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Local Simmental breeders Joe and Alan Wilson had a memorable trip to this week’s breed society sale in Stirling, winning the intermediate and supreme overall championships, and topping the sale at 28,000gns.
This five-figure price tag sets a new record for the Rathfriland-based herd, and also surpasses the previous 25,000gns record for a Simmental bull bred in Northern Ireland. Joe and Alan also have a small farm at Martins Lane in Newry.
The father and son team run two herds, Ballinalare Farm and Bannhill Farm, totalling 60 pedigree Simmental cows.
Toast of the show and sale rings at United Auctions in Stirling was the twenty-month-old Bannhill Farm Masterpiece, described by Scottish judge Colin Fordyce as ‘perfect’.
Mr Fordyce, herd manager at Strathisla Farms in Perthshire, selected the bull from a 110-strong entry consigned by breeders from throughout the UK. “It has been a great show, with plenty of growthy Simmental bulls with good conformation, suitable for the commercial market.
“The supreme overall champion is a modern bull with great ring presence, and a perfect example of the breed. He is well-grown, displays great length, a superb backend, and boasts tremendous locomotion.”
The Wilson duo bred the February 2022 Stirling ‘Masterpiece’ using many of the breed’s most prolific and proven bloodlines. He was sired by the 12,000gns Kilbride Farm Bantry, who is a son of the 15,000gns Cairnview Snazzy – sire and grandsire of multiple Stirling champions.
Bannhill Farm Masterpiece was bred from Ballinalare Farm Evita – a full sister to Ballinalare Farm Galaxy, the successful AI bull available from Cogent’s Signature Beef Collection. Galaxy shared joint pole position as the sire of the most calves registered with the society in 2021.
Evita is a daughter of the 20,000gns Stirling junior and supreme champion (2010) Auchorachan Wizard, and bred from Raceview Tia Nicollette, purchased for 8,500 Euro as a six-month-old heifer.
Buyers were pedigree herd owners Noel and Mae Kilpatrick, owners of the noted Ballymoney Herd based at Banbridge, who were bidding in partnership with Bartley Finnegan from Elite Pedigree Genetics, Dungannon. The bull is going straight to stud, and semen will be available in due course.
The Wilson’s have previously had a reserve supreme Stirling champion, and sold bulls to a top of 10,000gns twice. This time last year Ballinalare Farm Legacy, a full brother to Masterpiece, sold at Stirling for 10,000gns.
Ballinalare Farm Masterpiece made his showring debut at Stirling at the weekend. He made the trip to Scotland along with herd mate, Ballinalare Farm Mack who stood second in his class and came under the hammer at 8,500gns.
Ballinalare Farm Mack was a first prize winner at NI Simmental Club’s National Show at Armagh in June last year. He is a Rabawn Ernie son, out of the home-bred Auchorachan Wizard daughter Ballinalare Farm Helena 2nd.
