Maximus a gladiator in the ring
THIRTEEN-month-old Carrickmore Maximus Et has set a new Irish record for the Limousin breed after selling for €38,000 at the society Premier Show and Sale at Central Auctions Mart, Roscrea.
The Co Meath-bred bull — Junior Champion at the National Show in Tullamore last August when he was only 10 months old — recorded a remarkable achievement by matching the price paid for his sire six years ago when the auctioneers hammer came down to a frenzy of excitement at €38,000.
Bred by John and Karol Connell, Oldcastle, he was acquired by a syndicate comprising of the Goldies, Harestone and Tweeddale herds of Messrs. Goldie, Barclay and Watson, UK.
Maximus has a very impressive pedigree. His sire Ampertaine Foreman, who sold in Carlisle for 38,000gns in 2012, was bred by James McKay of the renowned Ampertaine herd based in Maghera, Derry.
His dam Baileys Ice Princess was bred by Tom Bailey at Batterstown, Co Meath and also enjoyed a tremendous showing career, winning the National Overall Limousin Champion title in both 2015 and 2016 and she was also Balmoral Champion in 2015.
It was also a very successful weekend for Eddie Lynch, Loughduff, Co Cavan who showed the Reserve Junior Champion, Ernevalley Mitch ET, an embryo son of Sarkley Gertude and the aforemen- tioned Ampertaine Foreman.
The June 2017-born bull came to the ring with five star ratings in Replacement index, Terminal index, Carcass weight and Carcass conformation and was the first of two bulls from Eddie’s yard to command a price of €9,200. Mitch was purchased by returning customer Jonathan Watson of the Tweeddale herd, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, UK.
His second bull to command €9,200 was Ernevalley Madison ET, also a son of Ampertaine Foreman while his dam Haltcliffe Franc is a daughter of Cloughhead Umpire.
At 15 months old, Madison has five star ratings in Terminal Index, Carcass weight and Carcass conformation and was purchased by Dovea Genetics as an addition to their wide selection of Limousin sires.
Senior Champion of the show, Ammaghmore Monty, bred by Sean Garrett, Ballycastle, Co Mayo, and carrying an array of stars, sold for €5,600 to Paric Fallon, Curraghroe, Co Roscommon.
Reserve Senior Champion Templequain Mercury, was bred by bred Thomas O’Shea, Portlaoise, Co Laois and purchased by the Tomriland herd of Noel Kenny based in Ashford, Co Wicklow for €5,000.
The Female Champion of Show award went to Clontown Lady Albha, an exceptional heifer exhibited by Stephen Treanor, Scotstown, Co Monaghan.
Lady Albha is a daughter of Powerhouse Italic (LM2090) and the Ronick Hawk daughter Kincorragh Imax with several awards to her credit from the Summer round of agricultural shows, sold for €7,000, bound for Stuart Littlewood’s Hollingreave herd based in Newmill, Huddersfield.
The bulls achieved a clearance of 63pc recording an average of €4,009 which was boosted by the record price for the Junior Champion. Females sold to a clearance of 68pc at an average of €2,729.