- 75 bulls average a record figure of £5202
- Averages up £1445 on the year
- 88% clearance
- 5 bulls at 10,000gns or more
- Nineteen bulls at 5000gns or more
- Bull sale grosses £390,150
The British Limousin Cattle Society’s 2012 premier sale season got off to a flying start at United Auction’s Stirling Market on Wednesday 8th February with a centre record average of £5202 being paid for the 75 Limousin bulls sold.
Leading the way was Messrs R Adam & Son, Newhouse of Glamis, Angus who topped the trade with bulls at 16,000gns and 15,000gns respectively and sold 9 in total to a hugely impressive gross of £75,390.
The day’s top price of 16,000gns was paid for the July 2010 born Newhouse Black Fullback. A son of the noted Tamarvalley Boscastle, Fullback is out of the Greenhaugh Utwo sired Newhouse Bess. With a strong following at the Stirling (Perth) Bull Sales, the Newhouse herd which comprises of 40 red and 20 black Limousin cows, has previously led this fixture with strong showings in both February 2009 & 2010 respectively. In 2010, two Boscastle sons topped the sale at 12,000gns whilst in 2009 it was an Utwo son who had the day’s leading price at 16,000gns. Tamarvalley Boscastle himself, purchased as a ten month old calf, is both homozygous black and polled and is the result of an embryo import from Canada.
Purchasing the top price was Redpath Farms who run the Redpath pedigree herd at Spylaw House, Spylaw Farm, Kelso.
“Newhouse Black Fullback was one of only two bulls available this spring that was both homozygous black and homozygous polled,” said Keith Redpath. “The bull had thickness, growth, good weights and figures and I’m really pleased with him when I see him at home. Subject to tests he will be semen collected and semen made available, including sexed semen, through the Signature Beef Scheme with Cogent.” Thereafter Mr. Redpath plans to run the bull with his pedigree cows in the summer.
The previous lot, Newhouse Black Frisky, made 15,000gns when selling to the noted commercial outfit of Peter Alexander at Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire. Another bull by Tamarvalley Boscastle, Frisky is a July 2010 born twin to a male. Out of Newhouse Cyrup, a Greenwood Poll Homerun daughter, Newhouse Black Frisky carried a Beef Value of LM+55 the highest in the catalogue.
Peter Alexander’s extensive enterprise carries some 1000 Limousin cross cows running with 35 Limousin bulls. Early in the catalogue Mr Alexander also purchased Elrick Falcon for 12,000gns from Mr MJ Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, Ellon, Aberdeenshire. This March 2010 born bull, a heifer’s calf that came through the Senior Section, had been placed as the pre-sale show’s Overall Supreme Champion by the judge Eric Norman who runs the noted pedigree Norman herd at Little Orton Farm, Little Orton,Carlisle. Elrick Falcon, got by AI, is another by the prolific 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic. He is out of Elrick Caroline, a daughter of the 8500gns sire Croftlimousin Spencer, and whose dam line goes back to Goldies Isodora a foundation cow in the herd. This is the second Stirling (Perth) Supreme Champion for the Elrick herd which in 2011 also won the Scottish Limousin large herd of the year award.
Commenting on his two purchases Peter Alexander said: “I think these are two great bulls that are real value for the price paid. Both are good on their feet and legs, are well fleshed and have excellent conformation, and will now head back to the hill farm.”
These sentiments were echoed by the judge when commenting on his Champion Elrick Falcon: “The Champion bull is a fine example of a Limousin and has great length, style and shape. Again, a very modern type of Limousin he would be very well suited to both a pedigree and commercial herd,” said Mr Norman.
The £5202 average set a record mark for Limousin bulls at Stirling and saw the averages jump on the year by a mighty £1445. 75 bulls sold out of the 85 forward representing an 88% clearance and the bull sale gross of over £390,000 was up by over £73,000 on the year. The figures follow hard on the heels of the record sales year in 2001 where the breed had gross sales of £7.3 Million at auction. Five bulls made over five figures with nineteen in all selling at 5000gns plus in a trade that was dominated by commercial producers with purchasers from all four home nations. Commenting, BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “This was a terrific sale underpinned by a strong commercial demand for Limousin bulls to do a variety of jobs. Easy calving and easy kept, Limousin is a double barrelled breed providing first quality calves and top level breeding female replacements. Consistency, production, quality and profitability that’s what sees the breed meeting the market spec and the needs of the producers, butchers, processors and retailers,” he said. “Bulls here in Stirling with length, growth, width and shape were easily sold and to set a centre record average was great for the breeders throughout the catalogue.”
Standing Reserve in the Senior section was Dyke Fugitive who made 11,000gns for JR MacGregor (Dyke) Ltd, Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie,Glasgow. Dyke Fugitive is a bull from the first crop of calves by Drumduff Champ, a Haltcliffe Underwriter son that the MacGregors bought privately. He is out of the homebred Dyke Viva, a Ryedale Paragon daughter. From their 55 breeding females, the Dyke herd has also been a prolific title winner at Stirling (Perth) bull sales and have featured in the top end prices. At the corresponding sale in 2011 the herd topped at 8500gns for Dyke Envoy, the day’s leading price.
Wilodge Vantastic breeding again featured on the day as sire of two of the section winners including the Overall Supreme. The other was Stephick Flashi, the day’s Junior Champion, from first time exhibitor Stephanie Dick, Westerton of Cowie, Cowie, Stirling. Stephanie, aged 17, is the daughter of Ronald and Cheryl Dick of the noted Ronick herd. In a memorable debut for her, this stylish June 2010 born bull made 10,500gns when selling toNorthern Irelandand the noted commercial herd of Corrie Farms, Drumhilla, Newtonards. Stephick Flashi is out of the Ronick Astique daughter Ronick Classi whose pedigree also features the famous show cow Ronick Janita. This bull, which also had a Beef Value of LM +40, had been shown in 2011 picking up prizes at Kinross Show and the National Limousin Show. The establishing Stephick herd comprises of six breeding females.
Again, a major commercial enterprise, the Corries run 400Limousin cross cows along with 13 Limousin bulls. Speaking after the sale, Gareth Corrie said: This bull has scale, shape, length and the serious width that we are looking for.” Flashi will be put out with cows in May and should be on show at the Corries planned Open Day in August of this year.
Back in the prices at 9000gns was another from the Newhouse team in the shape of Newhouse Fabian. This second prize bull is by Hudscales Bigboy, purchased at Carlisle for 19000gns in November 2007, and is out of the Newhouse Nougat sired Newhouse Upright. August 2010 born and with a Beef Value of LM+34, Newhouse Fabian was purchased by A&F Paton, Easter Greenhill, Avonbridge, Falkirk.
All the way from Caithness, another herd enjoying an excellent day was W&A Oag of Brims Mains, Forss, Thurso. Topping their trade at 8,800gns was the June 2010 born Brims Farley. This calf is by the by the prolific AI sire Rocky and is out of Cragiebank Olwen whose pedigree includes the noted breeding of Druk Larissa. Purchasing this animal was commercial producer J King, South Hill of Dripps, Thorntonhall, Glasgow.
Also from the Oags, Brims Flashman made 7200gns when selling to Aitken Bros, Riccarton Farm, Linlithgow,West Lothian. An AI calf by the 50,000gns sire Wilodge Cerberus, Brims Flashman had earlier secured the Intermediate Section and Overall Reserve Supreme titles from the judge Eric Norman. May 2010 born, Flashman is out of the Ronick Iceman daughter Brims Allover. A son from Allover made 6000gns at the corresponding sale in 2011. A 100 pedigree cow herd, Brims have met with consistent show and sale success at Stirling (Perth) and have previously secured an Overall Championship. Their top price to date is the 14,000gns paid for Brims Theo at Perth in 2004.
Bulls from the Newhouse team kept coming and at 8000gns was Newhouse Black Freelander. Another bull with a huge Beef Value of LM+51, Freelander is another by the 19,000gns Hudscales Bigboy and is out of the Ronick Shapely daughter Newhouse Vivian. Purchasing this July 2010 born calf, and first prize winner, was Colin MacMillan a commercial producer from Ballimartin Farm, Ballygrant, Isle of Islay.
Three bulls in the sale made 7500gns including the August 2010 born Newhouse Black Festival. An embryo calf, Festival is by Greenhaugh Utwo and is out of one of the herd’s top cows the Greenwood Poll Homerun sired Newhouse Teak. This bull, and a first black Limousin purchase, sold to North Wales and the commercial producer AL Jones, Defaidty, Cwmtirmynach, Bala, Gwynedd. In addition to the quoted prices, the Newhouse herd also sold bulls at 5000gns, 4500gns, 3600gns and 3200gns respectively to round off a fantastic day’s trading.
Also at the 7500gns price was the day’s Reserve Intermediate Champion, the homebred Spittalton Franco from J Burnett & Sons, Upper Spittalton, Blair Drummond, Stirling. This shapely bull is by Spittalton Chopper, a Normande Tuscan son, and is out of the Orme B sired Spittalton Danita. Purchasing this May 2010 born bull for 7,500gns was George MacFadzean, Woddhead of Mailer,Perth.
The third bull to make 7500gns was Haltcliffe Franco from Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market,Wigton,Cumbria. July 2010 born Haltcliffe Franco is by the herd’s 42,000gns Cloughhead Umpire and is out of Haltcliffe Actress a Goldies Terence daughter whose pedigree also features the noted Perle. Perle is also the dam of the 30,000gns Haltcliffe Emerald sold at the Ridley’s Open Day sale in July 2011.
Following on from his Supreme Champion, Mr MJ Massie, Mains of Elrick, made 6,000gns when selling Elrick Flynn to D Sawrij, Allerbeck Farm, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire. The same sire as the Champion, Elrick Flynn is a Wilodge Vantastic son and is out of the eight year old cow Elrick Unicorn, a Ryedale Paragon daughter. From a team of shapely bulls. At 5800gns, Michael Massie consolidated a great trade when selling Elrick Festival for 5800gns. By the Dyfri Tanner son Spittalton Baron and out of another Ryedale Paragon daughter Elrick Vail, this April 2010 born bull was purchased by D Geddes, Netherton Farm, Aberlour, Banffshire.
Underlining a sale with plenty of strength in depth, the last bull of the day McLarens Black Fudge made 6,000gns for breeder W McLaren, Muirhouses, Kirriemuir, Angus. An October 2010 born bull, McLarens black Fudge is by the Saphir sired Hafodlas Abram and is out of McLarens Uhu, a Greenwood Poll Homerun daughter. Heading to Berwickshire, this bull was purchased by MacFarlane Farms, Quixwood Farm, Duns.
The Video of the Show and Sale is now available on Limousin TV click HERE
A selection of informal shots can be seen at the Limousin Gallery
