Top price of 8,700 gns at Leagh Holsteins 60th anniversary year celebration sale

35 top calibre lots average 4,540 guineas

Report by Donal Carey

The Leagh herd of Tim & Maureen Fitzmaurice and family, Ballyduff, Co. Kerry enjoyed a resoundingly successful sale of top-quality heifers and first choice (unborn) heifer calves on Wednesday June 4th last. Conducted by Taaffe Auctions, the sale included premier first-rate consignments from the Cedarmore herd (John & Bryan O’ Connor, Kanturk, Co. Cork), the Lynbrook herd (John Cunnane, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo) and the Boroside herd (Melvin Masterson, Rathnure, Co. Wexford). The sale venue was Carnaross Livestock mart, Co. Meath.

Celebrating sixty years since the Leagh Holstein Friesian herd was established in March 1965 by the late John Joe Fitzmaurice, the sale catalogue was brimful with quality, replete with top-end breeding of international renown. The sale offering on the day comprised a total of thirty-seven choice youngstock heifers in addition to three first choice heifers due to be born later this year/January next year.

One of the headline offerings in the sale was four Leagh ET full sisters from Siemers LBA Hanina 28047 ET EX94 2E, one of the highest-ranking Lambda daughters in the USA with four recorded lactations all in excess of 12,500 kgs milk and over 3.50% Protein. The cow family is reputed to be the only family in the world with four global cow of the year winners. The success of the family also includes multiple top-ranking international AI bulls. Riverdane KD Hannah ET VG87 2-Year-Old, a maternal sister to the four heifer calves on offer, set a breed record price at auction in the UK in 2023 selling in the Riverdane sale for 90,000 guineas. Sired by Kings-Ransom Dropbox VG85, the four Leagh full sisters born in December/January averaged 7,100 guineas. Leagh Too Hot To Handle (Lot 21) the eldest of the four, aged six months, commanded the top price of the sale at 8,700gns. Her Irish genomic evaluation PTA includes +466 kgs milk, +24 kgs Fat (+0.05%), +18.7 kgs Protein (+0.05%). Leagh Dropbox Hanina (Lot 7) born on January 5th sold for 8,200 gns.

Cedarmore Mogul Pammy (Lot 5) bred from ten generations of VG/EX Dams sold for 8,000 gns. Born in September ’23 and with a PD to Conway (sexed) she has a due date of September, an expected calving-in date close to two years old. Bred from the Windy-Knoll-View Promis cow family her Dam Bawnmore Tropic Pammy VG88 3-Year-Old recorded 7,339 kgs milk, 621 kgs milk solids, 4.57% Fat, 3.90% Protein in her first lactation (322 d) SCC of 43. She is projected to record 10,766 kgs milk, 834 kgs milk solids, 4.23% Fat, 3.52% Protein in her second lactation. Her maternal sisters include Willsbro King Doc Pammy 410 ET EX93, Willsbro King Doc Pammy 413 ET VG87, and Cedarmore Doorman Pammy who sold for 5,000 gns in the Leagh sale 2023. The Grand Dam of Cedarmore Mogul Pammy is Willsbro Lambda Pammy 247 EX94 4E with two VG/EX full sisters and two EX maternal sisters. She is projected to 10,074 kgs milk, 3.95 % Fat, 3.66 % Protein in her fourth lactation.

The next top price was Leagh Dropbox Hannah ET (Lot 34) sold for 7,600 gns.

Cedarmore Lambda May Alta (Lot 20) bred from eleven generations of VG/EX Dams sold for 7,300 gns. She sold with a PD to Davinci (sexed), carrying a due date of early December. Her full sister is classified VG86 2-Year-Old. Her Dam Hawksmoor MVP Alta 40 VG87 recorded a 2nd lactation yield of 9,507 kgs, 689 kgs milk solids, 3.56 % Fat, 3.68 % Protein, SCC 40 (324 d) and is a maternal sister to Hawksmoor May Alta 28 EX. Family members performing very well in O’Connor’s Cedarmore herd include Hawksmoor May Alta 36 EX93 3rd calver (max Classification score).

(Lot 13) A first choice heifer calf from three pregnancies due in October sold for 7,200 gns. Donor Dam Jacobs Destiny Bagel ET VG87 2-Year-Old (max score in Canada) recorded a first lactation yield of 10,357 kgs milk, 4.10 % Fat, 3.50 % Protein. Her full sister Jacobs Destiny Balla VG89 2-Year-Old (USA) won Intermediate Champion Royal Winter Fair 2023 and she also won All American & All Canadian milking yearling 2023. The flush sire of this first choice offering is Progenesis Ambrose.

Other top prices include;

  • Cedarmore KD Jane (Lot 28) sold for 6,000 gns. Bred from two generations of EX95 Dams this August ’23 born heifer sired by King Doc VG88 sold for 6,000 gns.
  • A first choice offering from the Cedarmore herd (Lot 32) of a choice from two heifer calves due in October from Dam Clonpaddin Atwood Portea EX94 6E sold for 5,700 gns. The flush sire is Siemers RZ Pazzle 34954. Clonpaddin Atwood Portea EX94 6E was purchased by the O’ Connors in the Clonpaddin dispersal sale last year for 5,700 gns. She is a second generation EX94 Dam with over 3.70 % Protein. The next Dam is Ridgefield Dundee Portea EX95 2E who won RDS Champion of Champions 2012 & 2013, Champion & Best Udder National Dairy Show 2012 & 2013, Emerald Expo Champion & Best Udder 2012, Baileys All Ireland Champion Cow 2012.
  • Leagh Lambda Kaboom ET (Lot 35) bred from four generations of EX Dams, nine generations of VG/EX Dams in total sold for 5,500 gns.
  • Leagh Lambda Hanna Vray ET (Lot 30) the first family member to sell at auction in Ireland sold for 5,100 gns. Lot 23, a first choice offering also from the Leagh herd from five female pregnancies due in January from Donor Dam Hillrose Altitude Aero Red EX, 11th generation EX Dam, sired by Luck-E Acetylene-Red also sold for 5,100 gns.
  • Boroside Jones Dropbox Fame ET (Lot 24) backed by four generations of EX Dams sold for 4,600 gns.