SIMMENTAL FEMALES IN DEMAND AS RANFURLY LEADS PRODUCTION SALE AT 8000GNS

• Five animals make 5000gns and over
• Ranfurly maiden heifers average £4646
• Joint sale grosses £128, 416

There was a strong demand for Simmental females with prices reaching a top of 8,000gns at the fourth joint production sale from the noted Ballinalare Farm herd of Joe & Alan Wilson, Newry, County Down, and the noted Ranfurly herd of David & Jonny Hazelton, Dungannon, Tyrone.

The sale took place at Rathfriland Farmers’ Co-op on Saturday 7^th September and attracted strong interest from breeders throughout the UK and Ireland with lots selling to buyers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and with exports to the Republic of Ireland.

Ranfurly Weikel 52nd topped the joint production sale at 8,000gns.

Topping the trade at 8,000gns was the much-admired show heifer Ranfurly Weikel 52^nd from David and Jonny Hazelton’s 20-cow Ranfurly herd. This fifteen-month-old heifer was sired by the home-bred Auchorachan ACDC son, Ranfurly Limelight, the reserve intermediate champion at Stirling in October 2022 and which sold for 16,000gns. Her dam Ranfurly Weikel 18^th is by Raceview King and was female and reserve supreme champion at the NI Simmental Club’s National Show in 2019.

Auctioneer David Lowry in the rostrum at Rathfriland Farmers’ Co-op.

Ranfurly Weikel  52^nd is bred from three generations of EX cows. She was junior champion at the NI Four Breeds Calf Show in 2023; reserve junior champion at Balmoral in May 2024 and a first prize winner at the National Show, held in Antrim. This heifer came under the hammer of guest auctioneer David Lowry, and was sold to John Warnock’s Templefyn Herd based at Carrowdore in County Down.

Ranfurly Weikel 47th came under the hammer at 6,000gns.

Two heifers shared the day’s second highest bid of 6,000gns. First to sell was the January 2022 born in-calf heifer Ranfurly Weikel 47^th. Sired by Samark Superman, she was bred from the Raceview King daughter, Ranfurly Weikel 33^rd VG87 – a maternal sister to Auchorachan ACDC and the 15,000gns Ranfurly Formula One – supreme champion at Stirling in October 2015. In-calf to Clonagh Tiger Gallant and due in February 2025, she sold to the Bowhill Herd owned by David Smith and Rachael Reid from Low Bowhill Farm, Newmiln, Ayrshire.

Ranfurly Stella 15th shared a joint price of 6,000gns.

Also selling at 6,000gns was the November 2022 born Ranfurly Stella 15^th ET, a Woodhall Ferrari daughter, bred from Raceview Fancywinty 652 ET EX93. She sold to pedigree breeder John Byrne from Ballinaskeagh, Banbridge.

The Woodhall Ferrari daughter Ranfurly Stella 16th came under the hammer at the herd’s joint 4th production sale.

Her full sister, Ranfurly Stella 16 ET, born in February 2023, sold to James Mullan’s Carrowcladagh Herd in Garvagh for 5,200gns.

These ET heifers are maternal sisters Ranfurly Stella 12^th who was reserve supreme champion at Balmoral Show in 2022; and Ranfurly Stella 13^th sold at the Next Gen sale in Carlisle for 5,000gns. Maternal brothers, Ranfurly Jackpot sold at Stirling in February 2020 for 9,000gns; while her full ET brother Ranfurly Nunez sold privately to the Fairhurst Herd.

The April 2023 heifer Ranfurly Weikel 51 attracted a bid of 5,000gns, selling to John Moore’s Omorga Herd at Beragh, County Tyrone. She was sired by the Team Celtic son, Ranfurly Masterpiece – sold at Stirling last year for 6,200gns. Her dam is the Raceview King daughter, Ranfurly Weikel 23^rd VG86, reserve female champion at the 2019 NI National Simmental Show.

Ballinalare Farm Polly came under the hammer at 4,900gns.

Leading Joe Wilson’s Ballinalare Farm line-up at 4,900gns was the January 2023 born Ballinalare Farm Polly. Sired by the Carnkern Titan son, Curaheen Wakeman, she is out of Ballinalare Farm Ladybird, who is a daughter of the herd’s 10,000gns stock bull Denizes Fantastic. Buyers were Messrs P and R Murtagh from Newry.

Next best at 4,600gns and also selling to John Byrne from Banbridge, was the April 2023 Ranfurly Beauty 18^th. This one is by the Team Celtic son, Ranfurly Klinker – sold privately to the Boyerstown in ROI and widely available through AI. Her dam, Ranfurly Beauty 10^th EX90, is a Samark Superman daughter bred from Ranfurly Beauty 8^th ET.

The October 2022 Ranfurly Kleeb 47^th sold for 4,300gns to the Dodd family, William, Jane, Jamie and Lewis, for their Craigy Herd at Saintfield. Sired by Curaheen Bandit, she is bred from the Whitemire King Kong daughter, Ranfurly Kleeb 32^nd EX92 – who will be twelve-years-old in November and has reared 12 calves, including three sets of twins.

Next best at 4,200gns was Ranfurly Weikel 50^th, a March 2023 Ranfurly Limelight daughter, bred from Ranfurly Weikel 33^rd VG87. She sold for export to online bidder Simon Powell, owner of the Burlane Herd based at Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

Ten-month-old heifer Ballinalare Farm Paris ET sold for 4,200

Also selling at 4,200gns was Joe Wilson’s Ballinalare Farm Paris ET. Born in November 2023, she is by Kilbride Farm Bantry and bred from Ballinalare Farm Evita – a daughter of the 20,000gns Perth champion, Auchorachan Wizard. This heifer is a full sister to the 28,000gns Stirling supreme champion and NI-record price bull Ballinalare Farm Masterpiece. Buyers were David Smith and Rachael Reid for their Bowhill Herd.

Pat Kelly, and son Frank, from the Ashland Herd in Tempo, County Fermanagh, paid 4,100gns to secure the eight-month-old Ranfurly Weikel 53^rd ET. Sired by Salisbury Challenger, she is bred from the noted South Park King Kong Weikel 2^nd EX93.

Next best at 4,000gns was Ballinalare Farm Princess, a February 2023 born heifer by the €11,000 Roscommon junior champion, Bighill Magic. She was the first daughter to be offered for sale from the €11,500 Lissadell Krystal Special. Buyers were Kieran and Delia Fitzpatrick, owners of the Birtrees Herd based at Rathfriland, County Down.

The Ranfurly Herd offered two seventeen-month-old bulls for sale. First into the ring was Ranfurly Principal who won a number of championship awards during the show season, including the interbreed beef honours at Clogher Show. This one is by Ranfurly Limelight and bred from the Raceview King daughter, Ranfurly Weikel 13^th EX90. He failed to meet his reserve and is destined for Stirling in October.

The home-bred Ranfurly Limelight was also behind the breeding of Ranfurly Powerhouse who came under the hammer at 4,000gns, selling to Cameron and Rachel Jackson for their Future Livestock Herd at Galston in Ayrshire.

A much-anticipated star of the catalogue was the multi-award-winning show heifer Ballinalare Farm Nikita, a February 2022 Saltire Impressive daughter bred from Ballinalare Farm Ilyssa. She has enjoyed overwhelming success in the showring, winning RUAS Balmoral Show and NI Simmental National Show supreme champion two years in succession, as well as a number of interbreed honours. Bidding reached 10,000gns which fell short of the Wilson family’s expectations and this heifer returned home unsold.

AVERAGES:

Ballinalare Farm:
2 heifers with calf at foot £3,412

19 in-calf and maiden heifers £2,990.

Ranfurly:
2 in-calf heifers £4,515
12 maiden heifers £4,646.