The 10th Annual Designer Genes event took place on the 12th and 13th December 2025 at Shrewsbury Auction Centre, with genetics selling on Friday and live lots selling on Saturday. Both sales were organised and managed by Dowbiggin Marketing in partnership with Halls. Auctioneer was Jonny Dymond. The event was held in conjunction with the Hereford Cattle Breeders Association’s annual Christmas Calf Show.
Embryos topped at 560gns each for embryos consigned by 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.
The Saturday Sale was topped by the lead-off lot Moralee 1 Big Time RK349 from Tom & Di Harrison, Moralee Herefords Northumberland. The reigning UK Polled Hereford Bull of the Year, he sold to SC & GL Hartwright, Spartan Herefords, Oxfordshire for a new breed record of 22,000gns (£23,100).
Females topped at 10,000gns (£10,500) for Pulham 1 Lucy 7th from Phil & Laura Vincent, Pulham Herefords, Norfolk. She was sold to SJ & H Smith, Welshpool. 11 females averaged £5937.27.
A pick of the 2025 calves from Steven & Lizzie Walker, Hoghton View Herefords, Lancashire sold for 5,500 (£5,775) to G & MC Shepherd, Moorside Polled Herefords, Lancashire & Josh Dowbiggin, Ghyll Beck Genetics.
13 total lots sold to gross £94,185 and average £7,245, a new European record for a Hereford sale average. Clearance for the Saturday sale was 94%.
Averages
Totals
Sale Team
Sale Management – Josh Dowbiggin (Dowbiggin Marketing)
Auctioneer – Jonny Dymond (Halls)
Saturday Sale
A record-breaking trade was met at the 10th Annual Designer Genes Sale. 13 lots sold to a top price of 22,000gns and average £7,245, a new European record for a Hereford sale average. Clearance for the Saturday sale was 94%.
The Saturday Sale was topped by the lead-off lot Moralee 1 Big Time RK349 from Tom & Di Harrison, Moralee Herefords, Northumberland. The reigning UK Polled Hereford Bull of the Year sold to SC & GL Hartwright, Spartan Herefords, Oxfordshire for a new breed record of 22,000gns (23,100gns). Big Time RK349 was sired by former Champion of Europe and multiple interbreed winning Moralee 1 Rebel Kicks, and out of leading donor female Moralee 1 Kylie, who is also the dam of the 2024 Hereford Miss Europe female.
A pick of the 2025 calves from Steven & Lizzie Walker, Hoghton View Herefords was sold for 5,500gns (£5,775). The pick offered the successful buyer the opportunity to pick from any of the 2025 born calves at Hoghton View, including both bull and heifer calves. The pick was sold to G & MC Shepherd, Moorside Polled Herefords, Lancashire & Josh Dowbiggin, Ghyll Beck Genetics.
Females topped at 10,000gns (£10,500) for Pulham 1 Lucy 7th from Phil & Laura Vincent, Pulham Herefords, Norfolk. Lucy 7th was sired by £10,000 Solitude 1 Vantastic and out of a daughter of Appel 1 Kaboom. She was sold to SJ & H Smith, Welshpool.
The second highest priced female was Sky High 1 Louis-Vuitton Lucy from Boomer & Millie Birch and family. This female was crowned Reserve Overall Junior Champion at the recent National Poll Show. She was knocked down for 7,500gns (£7,875) to A Baxter, Lancashire.
Two females sold for 7,000gns. 5-year-old cow Dendor 1 Ruby 38th sold for 7,000gns to R Moore, Northumberland. She was herself a daughter of noted sire Dendor 1 Nairobi. Her March-born heifer calf sold for 3,800gns to Panmure Herefords Scotland, valuing the cow/calf pair at 10,800gns.
Also to reach the 7,000gns mark was February 2025-born heifer Grifford 1 True Beauty. This heifer calf was Reserve Female Champion at the 2025 English Winter Fair. Sired by Normanton 1 Laertes and out of the 10,000gns Greenyards 1 True Love, she was sold for 7,000gns to M J Sharlot, Warwickshire.
Other prices
Averages
Friday Sale
The DGS On Ice Sale Volume IV took place on Friday evening with 36 genetic lots selling to buyers both in the room and online. The sale was hosted in conjunction with the HCBA’s annual Christmas dinner.
Top Embryo Prices
Top Semen Prices