WELLBRAY SIMMENTAL BULL SELLS TO 3,500GNS AT DUNGANNON

Breed average increases by £516

A small entry of pedigree bulls sold to a top of 3,500gns at the Northern Ireland Simmental Club’s autumn sale, hosted by Dungannon Farmers’ Mart on Friday, 23rd October.

The sale, generously sponsored by Bimeda, saw four bulls sell to average £2,861 each – an increase of £516 on this time last year.

Claiming the day’s top price, and setting a new herd record of 3,500gns, was local Pomeroy breeder David McElmurry, who established his 12-cow Wellbray herd in 2014. The fifteen-month-old Wellbray Kingbee 19 is sired by Kilbride Farm Warren, and is the first calf from the home-bred Kilbride Farm Dragoon daughter Wellbray Bella.

Kingbee is in the breed’s top 10% for milk and caught the eye of pedigree herd owner Aaron Smyth who runs the 8-cow Gortnacarry Herd alongside a 40-cow commercial suckler enterprise based at Culnady, Maghera. “This bull is a long, clean and deep-bodied, with a level back, breed character and good legs and feet,” said Mr Smyth.

Second highest price of the day at 3,000gns, went to William Nelson, and son George, from Rosslea, for the fourteen-month-old Drumacritten Kyle.

This bull was sired by the 2014 and 2015 Balmoral Show breed champion Dermotstown Delboy, and is out of the home-bred Omorga Volvo daughter Drumacritten Gaby GP84. Ranked in the breed’s top 15% for calving ease at +3, this one sold to suckler farmer David Wright from Caledon.

The same vendors realised 2,400gns for the fourteen-month-old Drumacritten Ken. Another by Dermotstown Delboy, this one is bred from the Omorga Murray daughter Drumacritten April – one of 12 cows in the County Fermanagh herd. Buyer was E Rutledge from Fivemiletown.