The Genetic Gems 2024 Sale took place on Saturday, November 16, at GVM Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly following the National Hereford Calf Show.

In its fourth year, the Genetic Gems sale is proving to be “a marquee event”, according to the organisers.

The events were described as “a bumper weekend for the breed, with the Next Gen Herefords hosting young handlers’ workshops and competitions on the Friday night, while the Calf Show took place on the Saturday morning”.

The 2024 Genetic Gems sale consisted of 17 female lots and three semen lots.

Topping the Genetic Gems sale was Lot 8, Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 357, hailing from one of the most prolific cow families in the Gouldingpoll Herd.

This January 2023-born in-calf heifer was sired by the homegrown Gouldingpoll 1 Peroni, going back to Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 1172 on the dam’s side.

After much frantic bidding, she now travels across the water to her North Yorkshire based home for €5,200.

Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 357 sold for the top price on the day of €5,200

Not stopping there, the Goulding family also parted with lot 2, Gouldingpoll 1 Gold Pebbles 33. Born in September 2022, this Gouldingpoll 1 Gold Spice daughter sold in-calf to Intelagri 1 Leo for €4,800 and now resides in Northern Ireland.

Next up in the money, was the Grianan Herd which saw Lot 14, Griananpoll 1 Piscies attract the attention of a new breeder based in Roscommon, Sired by the much admired Solpoll 1 Dynamite P, going back to a Fabb 1 Northern Star sired dam. Piscies sold for €4,700.

Gouldingpoll 1 Gold Pebbles 33 sold for €4,800

Lot 9, Listrolin Prettymaid 129, caught the attention of many due to her impressive pedigree and physical attributes, sired by Ballen Reason with her dam tracing back to Towra Brilliant, this July-born heifer exchanged hands at €3,800.

The first prize winning Tullyview Sheena 580 sired by Trillick George and a Cill Cormaic Napoleon Dam also achieved a price tag of €3,800.

Listrolin Prettymaid 129 sold for €3,800

Next up, was Gouldingpoll 1 Ishbel 340, sired by Gouldingpoll 1 Stockman and Panmure 1 Henry HYF on the dam’s side, she found a new home at €3,600.

Lot 13, the Rossmore Rocky Balboa sired Grianan Orange B008 with a pedigree on the dams side that includes Grianan Firecracker makes her way across the water to a Welsh-based herd for a price of €3,500.

In addition to the 2024 sale, was the auction of three semen lots, including Normanton Laertes, Gouldingpoll 1 Superduty and Gageboro Morgan.

These lots were met with eager bidding seeing the Normanton Laertes semen reach a price of €230/straw, while the Superduty semen changed hands at €100/straw and the Gageboro Morgan selling for €110/straw.

Overall, the Genetic Gems recorded a top price of €5,200 and a sale average of €4,150 for in-calf heifers which is up on last year.

The maiden heifers sold to an average of €3,780 topping off “a good years trading for the breed with bigger and better to follow in 2025”, according to the organisers.

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