A small entry of Aberdeen Angus bulls sold to a top of 3,200gns at the annual spring Native Breeds Show and Sale, conducted by Dungannon Farmers’ Mart.

Securing the day’s top bid was the two-year-old Ember Paxton Y973 TSI+37 SRI+53 bred by Freddie Davidson, Banbridge. Sired by stock bull Drumcarbin Richie, he is out of the home-bred Ember Pearl U494.

Ranked in the breed’s top 20% for calving ease, he was snapped up by S Caldwell from Beragh, County Tyrone.

This young bull was awarded the reserve supreme championship honours by Scottish judge Emma Hodge. He is no stranger to the limelight having won the reserve junior Aberdeen Angus championship, and reserve in the interbreed beef performance class at the 154th Balmoral Show.

Emma Hodge farms with her parents Andrew and Jill in the Scottish Borders. The former dairy farmers run an arable enterprise alongside the noted Rulesmains pedigree Aberdeen Angus Herd. The trio recently won the Beef Farm of the Year title at the inaugural Scottish Agriculture Awards.

Claiming the breed’s supreme champion title at Dungannon was the May 2022 born Home Farm Erne Y802 TSI+26 SRI+25, bred by Fintan Keown who runs a herd of 10 pedigree and 25 commercial cows at Belleek in County Fermanagh.

Sired by Haymount War Smith R578, this one is a son of the former Pedigree Calf Fair breed champion, Home Farm Ebony Stunner S087. He also had a successful show career, winning the junior, male and reserve overall titles in the Aberdeen Angus line-up at last year’s Balmoral Show.

Additional accolades include second reserve junior interbreed champion at Balmoral, reserve senior male champion at the NI Aberdeen Angus Club’s Summer Championship, and male champion at Enniskillen Show in 2023.

The champion attracted a bid of 2,900gns from J Marshall, Castlederg.

Confirming a complete clearance for Aberdeen Angus bulls, auctioneer Trevor Wylie confirmed that more entries were needed to satisfy the demand from commercial suckler herd owners and dairy farmers.

The Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society’s next official show and sale takes place at Dungannon on Tuesday 16th April 2024. Prospective vendors are reminded that entries close on Friday 1st March.