Simmental breeders Joe and Alan Wilson won the intermediate and supreme overall championships at this week’s breed society sale in Stirling, topping the sale at 28,000gns.
The Northern Irish breeders set a new record for the Rathfriland-based herd in Co. Down, and surpassed the previous record of 25,000gns for a Simmental bull bred in Northern Ireland.
The father-and-son duo run two herds – Ballinalare Farm and Bannhill Farm – which together total 60 pedigree Simmental cows.
Scottish judge Colin Fordyce, a herd manager at Strathisla Farms in Perthshire, said Masterpiece, the 20-month-old bull from Bannhill Farm, was “perfect”.
Fordyce said the event was “a great show” that featured plenty of “growthy Simmental bulls with a good conformation, suitable for the commercial market”.
“The supreme overall champion is a modern bull with great ring presence, and a perfect example of the breed,” he said.
“He is well-grown, displays great length, a superb backend, and boasts tremendous locomotion.”
The Wilson’s bull was sired by the 12,000gns Kilbride Farm Bantry, who is a son of the 15,000gns Cairnview Snazzy – sire and grandsire of multiple Stirling champions.
The Wilsons have previously had a reserve supreme Stirling champion, and sold bulls to a top of 10,000gns twice. This time last year Ballinalare Farm Legacy, a full brother to Masterpiece, sold at Stirling for 10,000gns.
Ballinalare Farm Simmental Masterpiece made his showring debut at Stirling at the weekend. He made the trip to Scotland along with herd mate, Ballinalare Farm Mack, who stood second in his class and came under the hammer at 8,500gns.