'There's no event like the Carrick Winter Fair. I've never experienced anything else close to it'

"Packed pubs, sold-out hotels, a run on steak, €1.5m spent on weanling heifers to a top of €33,500... 'for anyone interested in breeding or showing cattle, or even people who just appreciate top-quality stock, this is our version of the Ploughing'"

"A silence so complete you could hear a penny drop. And then the hammer fell: €33,500, the kind of money that once belonged only in pedigree sales, not a commercial ring. It left many onlookers questioning whether Carrick Winter Fair has entered an even crazier financial dimension."

Carrick Winter Fair drew large crowds, filling pubs and hotels and even creating a local run on steak. Buyers spent about €1.5 million on weanling heifers, with a single animal reaching €33,500. The top price matched levels traditionally seen only at pedigree sales and produced a stunned silence before the final bid. The event attracted breeders, show competitors, and quality-stock enthusiasts who likened the fair to the Ploughing for their sector. The intense spending and high valuations led many onlookers to question whether the fair has entered a new, more extreme financial phase.

Read at Independent