32,000GNS HUNTERSHALL GLADIATOR LEADS SOLID LIMOUSIN BULL TRADE AT CARLISLE

• 130 bulls sold to average £5,332 

• 11 bulls make 10,000gns and over 

• 76% clearance rate 

• Sale grosses £693,180 

It was a memorable sale debut for Wigton breeder SJ Nixon of the Huntershall Herd, Southerfield, Cumbria when his bull Huntershall Gladiator sold for the top price of 32,000gns at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Spring Show & Sale of Limousin Bulls held at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on the 16^th February 2013.   The May 2011-born Gladiator is a son of the noted bull Rossignol and is out of the homebred Sympa-sired Huntershall Dancer.

In front of another big crowd at Borderway Mart, the day’s sale leader was a first prize winner from within a strong intermediate section of bulls.  Purchasing the top price in a three-way split were NW Hardisty, How Hall, Ennerdale, Cleator, Cumbria together with J Knight, Low Meadows, Low Broadleys Farm, Calderbridge, Seascale, Cumbria and Norbreck Genetics Ltd, Cockerham, Lancaster, Lancs.

To see a video of the sale of this bull click HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0-y6SR8GJ8

Commenting, Neil Hardistry said: “We bought this bull first and foremost on his pedigree with the sire, Rossignol, being we think one of the best crossing lines for both pedigree and commercial use. The bull himself is long, clean, well-muscled with a very good back-end, great top and good on his legs.” Mr Hardistry runs a small pedigree herd of 10 breeding females under the Howhall prefix alongside around 70 commercial cows. The Knights run a 120-head purely commercial enterprise. In 2012 the bull had been seen both at home and on the Limousin stand at the 2012 Borderway Agri Expo by Neil Hardistry and Ian Knight. Gladiator will now return to the vendor’s farm to undergo the required tests prior to semen collection and subsequent marketing through Philip Halhead of Norbreck Genetics Ltd who are the third partner in the three-way deal.

Some five years in pedigree Limousins, Stephen Nixon runs the Huntershall pedigree Limousin herd which was established in 2007.  Currently the herd numbers 20 pedigree females with the farm also having 60 commercial cows. It is very much a family affair with daughter Alice (16) and son Thomas (12) very keen on the breeding and showing side – not forgetting Mum Leona, daughter Hayley (20) & Andrew (9).

Huntershall Gladiator has enjoyed a good deal of show success in the past year when put up as Interbreed Champion at Stokesley Show, Male Champion at Cumberland Show and Interbreed Champion at Hesket Newmarket Show. A clearly delighted Stephen Nixon said he might have looked cool in the ring but actually had his hands in his pockets to stop them shaking! “This is the first animal I’ve ever sold at a British Limousin Cattle Society sale and I’m over the moon to have achieved this top price.”

The corresponding 2012 sale at Carlisle, described as the ‘sale of the century’, was always going to be a hard act to measure up against.  Then, 131 bulls averaged a curve-bending and all-breeds record £8,243, with a 120,000gns bull leading the way.  The 2013 sale saw numbers maintained with one less bull sell to a good average of £5332.15.   Putting this into perspective, the 2013 average was up by some £306 on the corresponding 2011 sale!

In all, the sale grossed over a healthy £693,000 with eleven bulls making over five figures, and with a clearance rate of 76% of the 172 bulls forward for sale.

Commenting after the sale, Iain Kerr, the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Chief Executive said:  “The spring Carlisle and Stirling sales have seen 215 Limousin bulls sold which is up by nine on the year.  Coming off the back of a record sales year in 2012 to see the level of demand increase I think shows a tremendous confidence in the breed.  The average at Carlisle is back in line with previous years and this was to be expected following last year’s remarkable sale and coupled with where the industry continues to be at present with regards to shortage of keep and costs of inputs.  Both trades have been dominated by commercial producers – which is what the Limousin breed is all about.”

The second top price bull at 23,000gns was Rahoney Geoffrey from Messrs H&D McFarland, Rahoney, 200 Tonnagh Road, Trillick, Co Tyrone.  This June 2011-born bull had earlier been placed as Intermediate Champion and Overall Reserve Supreme in the pre-sale show judged by Andrew Burnett of the noted Spittalton Herd based at Blairdrummond, Stirling.    An embryo calf, Rahoney Geoffrey was a bull described as having ‘size, thickness, length and style’.  Combining both pedigree and performance figures, Geoffrey is by the 50,000gns Wilodge Cerberus and is out of the homebred Rahoney Abigail, a Tanat Mostyn-sired daughter.  In 2012, this bull had also placed Reserve in the Northern Ireland Limousin Championships.  Another bull to go to joint purchasers, Rahoney Geoffrey heads north to the Elrick Herd of Michael Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, Ellon, Aberdeenshire and the Clury Herd of Walter Cruikshank, Clury Farm, Grantown-on-Spey, Morayshire.  For the McFarlands, this was also their top price at sale eclipsing their previous best of 14,000gns for Rahoney Uz at the 2004 ILC Sale also held in Carlisle.

Black Limousin bulls made their mark at the sale and none more so than the 18,000gns Knock Black Glencoe from Mr AG Howie, West Knock, Stuartfield, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.  A red ticket winner in the first class of Intermediate bulls, the polled Knock Black Glencoe is May 2011-born.  Sired by Greenhaugh Europa he is out of the Newhouse Billy dam Knock Dolly.  Again with a strong Beef Value of LM+42, this bull was snapped up by well-known Charolais breeder and vet Esmor Evans, Monfa, Gwernaffield Road, Mold, Clwyd for his Esmors pedigree Limousin herd. Mr Evans first purchased his red Limousin heifers from France in 2012 and has used homozygous black semen.  This purchase is aimed at further introducing black genetics into the establishing herd.  Beyond semen collection, it is intended that semen will be available through the on-line Semenstore website.

Well into the junior section of bulls, Glenrock Garibaldi from Mr & Mrs SD Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway made 13,000gns when selling to GH & J Wallis & Son, Gingle Pot, Marske, Richmond, North Yorkshire.  Another embryo calf, this September 2011-born bull featured a depth in breeding.  By the 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic, Glenrock Garibaldi is out of Glenrock Saspirilla who had previously bred the 24,000gns Glenrock Ventura.  Garibaldi was sold with a Beef Value of LM+36.

The Reserve Junior Championship went to Haltcliffe Gallardo from the prolific herd of Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket-New-Market, Wigton.  July 2011-born, Haltcliffe Gallardo is by the 34,000gns Objat son, Cloughhead Ernie, and is out of the homebred Haltciffe Breeze.  Haltcliffe Breeze has previously produced calves up to 7,500gns and her mother, Haltcliffe Virginia, is a full sister to the 100,000gns Haltcliffe Vermount.  Making 12,000gns in the ring, Haltcliffe Gallardo was knocked down to an undisclosed buyer.

Four bulls made 11,000gns.  The first of these was Norman Griffin from Mr & Mrs E Norman, Little Orton Farm, Little Orton, Carlisle.  A first prize winner in the senior section, Norman Griffin is by the Bailea Ulsterman son Coachhouse Duke and is out of Norman Duchess – a daughter of the herd’s noted stock bull Heathmount Trojan.  Purchasing this April 2011-born bull were Messrs J Logan for their pedigree Homebyres herd at Humebyres, Kelso.  The sale of Norman Griffin at 11,000gns capped a terrific day for the Normans which, from a fine team, saw them sell nine bulls in all to gross over £60,000.  Other leading prices from the herd included bulls at 9000gns, 8500gns, 6500gns and two at 6000gns.

Also at 11,000gns was Maraiscote Geronimo from Mr J Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire.  This bull, from the intermediate section, is by the herd’s 23,000gns stock bull Goldies Comet who has previously sold progeny up to 30,000gns.  Out of the Tyddyn Mei daughter Maraiscote Renata, the June 2011-born Maraiscote Geronimo went to the South East of England when purchased for the pedigree and commercial enterprises based at Strattons Farm, Newbury Road, Kingsclere, Hampshire.

Calves from the 35,000gns Plumtree Deus featured in the catalogue for the first time and primary amongst these were the 11,000gns Plumtree Graidan from the fifteen-cow herd of Mr P Cairns, Hall Farm, Tollerton Lane, Tollerton, Nottinghamshire. Weighing in at 885kgs, this June 2011-born bull had placed as Reserve in the intermediate section in the pre-sale show.  Mr Cairns had bred and sold Plumtree Deus for 35,000gns at the corresponding February Sale in 2010.  Plumtree Graidan represented Mr Cairns first Deus-sired calf from semen obtained ‘as luck on the sale’!  Plumtree Graidan, who is out of the Mas Du Clo-sired Millington Concerto, was purchased by T Common, Low Ardley, Hexham, Northumberland.

The final bull to make 11,000gns was the Junior Champion Roxburgh Gurkha from John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso.  Another bull from a new and fast-establishing herd, this August 2011-born bull is the first Limousin born and registered in the Roxburgh Herd.  Goldies Daffodil was purchased in-calf, to Hartlaw Excaliber, for 5000gns at a sale from Bruce Goldies’ herd held at Carlisle, with Roxburgh Gurkha being the resulting calf.   The 22,000gns Hartlaw Excaliber, a Wilodge Tonka son, was the Male Champion for the Goldies Herd at the BLCS 40^th Anniversary National Show held in 2011.  Purchasing the Junior Champion was well-known show calf producer Hugh Dunlop who also has the pedigree Doonvalley Herd at Holehouse Farm, Ochiltree, Cumnock, Ayrshire.  Through breeding and embryo transfer Mr Elliot’s longer term aim is to build the Roxburgh Herd up to approximately fifty breeding females.

The Supreme Champion, Millbrow George, made 10,000gns when going under the hammer to R Thornton & Son, Cornhills, Kirkwhelpington, Newcastle upon Tyne for their 100-head commercial herd, made up predominantly of Limousin-crosses, and where he will join two other Limousin bulls. Commenting on his purchase, Richard Thornton said: “We calve down from May so usually turn the bulls out mid-July. We like to have new bulls settle down well before then and place emphasis first and foremost on health status with figures also playing a part in the bull selection process.”

Millbrow George was brought forward by well-known breeders George & Pat Long, Mill Brow Farm, Skelwith Bridge, Ambleside. Clearly delighted, Pat Long joked that this bull was “so good that I named him after my husband!” February 2011-born, Millbrow George is an embryo calf by Ardnacrasha Uthman – a bull that the Longs own jointly with Norman Cruickshank, Lanark – and is out of Millbrow Opal. The other two embryo calves from the same flush had been sold previously for 5,000gns and 4,500gns to WSL Muir, Orkney and Tottingworth Farms Ltd, E Sussex respectively. Ardnacrusha Uthman has to date sold bulls up to 13,000gns (Millbrow Bellman, Carlisle May 2007) and the dam, Millbrow Opal, is now in calf to Wilodge Fastrac. The Longs bought their first Limousin in 1985 from Tommy Holliday’s Holly Herd with two others from the Roughland Herd of Tommy’s brother. This represents the first ever sale Supreme Championship for the Millbrow prefix.  Commenting on his Champion animal, the judge Andrew Burnett said:  “This bull is a true-to-type Limousin.  I thought that he had great character, presence, and shape, and walked really well.  A terrific bull he would be well suited for both the pedigree and commercial producer.”

A good day’s trading for the Westpit Herd of A&J Gammie, Drumforber, Laurencekirk, Aberdeen saw their two bulls make 10,000gns and 6,200gns respectively for two of the first sons offered for sale by the 20,000gns Fieldson Alfy son, Netherhall Doubleoseven. The second prize winner, Westpit Goldeneye (LM+47), September 2011-born, realised 10,000gns when going under the hammer to Denis Cadzow & Co Ltd, Duncrahill Farm House, Pencaitland, Tranent, E.Lothian – being out of the Vagabond daughter, Greenwell Doris. The first prize-winning Westpit Graeme (LM+34), out of another Vagabond daughter, now heads to J Common & Son’s Crossdykes Herd at Tundergarth, Lockerbie, Dumfries for 6,200gns.

To see the sale of the ten top priced bulls other than Huntershall Gladiator, click  HERE

Pedigree breeders JW & DN Eve, Stubbsgill Farm, Yearngill, Aspatria, Wigton, Cumbria purchased the first prize-winning junior bull Ampertaine Garcia for 9,500gns for their Eves Herd. Having stood first in one of the youngest Junior classes, Garcia (LM+17) was brought forward by WJ & J McKay, Kilrea Road, Maghera, Co Down, N Ireland. Another AI son of the noted sire Plumtree Deus, this September 2011-born bull is out of Ampertaine Vera, a Procters Rocco daughter.

Two other red rosette-winners made 9,000gns apiece. The first of these was another from the team of Mr & Mrs E Norman in the shape of Norman Gameboy who went under the hammer to commercial buyers HG Blaxell & Sons, Eastfield Farm, Hickling, Norwich, Norfolk. Sired by the homebred Norman Ebeneezer, a grandson of Haltcliffe Ullswater, and out of another Heathmount Trojan-sired dam, Norman Cola, this May 2011-born bull sold with a Beef Value of LM+20.  Also from the Normans was the 8,500gns Norman Gent who had stood second in his class to the Reserve Intermediate Champion. Gent is another by Coachhouse Duke, and is out of Stacey Redlady, and was sold with a Beef Value of LM+39 to local breeders A & W Cowx, Hudscales, Hesket New Market, Wigton, Cumbria for their Hudscales prefix.

The second bull at 9,000gns was the shapely Goldies Gemini from BT Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries which was knocked down to M & W Richardson, Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere, Cockermouth, Cumbria. An AI calf sired by Wilodge Cerberus and out of the Haltcliffe Bill daughter, Goldies Evita, this October 2011-born bull sported a Beef Value of LM+46. The mother of Evita is the noted Goldies Vitality who has bred bulls to 23,000gns (Goldies Comet Reserve Champion Carlisle February 2009).

Securing a final bid of 8,500gns was the blue ticket winner, Netherhall Gilbert, from Nether Hall Farm, Nether Hall, Mansergh, Cumbria, when picked up by JR MacGregor (Dyke) Ltd, Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie, Glasgow for the Dyke pedigree Limousin herd. Sired by the stock bull Haltcliffe DJ, purchased jointly with Procters Farm Ltd for 72,000gns, the October 2011-born Gilbert is out of the Broadmeadows Cannon daughter, Netherhall Classy, and carried a Beef Value of LM+33. The Kellys had earlier sold bulls by the same sire at 4,000gns and 3,200gns respectively.

Peter Alexander, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire purchased three bulls in all for his 1,000-head commercial enterprise to join his significant bull battery at the 8,200gns, 6,500gns and 5,000gns mark respectively. At 8,200gns was Swarland Black Generator consigned by A&D Proctor, Swarland Old Hall, Swarland, Morpeth, Northumberland. One of the first calves sired by the 6,800gns Emslies Enigma, a son of Bailea BMW, purchased May 2010 at Carlisle, the September 2011 born Generator is out of Swarland Chantelle, a Limo Tanat daughter. He sells with a Beef Value of LM+31. Messrs Ridley continued their good day’s trading with the 6,500gns Haltcliffe Gary, a son of Procters Commander and out of Haltcliffe Brenda who carries both Cloughhead Umpire and Sympa breeding and is dam of the 10,000gns Haltcliffe Elgin. The other heading to Mains of Mause was the 5,000gns Grahams Grizzly, a first prizewinner and the youngest bull sold on the day. From vendors Mr & Mrs R & J Graham, Airthrey Kerse, Bridge of Allan, Stirling, Grizzly is sired by Baileys Elderado, the Queenshead Altea son, and is out of the French dam, Cousine. He sold with a Beef Value of LM+28.

Realising a price tag of 7,500gns was Ballinloan Glencoe from Mr S Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, Perth. By Millgate Caesar and out of Ballinloan Sasha, he is half-brother to Ballinloan Formidable sold 20,000gns Carlisle May 2012. He now heads to Berry Bros, Tullyraine Road, Banbridge, Co Down, N Ireland for their Banville Herd. Mr Fotheringham sold another bull at 5,000gns to Shucksmith Partners, White Barn Farm, Alvingham, Louth, Lincs. This one was sired by Nebo Dynamite.

Following their purchase of eight heifers at the Breeders’ Sale of Limousin females held on the Friday evening prior to the bull sale, the leading Dutch Limousin company, Cowporation BV of Alblasserdam, GB Ridderkerk, Holland continued their ongoing investment into British Limousin genetics by securing two high-value bulls.  At 7,500gns was the first prize-winning Loosebeare Gent brought out by EW Quick & Sons, Loosebeare Manor, Zeal Monachorum, Crediton, Devon. Sired by Sarkley Dafydd, who was purchased at Brecon in May 2010 for a centre record 13,000gns, Loosebeare Gent (LM+38) is out of the Rainbow Simon daughter, Loosebeare Bracken. Another heading to Holland was Wilodge Gatsby at the 6,500gns mark on behalf of Miss C Williams T/A   DA Williams, Lodge Hill Farm, Park Lane, Shifnal, Shrops. Continuing a breeding theme, Gatsby is by the Rainbow Simon son, Loosebeare Diego, purchased at the corresponding sale three years ago for 20,000gns. Gatsby’s dam is the twelve-year-old cow, Nouvelle Sophia, a naturally muscly and milky female.

Rentons Gambier from S&L Renton, Tannage Brae, Duns, Scottish Borders was knocked down for 7,000gns       to GA Verity, Hammersdale Farm, Ellingstring, Ripon, N.Yorkshire. First in class sixteen, this August 2011-born bull is by the noted sire Wilodge Tonka and is out of Lumbylaw Adelaide. A well-grown bull with a quiet temperament, he went under the hammer with a Beef Value of LM+28.

Another at 7,000gns was the red ticket-winning Farmleigh Gussy. Consigned by N&E Cruickshank, Cowford Farm., Cleghorn, Lanark this Irish-bred bull is by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the Mas Du Clo daughter, Roundhill Dbelladone. He heads north to the Buchaam prefix of pedigree breeders C & E Ogg, Buchaam Farm, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire.

Other Leading Prices:

Garyvaughan Gronwen                  6,800gns CV Lewis to P Tindale

Culnagechan Giantscauseway    6,500gns D Hume to N & L Hill

Norman Goal                                    6,500gns Messrs Norman to B Watson

Goldies Garcon                                6,500gns BT Goldie to Redpath Farms

Averages:

30 Senior Bulls               £4,174.66

58 Intermediate Bulls    £5,988.62

42 Junior Bulls               £5,282.50

 Overall 130 Bulls           £5,332.15

Auctioneer: Harrison & Hetherington

An overview of the Show & Sale can be viewed HERE