No fewer than 11 lots made 4000gns or more at the joint production sale of Simmental females from the Ranfurly and Ballinalare herds at Dungannon, where the top priced lot at 7000gns, sold to Scotland.

This was the third such sale and saw entries sell throughout the UK, with the dearest heading to Keith, with Stewart Stronach and family, who own the Islavale herd from Berryleys.

Their purchase was the January 2019-born heifer, Ranfurly Beauty 13 K2, from WD and JD Hazelton’s Ranfurly herd from Cohannon House, Dungannon. By Grinalta’s Excel 8N, she is out of Ranfurly Beauty 8F9, which is a genetic full sister to Curaheen Tyson, Vio and Bandit, and from the same cow family as the 16,500gns Beauty 5 C4.

Mr Stronach, who had travelled over to Northern Ireland prior to the sale to see the Ranfurly cattle before bidding online, said: “I really liked what I saw across all of the sale cattle, they were ready for the sale, not over done, and looking 100%. Beauty is just our style of heifer with a lot of potential for the future. She brings something different in the bloodlines for us being by a Canadian sire and combines that with proven breeding in the dam line.”

Second top price was 5600gns paid for the maiden heifer Ranfurly Weikel 30 K1. Similarly aged, she was a junior heifer class winner at the NI Simmental National Show at Omagh in 2019, and is by Cleenagh Flasher, out of Ranfurly Weikel 18 H2. She sold to Derbyshire breeders, B and E Chadwick for their Chadston pedigree herd at The Hedgerows, Hilton.

Another from the same line, Ranfurly Weikel 27 J16 made 5500gns to M Quinn, Cookstown, Co Tyrone. This rising two-year-old is a daughter of Team Celtic 11 and is out of Ranfurly Weikel 4 W20 whose progeny sold to 9100gns at the herd’s first production sale. She changed hands in calf to Curaheen Bandit.

Ranfurly Weikel 38 L5, an eight-month-old heifer made 5200gns, to SP McDonald of the Coolcran herd from Tempo. She is by Carnkern Titan and out of the South Park King Kong Weikel 2 Ex 93 which makes her a full sister to 15,000gns Ranfurly Formula One, sold at Stirling.

Other top sales from the Hazeltons included heifers at 4800gns, 4600gns and 4500gns. Dearest was the September 2018-born Ranfurly Kleeb 41 J14, a heifer by Team Celtic 11. The buyer was JN Glasgow, Creevagh Road, Cookstown.

Top price for J and A Wilson’s Ballinalare herd from Newry, was 4900gns paid for Bannhill Farm Jinx, an April 2018-born heifer, in calf to Rabawn Ernie. She is by Raceview King, out of Ballinalare Farm Fleur, by Auchorachan Wizard and sold to DG Rooney, Ballymartin, Newry.

averages:

Ranfurly herd –18 lots, £4243.75; Ballinalare – 25 lots, £2614.50

Auctioneers: Dungannon Farmers Mart.