On Saturday (April 10), the Midlands and Western Livestock Society hosted its April multi-breed pedigree sale of Charolais, Limousin and Simmental cattle.

Overall, there was a 78% clearance rate achieved on the day.

Starting with the Charolais - out of the 43 bulls catalogued, 22 bulls were presented for sale on Saturday. It is presumed that the number of absent bulls had been sold at home prior to the sale.

Only four Charolais bulls failed to meet their reserve, with the average price equating close to €2,900/head. One Charolais heifer was also sold on Saturday.

From the selection of seven Limousin bulls, only two bulls did not find a new home. These males sold at an average of €2,410/head.

One Simmental bull catalogued went unsold on Saturday.

Agriland visited the sale on Saturday to get an insight into how pedigree bulls are trading this month.

Topping the multi-breed pedigree sale by selling for €4,800 was the Charolais bull Laheens Promise - exhibited by Cormac Duignan from Co. Leitrim.

This son of the legendary Doonally New (CF52), was out of a home-bred dam sired by Goldstar Echo. Born in December 2019, Promise was ranked with €153 on the terminal index alongside a calving ease figure of +5.5% on matings with beef cows.

Charles J Hughes from Westport in Co. Mayo sold his Charolais bull for the second highest price of €4,200.

Clewbay12 Padron, 19-month-old son of Liseron, also had a maternal pedigree including sires such as Goldstar Echo and Pirate.

He is ranked with a calving ease figure of +5.9% on matings with beef cows.

Local breeder John Keane from Boyle in Co. Roscommon had a successful day selling Mohedian Popeye and Mohedian Playboy for €4,100 and €3,400, respectively.

Both bulls were fathered by the French sire Jaquard and out of home-bred dams sired by Fieldview Henry.

Having an attractive set of figures to match, Popeye was ranked with a page full of five stars on the replacement and terminal indexes. He also had a calving ease figure of just +4% on matings with beef cows.

Another breeder from the Carrick on Shannon locality, John Boyd, sold Faus Phoenix (et) for €3,500.

An embryo-born son of Pirate, this bull's dam Faus Nevada was a first price winner at the Tullamore Show as a heifer. He sold with a figure of €169 on the terminal index and was awarded a calving ease figure of +5.3%.

It was a Doonally New-sired bull that claimed a similar price tag of €3,500 in the form of Aughakil Rodney. Exhibited by Francis Mulvaney, also from Carrick-on-Shannon, this February 2020-born male was out a home-bred dam that was sired by Pirate.

Taking the top price of €3,400 in the Limousin section was the September 2019-born Gortnaskeagh Pablo. Shown by Oliver O'Hara from Co. Leitrim, this Casimir 65 son is ranked with a terminal index of €157, and he has a calving ease figure of +3.7%.

A son of Ewdenvale Ivor sold for a value of €2,800 for Francis McGowan from Mohill, Co. Leitrim. Grovehill Puca is a 17-month-old bull that also had sires such as Ronick Hawk and Malibu. He also has a calving ease figure of +3% on matings with beef cows.