that "Limousin cross and Blue heifers" continue to be the "sought" after breeds, with these animals claiming top honours in the sale.