- Claragh and Haltcliffe heifers sell to 18,000gns
- 94% clearance with 80 lots selling
- Fifteen lots make 5000gns or more
- Sale grosses £299,194
Kicking off a busy two days of sales at Carlisle, Limousin females met with a flying trade on the evening of Friday 6th May at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. The breeders’ sale, held under British Limousin Cattle Society auspices, was predominantly for served and maiden heifers and saw consignments from the Claragh, Goldies, Haltcliffe, Gunnerfleet, and Lodge herds respectively.
Some fast and furious bidding saw Claragh Layla and Haltcliffe Juniper make 18,000gns respectively. Haltcliffe Justina made 14,000gns whilst Goldies Jessica sold for 10,000gns. In all fifteen lots sold for 5000gns or more. Of the eighty five animals forward eighty were sold to represent a ninety four percent clearance. The eighty animals sold grossed just shy of £300,000.
Getting things off to a cracking start, some furious bidding for lot number one saw Claragh Layla from JD Rainey, Kilrea, Co. Derry, achieve the day’s joint top price at 18,000gns. Described as a ‘super muscular heifer from the herd’s best cow’ this January 2015 born embryo calf is by Wilodge Vantastic and out of Haltcliffe Avon making her a full sister to the high performing 24,000gns stock bull Claragh Franco (in the herd of Eric Norman). Claragh Layla was purchased by Gareth Small, Kilkeel, County Down.
The joint top price at 18,000gns was the April 2014 Haltcliffe Juniper from Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market, Wigton, Cumbria. This heifer is by the French sire Galant and is out of Haltcliffe Fern (Best Heifer in North West Limousin Herd Competition in 2011). Purchasing this animal was John Richardson, who farms the Mystyle herd at Ghyll House near Appleby in the same county. Mr Richardson is of course a noted suckled calf producer who recently sold his commercial cow herd and is now developing a fledgling pedigree herd.
It was the same purchaser who acquired the next highest-priced lot at 15,000gns in the shape of the Cloughhead Umpire daughter Haltcliffe Justina, also from the Ridleys. She was born in September 2014 and is out of Haltcliffe Duchess. This maiden heifer who goes back to Cloughhead Romany is a half-sister to the aforementioned Haltcliffe Fern, the dam of the top price.
At 10,000gns was Goldies Jessica from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries. Another daughter of Cloughhead Umpire this September 2014 born embryo calf is out of Goldies Fairytale. Earlier in the week a bull out of Fairytale had taken the Supreme Championship at Stirling and made the 9,000gns top price. Following this female sale Goldies James, also out of Fairytale, went on to sell for 21,000gns. Purchasing Goldies Jessica was the Drift herd of A Phillips, The Shooting Lodge, Ashampstead, Reading. The Phillips also paid 5,500gns for the May 2014 Goldies Joan, by Goldies Fortress out of Goldies Eloquent.
Also from Bruce Goldie was the 7,800gns Goldies Joyful, scanned in calf to the 38,000gns Foxhillfarm Irishlad. Joyful is another by Goldies Fortress and is out of Goldies Empress making her a three quarter sister to the 20,000gns Goldies Jurassic. Purchasing Goldies Joyful was Aileen Ritchie, Tamala, Burnside, Whitecairns, Aberdeenshire for her establishing Ritchies pedigree herd. At the end of 2015 Aileen Ritchie had purchased the two top prices at the Red Ladies Limousin Sale including the 8000gns Goldies Inchantress.
Messrs W and A Callion of Bolfornought Farm in Stirling sold their stylish 7,500gns Lodge Lavendar to J and D Lewis, who are from Sandbach in Cheshire. Got by AI, Lavendar is sired by the Irish bred Elite Forever Brill and her dam, Lodge Emerald, is by the champion crossbred calf producer, Attila. The heifer was sold as having been entered for this year’s Royal Highland Show. Purchasing the top price Lodge heifer was Joe and David Lewis for their Cattlearch herd at Oakwood Lane, Moston, Sandbach.
Mr W Hamplett, Booden Grange, Church Eaton Road, Haughton, Staffs had a 6,800gns bid accepted for the October 2012-born Hartlaw Excalibur daughter, Lodge Hairspray, which came with her heifer calf at foot, Lodge Lori, sired by Lodge Hydro. Out of Lodge Actress, a Bailea Olympia daughter, Lodge Hairspray joins Mr Hamplett’s Petersfield herd.
Another from the Goldies offering, Goldies Lucky, made 6300gns when selling to D & R MacFarland, Omagh, Co Tyrone, N.Ireland. Again with plenty of breeding behind her this April 2015 heifer is by Foxhillfarm Irishlad and is out of the prolific Goldies Vitality whose progeny have sold up to £26,000.
A 6,000gns bid secured Goldies Jane for the Ladybowers herd of R and A White and Son, Two Thorn Fields Farm, Snake Road, Bamford, Hopevalley. The April 2014 Jane is a daughter of Ampertaine Foreman and is another out of Goldies Vitality.
Will Corrie, from Drumhilla Farm, Newtownards, County Down purchased two lots from the Haltcliffe offering at 5,600gns and 5000gns respectively. At 5600gns was the maiden heifer Haltcliffe Jolly. This November 2014 born Jolly is by Haltcliffe Gains and is out of Haltcliffe Aroma. The previous lot, Haltcliffe Juice, made 5000gns when going to the same purchaser. The June 2014 born Juice is by Haltcliffe Gentry and is out of Haltcliffe Apple. She was sold as being served by Haltcliffe Jaguar.
Another by Elite Forever Brill from the Callions was the May 2014 Lodge Jemini. Out of the Attila sired Lodge Gemini she caught the eye of Quinn Bros, for their Killydun herd at Kilrea in Northern Ireland, and who paid 5,500gns.
Two further animals made 5000gns and both came from the Goldies herd. The first of these was the September 2014 born Goldies Jessabel. Again by Cloughhead Umpire and out of Goldies Fairytale, Jessabel is a full sister to the day’s herd top price of 10,000gns, Goldies Jessica. Another to go to Northern Ireland this heifer was purchased by P & O McDonald, Tynan, Armagh, Co Armagh. Two lots later Goldies Japonaise sold to the Criffel herd of A Bunting, Midtown Farm, New Abbey, Dumfries. By Goldies Fandango, and out of Goldies Fairytale, Japonaise is a full sister to Goldies James who went on to sell for 21,000gns.
Averages:
CLARAGH HERD
5 heifers £7182.00
3 recipients carrying embryos £3010.00
GOLDIES HERD
11 served heifers £4390.91
7 maiden heifers £5100.00
HALTCLIFFE HERD
7 served heifers £3052.00
9 maiden heifers £6510.00
GUNNERFLEET HERD
18 maiden heifers £1773.33
LODGE HERD
5 cows served and/or suckling £3549.00
15 served & maiden heifers £2709.00
