March 9, 2020 Commercial demand drives price increase at Dungannon

Averages: 33 bulls £3,465, 11 heifers £2,142.95, Royaldowns Draft: three cow and calves £2,205.00.
Auctioneers: Dungannon Farmers Mart
Sponsor: Danske Bank
Judge: Martin Donaghy, Dungannon, Co Tyrone

The market was packed to the rafters for the Charolais sale at Dungannon on Friday 6 March, where bidding peaked at 6,200gns and 33 bulls sold to average £3,465.00 up £86.00 on last year. The sale saw 85% of the bulls forward finding new homes, an increase of 19% from 2019, most of which were purchased by the commercial market.

The day’s top seller at 6,200gns was the pre-show junior champion who also went on the receive the reserve supreme and reserve male championship accolades. Bred and exhibited by Sean McGovern, Clogher, Co Tyrone, Ratoary Ourboy is a 16 month-old by the Royal Welsh show reserve junior champion Montgomery Ianto, and his dam Clooncullane Chloe goes back to the French-bred Mozart. He was purchased by R Pedlow, Lurgan, Co Armagh.

The supreme and senior male champion was next in the trade stakes at 4,900gns. Drumlegagh Odin, who is bred out of the Deeleview Classick-sired Deeleview Ingrid and is by Tweeddale Lookout, a double Q AI bull increasing in popularity having added over 100 sons and daughters into the national herd. John, Ivan & Ryan Elliot, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, were his consigners and the aforementioned R Pedlow, was the purchaser of this August 2018-born lad.

Will Short, Beragh, Co Tyrone, was the vendor behind the next top selling lot. Woodpark Orion, an 18 month-old who stood second in his class at the pre-sale show, was knocked down sold to Trevor Butler, Ballycastle, Co Antrim, in a 4,300gns deal. The sire here is Invictus, while Orion’s dam Woodpark Leanne goes back to the Southern Irish-born Deeside Gulliver who has bred well for the Woodpark herd, producing over 100 progeny to date.

Just behind at 4,200gns was a yellow ticket winner and the first lot through the ring. From David and John Connolly, Ballynahinch, Co Down, Brigadoon Orbit, an April 2018-born bull sired by the Royal Ulster supreme champion Brampton Petition, is out of Brigadoon Leona, herself no stranger to the show ring having picked up the reserve intermediate heifer champion title at the Minsups final in 2016. She in turn is sired by Royal Capitan. Colin Maxwell, Clough, Co Down, was the winning bidder.

Three bulls were knocked down at 4,000gns and the first was Innisrush Osmond, a class winner from William Whyte, Portglenone, Co Antrim. T Aiken, Coleraine, Co Derry, was the man with his hand in the air as the hammer came down on the 18 month-old Osmond, whose sire is the Black Isle show champion Lochend Apache. His dam Edenhurst Ingrid, who was purchased at Peter Vasey’s dispersal sale in 2016 goes back to the 10,000gns Carlisle supreme champion Ratoary Ferguson.

The reserve junior male champion was the next 4,000gns selling lot. The 17 month-old Drumlone Orlando who caught the eye of winning bidder A Caldwell, Killen, Co Tyrone, is bred out of the Oldstone Egbert daughter Drumlone Edwina and sired by Ashleigh Admiral. Kenneth Veitch, Lisbellaw, Co Fermanagh, was the consigner.

Matching the 4,000gns price tag was Corrick Orion, who was placed second in class at the morning’s show and is a full brother to last year’s champion Corrick Napoleon. Cecil and Scott McIlwaine, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, were the exhibitors of this 14 month-old lot, who was purchased by M Gillespie, Killylea, Co Armagh. His sire the 25,000gns Inverlochy Ferdie was a Stirling intermediate champion while his dam Corrick Hazel goes back the 9,000gns Balmoral supreme champion Goldies Carnival.

Four bulls then made 3,800gns a piece, the first seeing Will Short, who sold a total of four bulls to average £3,648.75, back in the money. His 3,800gns seller was the reserve senior male champion Woodpark Ohio, a May 2018-born son of the aforementioned Deeside Gulliver and the Welsh-born Maerdy Indoor, a Maerdy Dynamite daughter who was snapped up by D Donnelly, Sixmilecross, Co Tyrone.

The second to sell at 3,800gns was Tanhill Obi, a 21 month-old by Whitecliffe James and out of the Dungannon supreme champion Fymore Glory-sired Tanhill Lorna. He stood second in his class in the morning for breeder and exhibitor Andrew Armstrong, Dromore, Co Tyrone, and goes on to work in Armagh for new owner F Oliver.

Also hitting the 3,800gns price tag was Paddy and Valerie McDonald’s Glencoe Oak from Killeavy, Co Down. A blue ticket winner who has already proven to have worked at home, he is bred out of Glencoe Jewel, a daughter of the 16,000gns Stirling junior champion Clyth Diplomat and sired by the 13,000gns Stirling reserve junior champion Glencoe Galliant. Frank King, Newry, Co Down, was the winning bidder of this 17 month-old lad.

The next 3,800gns lot, the 15 month-old Royaldowns Oryan, was purchased by S Watterson, Cookstown, Co Tyrone and offered for sale by Mervyn McKeown, Crossgar, Co Down. The 10,000gns Stirling reserve junior champion Goldies Icon is the sire here and his dam Royaldowns Jenna is a daughter of the 25,000gns Stirling supreme champion Inverlochy Ferdie.

The other making this money was the November 2018-born Brogher Owen when he was knocked down sold to Stephen Heenan, Clough, Co Down. Also a son of Goldies Icon, but this time out of the Fintona class winner Brogher Gigi, who goes back to the 55,000gns Balmoral interbreed champion Sportsmans Columbo, he was bred and exhibited by Trevor Phair, Bellanaleck, Co Fermanagh, who also went on to sell two more for a total average of £3,780.

Mr Phair’s next highest priced lot at 3,600gns was Brogher Original who had also earned him a yellow ticket earlier in the day. Another November 2018-born lad, this time sired by the 26,000gns Balbithan Vespasian and out of Brogher Jebella, a Blelack Digger daughter, was purchased by R and S Chesney, Kircubbin, Co Down.

Next up Tullygarley Outlook was knocked down at 3,500gns and taken home by David McFarland, Beragh, Co Tyrone. An entry from John Currie, Ballymena, Co Antrim, and by the popular AI sire Davally Illusion who has added almost 400 progeny to the National herd book, the 18 month-old and yellow ticket winner Outlook is out of the Blelack Digger-sired Tullygarley Iflo.

The highest price female of the sale was George Nelson’s female champion from Drumacritten, Co Fermanagh. Selling at 3,200gns to D McAlonan, Dunloy, Co Antrim, the 17 month-old Drumacritten Oaklee is another by the aforementioned Goldies Icon and her dam Drumacritten Duchess is by the 15,000gns Carlisle supreme champion Burradon Talisman.

At 3,000gns, the reserve female champion Derryharney Oowho was next in the trade stakes. An October 2018-born daughter of the 18,000gns Derryharney Outstanding and Derryharney Lizzy who goes back to the popular AI Sire Blelack Digger, she was offered for sale by Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh, Crummy, Co Fermanagh, and purchased by an undisclosed bidder.

Another entry from Kenneth Veitch was the other high-priced female lot. Drumlone Ola who stood third in her class at the pre-sale show caught the eye of Kevin Ferguson, Garrison, Co Fermanagh. The July 2018-born Ola is sired by the 18,000gns Perth intermediate champion Fury Action and out of Gallaway Heidi, a daughter of the French-bred Nippur.

Topping the lots in the draft sale from Mervin McKeown’s Royaldowns herd, was a first calving heifer along with her twin calves. The heifer Royaldowns Margo is a three year-old daughter of the 18,000gns Thrunton Fairfax and Royaldowns Hope who goes back to the above-mentioned Sportsmans Columbo. Her male and female, three month-old twins, are sired by Royaldowns Hemingway Deras.