At Ballygowan Blondes we recognise the benefits of showing in promoting the breed. However we are not a show herd and do not have the traditional large framed Blondes. We breed blondes to produce terminal and maternal sires for both the pedigree and commercial markets. The Ballygowan Blonde Herd was awarded the best large herd of Blondes in NI in 2024.
Ballygowan Olive with heifer calf Velvet won best cow and calf, Tess won best senior heifer and Hallfield Titan won reserve best bull. Quite a year.
Hollie and her heifer at foot Tilly took best cow and calf in 2022 whilst Rita won best 2020 born heifer.
Maverick was reserve best stock bull in Northern Ireland 2019.
Heifers are regularly showed, a week at Balmoral show puts manners into them which stands them in good stead to be handled at any stage in the future.
We generally have bulls and breeding heifers sale - see below in the For Sale section. We only sell animals for breeding we are prepared to breed with ourselves. If they don't make our standards, you wont get a chance to buy them as they go to beef.
Ballygowan Blonde News
We had an exceptional day out at the first 4 Breed calf show in November 2021. Ballygowan Rodeo and Ballygowan Sebastion taking the red ribbons in the Senior and Junior bull classes. They also won the pairs class.
The two young bulls went from strength to strength. Rodeo was Overall Champion at the Society Spring sale at Dungannon and sold for the top price of the day of 3,600g to Lucy corner and her Lucyland Blonde Herd.
Sebastion was sold privately to Thor Atkinson, he enjoyed joining in their highly successful year in the show ring. Winning Blonde Male Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show and then emulating that at the Royal Welsh by also winning the Interbreed Male Junior Champion. We wish the new owners every success with Rodeo and Seb.
About Us
Ballygowan Pedigree Blonde herd was founded in 1979 by Robert and Sandra Gibson with the purchase of two maiden heifers from Southern Ireland. Tipperary Olive and Barrettstown Olive, they went on to breed many of the foundation bloodlines in Ballygowan progeny today.
We are a family run farm and have built up the herd slowly. It is a closed herd for health status reasons, apart from the careful selection of herd sires.
These include: Homebred Ballygowan Viceroy, a heifers calf weighing 704Kg at 400 days out of a Sandbrook cow.
Classic Caesar, sired by Broomfield Taurus and then Carn Gordon, a Fortescue Augustus son weighing 730Kg at 400 days.
Ballygrainey Jack (Ballygowan Nobles Sire) by Whistley Dollar, Blackwater Nebus by Febus, Glenvale Tarzan by Droit Ocean. Ballygowan Rambo, a Nebus son, then Budore Donald, Classic Intel by Utah. Ark Maverick (By Dollar, pictured below), Budore Rolo out of Garnet - 2024 calves will all be by him. Hallfield Titan is now running with the calved cows.
Breeding and farm management at Ballygowan
At Ballygowan we believe in maximum production from forage, for this reason we select easy fleshing genetics to breed cattle that do not need concentrates. We had been Ai'ing heifers to easy calving bulls such as our old stock bull Ark Maverick or related heifers are being Ai'd to Bridge Obama. Only easy fleshing, growthy heifers with good pelvic measurements are retained for breeding - production in the form of food conversion and reproduction are two traits we value highly.
Animal Health
We have been a member of the AFBI Cattle Health Scheme for eleven years and accredited free of Lepto (since 2014), Johnes risk Level 1 (since 2014) and Vaccinated Monitored Free (VMF) of both BVD and IBR (2018 & 2016 respectfully). We have also screened clear of Neospora too. AFBI CHeCS certificates available upon request.Stock for sale.
Next up is Ballygowan Ultra, born in Feb 23 by Budore Rolo. He is very correct and quiet bull - out of Ballygowan Hollie - dam of Sebastion. He is entered for the Autumn show and Sale at Swatragh Mart on 25th October. A quiet, long, soft fleshed and well grown young bull with excellent breeding. Ultra won the junior bull class at Clogher Valley Show in late July.
Ask for details for cows or heifers for sale. All stock is sold with our high health certification and can be tested for export to both mainland UK or the ROI as we have a DAERA accredited isolation / export facility.
Semen and Embryos for sale
Budore Donald semen is available. Donald breeds great females when ever he has is used. Also a selection of Dollar embryos are available - stored with Ai Services.
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