Jagger struts his stuff at last of the Simmental sales
Cavan bull stars at Roscommon Mart, reports Martin Ryan
A COUNTY Cavan herd took home the cream of the rosettes and the prices from the last of the season’s Simmental bull sales which was held at Roscommon Mart on Friday evening.
In the judging ring, where 2018 Simmental Society President, Gordon Salter, stewarded the proceedings, Chris White, show judge, tapped forward the 15-month-old, Bingfield Jagger, for the overall Championsip of the Show, before the award-winner went on to become the price-topper when sold for €3,250 under the hammer of auctioneer, Tom Cox.
Bred and exhibited by Arnold and Martina Hastings at Bingfield Hse, Crossdoney, Co Cavan the bull is headed for the heights of Co Donegal for the well-known herd of Bertie Hewson.
Bred by the sire, Dripsey Eddie Rocket he is out of the dam, Leeherd Eve 233 with Curaheen genes on her sire side. The champion ticked a lot of boxes on the chart as a five star for both Terminal and Replacement indices within the breed and three and five star respectively across all breeds, a replacement value of €140 plus a calving difficulty of 4.2pc which is under the all breed average and well below the average for his breed.
There was plenty of interest in the bull when he came into the ring, where the sale had t aken off to a slow start and being only the second bull for which auctioneer, Tom Cox secured the nod to drop the hammer, it gave the tempo of the sale a lift.
Second highest price was recorded for Shiloh-Farm Jockey from the herd of very successful breeder, Hugh Murray, Shiloh, Parkwood, Moate which sold for €3,050 for the second prizewinner in his class at the earlier showing.
The 14-month-old bull boosted an excellent combination of genes from within the Simmental family with both Kilbride and Shiloh-Farm in his blood delivering five and four star indices respectively for Terminal and Replacement indices and valued at €133 for replacement.
Reserve Champion of Show was awarded to Tisaran Jackson from the herd of Martin Mooney, at Clononymore, Shannonharbour, Birr, the progeny of Auroch Deuter on the sire side and the dam, Cruithill Ciderella with Curraheen genes on her sire side.
He is a five star Terminal index and four star Replacement Index bulls with a replacement value of €135 and sold for €2,850.
It has been a very difficult season for breeders of pedigree bulls for sale with very strong supplies on farms and breeders delaying purchasing because of the weather and fodder related problems being experienced on the farms.
Once again the sale struggled to come close to a 50pc clearance for a small entry with an average of €2,775 recorded.
However, while the clearance was slightly down on the 2017 sale, the top price was up 16pc and the average was also up on last year showing that there was a positive trade for the good bulls.