The Irish Limousin Cattle Society premier sale in Roscrea Mart, Co. Tipperary, on Easter Monday, April 1, was one to remember for Oldcastle, Co. Meath breeder William Smith, when he secured the senior champion title and the top price for his entry Milbrook Terence ET.
The first society sale of 2024 had a catalogue of 65 bulls, however 45 of these were presented on the day with all but one finding new homes in what was described by the society as “a very brisk trade”.
The average selling price was €5,739, which is a “testament to the dedication of our breeders and the knowledge of the commercial farmer that Limousin is paying dividends at both marts and factories nationwide”, according to the society.
Tasked with judging the pre-sale show was British Limousin breeder Melanie Alford of the noted Foxhillfarm herd based in Devon. The auctioneer on the day was George Candler.
The judge tapped out the striking Haltcliffe Dancer son Milbrook Terence ET as her senior champion.
Terence is steeped in renowned genetics with his grand-dam, a household name on the show scene – Milbrook Ginger Spice.
His dam is Milbrook Naughtyspice Et, last year’s Supreme Champion at Balmoral Show and a full sister to Wilodge Poshspice – the heifer that set a new world record in Carlisle when she was sold as a 14-month old in 2021 for 250,000gns.
After sustained bidding, the hammer fell at €17,000 for this 18-month-old champion.
The second prize winner was Clontown Tomboy ET that sold for €8,700.
Tomboy was bred in Co. Monaghan by the Treanor family. This bull was born in September 2022 and is a son of Ampertaine Elgin and the Wilodge Vantastic dam Claragh Oracle, also the dam of last October’s Premier show and sale Female Champion – Clontown Stooki. Tomboy boasts five star ratings in many traits.
Lot 38, the Reserve Junior Champion was awarded to Rutland Toby from the herd of Noel Ruthledge, Ballina, Co. Mayo.
Toby is a son of Ampertaine Metric and Rutland Natalie, a Tomschoice Iceberg daughter. Toby came to the ring with an array of five-star ratings. September 2022-born Toby sold for €7,200.
The first bull into the ring was first-prize winner Morhan Theodore from the Quilty, Co. Clare herd of Brian Moroney. Theodore commanded a selling price of €7,000.
23 month old Theodore is a son of Plumtree Fantastic and Mount Scott Marie 2 (Kilskeagh Jisop X Wilodge Cerberus). Theodore’s full brother, Morhan Peter, is a stock sire in the highly-regarded Maraiscote Herd in Scotland, one of his daughter’s was Interbreed Champion at both the Royal Highland and the Great Yorkshire show last year.
Well known Mayo breeder Paul Sykes presented three bulls at the sale, first into the ring was the fourth-prize winning Plumtree Fantastic son Cavelands Tom Boy.
Born in August 2022, Tom Boy’s dam has Bavardage and Mas Du Clo in her lineage. Multi-starred Tom Boy sold for €7,000.
Also hitting €7,000 was second-prize winner Glenford Turbo, from the Wicklow-based herd of Kelly Stephenson.
Turbo has Plumtree Fantastic, Sympa and Rathconville Eugene in his sire stack. Turbo holds five star ratings in terminal index, docility, carcass weight, carcass conformation and daughter calving interval.
Third prize winner Faughill Trigger sold for €6,800, Trigger was bred in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim by Charlie Clancy.
Trigger has Lodge Hamlet, Wilodge Cerberus and Nunuphar in his lineage. Born in December 2022, Trigger has five star ratings in terminal index, carcass weight and carcass conformation.
The Junior Champion title was awarded to Ballyline U-10839 from the herd of Bertie Mannion, Athlone, Co. Roscommon.
U-10839, the youngest bull on offer, is a son of Mereside Godolphin and the Castleview Gazelle daughter Ballyline Maura.
U-10839 has five star ratings in Terminal Index, carcass weight and carcass conformation. The hammer fell at €6,800 for this striking 14-month-old-bull.
The second prize winner Crillaune Tornado sold for €6,500. Tornado was bred by Patrick Kenny from Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
Tornado is a son of Mereside Godolphin and Crillaune Jamelia, a daughter of Ampertaine Elgin. Born in June 2022, this powerful bull has five star ratings in many traits.
Keltic Trojanking, a son of the outcross French sire Hector Gd changed hands for €6,400.
Trojanking was bred by Teleri Thomas of Longwood, Co. Meath. His dam Keltic Elizabeth R is a daughter of Wilodge Vantastic.
Trojanking came to the ring with an array of five star ratings including a Replacement score of €142 and a terminal score of €172. Trojanking took the blue ribbon in his show class.
Taking the plaudits of Reserve Senior Champion was the very impressive Gerrygullinane Tycoon ET from the Ballina, Co. Mayo-based herd of Gerry Walsh.
Tycoon is from a well proven line, his dam the Plumtree Fantastic daughter Missy is also the dam of Gerryguillane Phoneix, while his sire is the renowned Derrygullinane Kingbull. Multi-starred Tycoon sold for €6,200.
William Smith returned to the ring with his third-prize winner Milbrook Terevale ET, a son of Kaprico Eravelle and the Lodge Hamlet daughter Milbrook Prettyspice Et, herself a daughter of the aforementioned Milbrook Ginger Spice.
This September 2022 born bull has five star ratings in Replacement index, Terminal index, Docility, Carcass weight, Carcass conformation and Daughter milk. Terevale was snapped up by a pedigree breeder for €6,000.
The stylish first prize-winner Phillips Trafford also broached the €6,000 mark. Born in November 2022, Trafford is a steeped in home-bred Limousin bull genetics, his sire Phillips Rebel (Ampertaine Elgin X Homebyres Amoot), while his dam Philips Karliona has Ampertaine Foreman and Ironstone Diego in her sire stack.
His grand-dam Fairywater Gabriella stood as Reserve Limousin Champion at the Red Ladies Derby in 2013, following her success she went on the sell for 15,000gns. Trafford was bred in Sligo by Michael Phillips, Gurteen.
Thirteen month old Cavelands Ultan realised €6,000 for his breeder Paul Sykes. Ultan is a son of Plumtree Fantastic and the home-bred Bananier daughter Cavelands Lucy.
Ultan caught the eye of the judge in the show ring where he placed second to the Junior Champion. With five star ratings in almost all traits Ultan was the choice of a Cork based suckling enterprise.
The next Irish Limousin Cattle Society sale will be held in Athenry Mart, Co. Galway on Thursday April 18, 2024.
There are fifty-seven bulls and three heifers catalogued.
The show will kick off at 9.30a.m. and the sale is expected to get underway at 1:00p.m.