A McCutchen daughter from Mervyn and Gareth Smyth’s noted Ballyweaney Herd topped the January Dungannon Dairy offering at 2,850gns.

Ballyweaney McCutchen Pledge PLI £210 was sired by De Su BKM McCutchen and hails from the Windy Knoll View Pledge family. Her dam was the home-bred Ballyweaney Toystory Pledge 3 who averaged 8,429kgs at 4.04% butterfat and 3.27% protein in three 305-day lactations. Calved six weeks and producing 37 litres daily she sold to John and Robert Stewart’s Quinton Herd at Portaferry.

Following close behind at 2,820gns was the day’s pre-sale show champion HIlltara Supershot Dawn PLI £237 from Sam and John McCormick’s Bangor-based herd. Sired by Cogent Supershot, she is bred from Hilltara Aftershock Dawn EX92 who produced over 12,350kgs in her second lactation. Calved five weeks and producing 37 litres daily, this one joins a County Tyrone herd.

Cows peaked at 1,850gns, paid to John and Sam McCormick for the second calver Hilltara Fever Maude 13 ET. Sired by the Braedale Goldwyn son Crackholm Fever, she is bred from Hilltara Drake Maude 2 ET EX91-3E LP50. Her gdam was Medway Supreme Maude EX97-8E 22*, and the buyer was Stephen McAllister from Dungannon.

An entry of springing heifers from Sean Daly, Carrickmore, sold to a top of 2,220gns. Leading his offering was Redhouse 1714 Altabarney Dee, a Rosylane LLC Altabarney daughter, bred from Redhouse 1513 Goldmine Dee. In-calf to sexed SSI Headway All Time, she joins Jack Mitchell’s herd at Castlederg.

The pre-sale show was judged by Kenny Watson from the Majestic Herd based in Coleraine, and generously sponsored by Bank of Ireland.