A total of nine served heifers sold this year to average £3943.33, a fall of over £3400 on the year, but maiden heifers improved on the year by £44.83 for the same number sold. And it was the top two animals from the pre-sale show which attracted the top bids.
Leading the trade at 14,000gns was the only entry from Northern Irish breeders, Henry Savage and Sons of 70 Skerriff Road, Altnamackin, Newry, County Down. Rounding off a fantastic show season, which included reserve overall champion at Balmoral Show earlier this year and champion at the Northern Ireland heifer derby, Antrim and Newry Show, was Trueman Grazia, a 20-month-old daughter of the 100,000gns Haltcliffe Vermount out of the Cookstown Villy daughter Cookstown B1425, a cow bought at a dispersal sale in Southern Ireland. This big stylish, well fleshed heifer, described as 'stand out' by judge James Callion of the Melbreak herd, was knocked down for 14,000gns to Andrew Ewing who was buying on behalf of Dutch company, Cowporation.
Selling for the second top price was the reserve champion of the day, Grahams Gabriella. From Stirlingshire-based breeders Robert and Jean Graham, Airthrey Kerse, Bridge of Allan, this May 2011-born daughter of the home-bred bull Grahams Alexander, which has bred daughters to 14,000gns and 13,000gns, stood second in her class at the Highland Show and was winner of the best heifer born in Scotland at the Scottish herd competition 2012. Out of the Jersey-sired Nitouche and presented by stockman Cameron Jackson, Gabriella was snapped up for 8800gns by Messrs Doherty for the Malin herd based in Binley Woods, Coventry.
