The yearling Limousin bull, Trueman Jukebox, brought out by Henry Savage & Sons, Skerriff Road, Altnamackin, Newry, Co Down took both the Pedigree and then the Overall Supreme Championship at the Young Limousin Breeders Northern Ireland (YLBNI) Calf Spectacular held at Ballymena Mart on Saturday 10th January 2015.
Judged by Mrs Melanie Alford, who runs the Foxhillfarm Limousin Herd in Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon, the January 2015-born Trueman Jukebox is an AI son of the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin (by Glenrock Ventura) who to date has sired almost 300 pedigree progeny in the Limousin herdbook. Jukebox is a heifer’s calf out of Trueman Gabrielle (by Nenuphar) and carries a Beef Value of LM+32.
Following Trueman Jukebox right through from his class to being tapped out as Reserve Pedigree Champion was another Ampertaine Elgin-sired bull calf, Craigatoke James, from Martin Conway, Meenagorp Road, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone. Again January-born, he is out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Craigatoke Emma.
Commercial Champion and Reserve Supreme Overall was a Sauvignon-sired steer bred by Vincy McMullan and brought out by Gareth Corrie, Newtownards who had purchased him at Ballymena Mart at a just a few months of age for £1,280. The Reserve Commercial Champion, also from Gareth Corrie in partnership with Johnny Neill, was a March-born heifer calf called Black Ice weighing in at just over 400kgs. This heifer was sired by the Corries’ stock bull, Stephick Flashi and had previously stood Champion Calf at the NI Commercial Show at Balmoral in August.
Kieran McCrory, from the Bernish herd also had a successful day at the Calf Show, where he snapped up Best Homebred Heifer with his January-born Ampertaine Elgin daughter, Bernish Julifortune. Melanie Alford commented on this heifer saying she ‘oozed style and should make a brilliant cow.’
