Record price for Hereford Breed bull at Shropshire auction
A record price for a Hereford breed bull was set at a county auction.
The landmark sale came at the 10th Annual Designer Genes Sale held at Shrewsbury Auction Centre on Saturday.
Moralee 1 Big Time, the 2025 UK Polled Hereford Bull of the Year, offered by Tom and Di Harrison of Moralee Herefords, Northumberland, sold for 22,000 guineas - or £23,100.
The new owner is Simon Hartwright of Spartan Herefords in Oxfordshire.
Multiple records were broken during the auction, including achieving the highest average for a Hereford sale ever recorded in Europe.
The sale was organised by Dowbiggin Marketing in partnership with Halls auctioneers and in conjunction with the Hereford Cattle Breeders Association’s annual Christmas Calf Show.
The auction, conducted by auctioneer Jonny Dymond, Shrewsbury Auction Centre manager, attracted strong interest from breeders and buyers across the UK.
Moralee 1 Big Time, a bull of "the very highest genetic merit", was the first lot on offer.
He is sired by the multi award-winning Moralee 1 Rebel Kicks KS R12, Champion of Europe 2021 and interbreed championship winner in both 2021 and 2024.
On the dam’s side, Moralee 1 Kylie stands as one of the most influential cows in the Moralee herd, with a string of championship-winning and sale-topping progeny to her name, including Moralee 1 Kylie KS S3, the 2024 Champion of Europe.
The strength and consistency of the Kylie cow family, combined with the proven influence of Rebel Kicks, made Big Time an exceptional offering.
Regarded by the Harrisons as one of the best Herefords they have ever bred, the bull is noted not only for his pedigree but also for his outstanding character and temperament.
His 2025 show season underlined his quality - Reserve Male at Northumberland County Show; Male, Junior and Reserve Supreme Champion at the Royal Highland Show; Male Champion and Reserve Junior at the Great Yorkshire Show - where he also stood Interbreed Pairs Champion alongside Moralee 1 Baz - and Male Champion and Reserve Supreme at the National Poll Show.
The record-breaking result capped a highly successful anniversary edition of the Designer Genes Sale, reinforcing its reputation as a premier showcase for elite Hereford genetics.
The genetics sold on Friday and live lots on Saturday.
Embryos topped at 560gns each for a consignment from G. & A.Redmayne, Ings Herefords, from their donor female Sky High 1 L’amour Lucy. Semen peaked at 580gns per straw for Panmure 1 Henry semen consigned by Vaughan Farms Ltd.
The Friday sale of genetics grossed £23,850.75.
Saturday’s females topped at 10,000gns or £10,500 for Pulham 1 Lucy 7th from Phil and Laura Vincent, Pulham Herefords, Norfolk which sold to S. J. & H.Smith, Welshpool. Eleven females averaged £5.937.27.
A pick of the 2025 calves from Steven and Lizzie Walker, Hoghton View Herefords, Lancashire sold for 5,500gns or £5,775 to G. & M. C. Shepherd, Moorside Polled Herefords, Lancashire and Josh Dowbiggin, Ghyll Beck Genetics.
Thirteen lots sold to gross £94,185 and average £7,245, a new European record for a Hereford sale average. Clearance for Saturday’s sale was 94 per cent.
