Cantona proves he is still a champ
The bull caught the eye of show and sale judges, Michael Church and Robert Clarke, who made him champion. Later, they took out their cheque books, and paid e4,800 for him to go to work at stud for their company, A G Wright and Sons (Farms), which operate on more than 4,000 acres in the UK, and includes the successful 100 cow Hermitage Hereford herd, the Hillrow Hereford herd, and which has acquired the Badlingham Hereford herd recently.
Bred by the Fitzgerald family of Mount Temple, Moate, Co Westmeath, the champion was sired by Australian bull Yarram Pompeii V055, out of Grianan Ulricka, by Moyclare Rich.
Yarram Pompeii produced three first prize winners from four classes at Roscommon, and seven of his sons averaged just under €3,000 in the sale.
His semen was imported from Australia by the Society’s Breed Improvement Scheme, which holds the European rights.
The Roscommon sale, sponsored by Alltech Ireland, was the first society sale at which all animals were linear scored. The sale average, at €2,770, was just under last year’s record average price of €2,300.
