- 121 bulls average £6418
- Averages up by £691 on the year with four more bulls sold
- 87% clearance rate
- Six bulls at 20,000gns and over
- Fourteen bulls in all sell at five figures
- 56 intermediate bulls average £7,502.81
- Bull sale grosses £776,632
- Bull and female sales gross over £1 Million
Limousin bulls were in strong demand and met with a buoyant trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s May sale held at Carlisle’s Borderway Mart on Saturday 7th May. At the close of the day 121 bulls averaged £6418 up by a massive £691 on the year for four more bulls. The clearance rate saw 87% of the 139 bulls sold as commercial and pedigree breeders competed for the quality on offer. Fourteen bulls in all made over five figures with fifty six intermediate bulls averaging £7503. With the strong Limousin female trade on the previous evening, the combined sale gross for Limousin bulls and females over the two days of sales was £1,075,826.
Leading the Limousin bull trade was the 28,000gns Alagils Jambon from Alasdair and Gill Macnab’s herd in Dingwall, Highland. An October 2014 born Netherhall Gallant Jambon is from very strong female lines; his dam is Alagils Gillie, while his granddam is the herd’s top show cow, Alagils Ainsi, out of Broadmeadows Jiji. The top price marks a significant achievement in breeding terms, as the Macnabs only started selling bulls in 2004. They currently run a herd of 25 pedigree cows, with a similar number of commercials. The October 2014 Jambon was knocked down to Eric Norman, whose Norman herd of 140 pedigree Limousins is based just a stone’s throw away from Carlisle Mart. Commenting, Mr Norman explained: “Jambon caught my eye, as he has good width and plenty of style. He will be going to heifers by our current stock bull, Claragh Franco, to introduce a new bloodline into our breeding programme.” In the pre-sale show Alagils Jambon had placed fourth in a strong class in front of the judge Gary Oag of the Brims Herd, Caithness.
Commenting after the sale Iain Kerr, British Limousin Cattle Society Chief Executive said that there was a notably strong and increased demand for the Limousin breed across the UK: “The market place is emphasising and rewarding cattle that can finish at 350kgs at 14 -16 months age and that have top grades, good yield and high killing out percentage. This is the main factor that is driving increased demand for Limousin bulls at sales across the country. In five days this week at Stirling and Carlisle we have seen 164 Limousin bulls sell to gross over £950,000. Here at Carlisle there has been a terrific demand for both bulls and females that have seen a total sale gross of over £1 Million.”
The second top price of the day was 21,000gns for Goldies James, from Bruce Goldie’s prolific herd at Mouswald, Dumfries. James came first in show class ten on the preceding day, beating Goldies Justright into second position. He is by Goldies Fandango, himself a previous Carlisle championship winner. Goldies James’ dam, Goldies Fairytale, is described by Mr Goldie as his “best breeding cow” and she also produced the heifer which he had sold for 10,000gns on the previous evening. The purchaser of the November 2014 bull was Messrs Heald and Co of Retford in Nottinghamshire for their Coachhouse pedigree herd. On the day the Goldies herd sold five bulls to gross £51,450. At the female sale the previous evening they had sold eighteen maiden or served heifers to gross £84,000. Only five days earlier the herd had taken the top two prices of 9000gns at the Society’s May Sale in Stirling.
Four bulls made 20,000gns, including the show’s Reserve Supreme Champion and Reserve Intermediate Champion, Dinmore Jacot, from Paul Dawes’ herd at Kipperknowle Farm in Hereford. This bull had received a great deal of attention prior to the sale, as he is by the noted Requin, whose semen is no longer available on the open market. Jacot’s dam, Dinmore Caprice, is also the mother of Dinmore Immense, Male Champion at the 2015 Royal Welsh, and has previously had progeny sell up to 22,000gns. The December 2014-born Jacot was snapped up by Messrs Ridley for their Haltcliffe herd at Hesket New Market, Wigton, Cumbria.
Once again Northern Irish bulls featured strongly through the sale, with WJ and J McKay of Maghera also accepting a 20,000gns bid. It came for the October 2014 Ampertaine Jefferson, which was a first prize winner in class six and whose sire, Ampertaine Elgin, sold for 32,000gns at Carlisle. Elgin has done well for the herd, with another son, Ampertaine Hotshot, previously selling for 28,000gns. Ampertaine Jefferson went to HB and LJ Lear, who run the Turville pedigree herd in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The McKay family had another good day, with their two other bulls going for 7,5000gns and 5,000gns.
Also travelling from Northern Ireland was the third 20,000gns bull, Lynderg James, the preceding day’s Reserve Senior Champion. The Lynderg Hero son was the only lot forward from Jim Quail, who farms at Banbridge in County Down. He pointed out that James offered “something a bit different,” being one of the few bulls in the catalogue with no Vantastic or Sympa in his breeding history. Mr Quail was very pleased to see the August 2014 James going home with William Dick and Sons of Mains of Throsk, Stirling, for their noted Ronick herd.
Fourth at 20,000gns was the January 2015-born Procters Loneranger, one of the results from frozen embryos purchased out of the Glenrock herd. Lone Ranger, by Goldies Comet is out of Glenrock Spangle and was forward by Procters Farms at Clitheroe in Lancashire. He is a full brother to the record-breaking female, Glenrock Illusion who sold for 125,000gns. Purchasing the January 2015 bull, which won the Junior Male Championship and first prize in the second last class, was the Gascoines Group, based at Southwell in Nottinghamshire, and who run the Gascoines pedigree herd.
At 17,000gns was heifer’s calf, Gunnerfleet Jasper, by Plumtree Fantastic and offered by Ian Handley, Gunnerfleet Farm, Chapel Le Dale, Ingleton, Lancashire who won the North West Limousin regional herd competition last year. Out of the homebred Gunnerfleet Hunas, a Brynmor daughter, the October 2014 bull was purchased by the noted commercial producer Emily Jones, Coedmore Hall, Cellan, Lampeter, Dyfed. From a strong pen of bulls, Gunnerfleet Jason sold for 9000gns. This October 2014 born calf is by Plumtree Fantastic and is out of Gunnerfleet Hecian one of the herd’s top female lines. Another by Plumtree Fantastic, this time Gunnerfleet Jammy, sold for 8000gns. The December 2014 born Jammy is out of another Brynmor female, Gunnerfleet Hiseni. Both Gunnerfleet Jason and Gunnerfleet Jammy were purchased by Mr J Caley for his Booilshuggel herd at East Baldwin, Braddan, Isle of Man.
Paul Dawes had a good all-round day, with Dinmore Jeanpierre, which won second prize in class eight, making 16,000gns. This bull, who stood second in his class to the Supreme Champion, is a Diamant son out of Dinmore Giselle. Mr Dawes stressed that the bull came from a very strong cow family. His dam, Dinmore Elle a previous Royal Welsh Champion, is a full sister to Dinmore Goldcrest, which was knocked down at a previous sale for 18,000gns. Buyer of Dinmore Jeanpierre was Andrew Burnett of the Spittalton herd at Blair Drummond in Stirlingshire.
Selling at 15,000gns was the first prizewinning Craigatoke Jackpot from Martin Conway, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone. Another by Ampertaine Elgin, this October 2014 born bull is out of the Wilodge Vantastic sired Craigatoke Elegant. Purchasing Craigatoke Jackpot was the Hotshot pedigree herd of MA Harryman, Swainsea Barn Farm, Swainsea Lane, Pickering.
Late in the day the February 2015 born Saunders Logic from A & W Watson, Brampton, Cumbria made 12,000gns when selling to the Honeymoor herd of RS Harker & Son, Grayrigg Hall, Grayrigg, Kendal. This second prize bull in the final class is by the AI sire Wilodge Fastrac and is out the Cloughhead Jurassic sired Saunders Candy. Logic is a maternal brother to the 8000gns Saunders Handyandy.
Of the four 10,000gns bulls on the day, one was Goldies Juggernaut, a very high performance son of Ampertaine Gigolo and out of the Vantastic daughter Goldies Fragrance. This September 2014 bull made the long journey up through Scotland and across the water to the Isle of Tiree with AJ MacLean of Haylipol Farm.
Another at 10,000gns was Glenrock Justhejob from Stephen Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie. Sired by Rathconville Eugene this calf is out of the herd’s matriarch female Glenrock Spangle. Born in November 2014, the bull was awarded first prize in class nine. Two years ago the Illingworth family sold all but two females from their outstanding Glenrock herd in order to buy their tenanted farm in Lockerbie, Dunfries. They are now building pedigree numbers back up, using commercial cows as recipients. Purchasing Glenrock Justhejob was the Longhirst herd of DW Jordon of Morpeth in Northumberland.
A 10,000gns bid was also made for the second prize winner Woodhall Jasper from Woodhall, Hesket Newmarket, Wigton. An embryo calf by Haltcliffe Vermount and out of Hazelhead Camelia this calf was born in December 2014. He was purchased by DJ and SM Thomlinson, from Scaleby, Carlisle for their Beeches pedigree herd.
The Reserve Junior Champion Confluence Leyton was another at 10,000gns. The Corridan Hakka son was shown by Gavin Ogg, Scunthorpe, Lincs who picked the bull out and took a video of him on the day he was born in the 75-strong pedigree herd. Leyton went off to put his stamp on the Killerton pedigree herd belonging to Columbjohn Farms of Exeter in Devon.
Making 9000gns was the homozygous polled and black bull Knock Black Jax from Albert Howie, West Knock Farms, Stuartfield, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. A heifer’s calf Black Jax is by Goldies Florida and is out of Knock Hyacinth. Buying this November 2014 born bull, who had a Beef Value of LM+56, was GD Roberts, Garndolbenmaen, Gwynedd.
Another black coated bull to make 9000gns was Newhouse Black Jimbo from RM Adam & Son, Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar. December 2014 born this calf is by Millington Ferrari and is out of Newhouse Hetty. This bull also went to Wales and R Alyn Elias, Hendre Cennin Isaf, Gwynedd.
To view video of judging, click here and for one of the sale, click here.
To view the results of the show, please click here.
Averages
27 Senior Bulls £5506.67
56 Intermediate Bulls £7502.81
38 Junior Bulls £5468.29
121 Bulls Overall £6418.45
Auctioneers
HARRISON & HETHERINGTON LIMITED,
Borderway Mart, Carlisle, Cumbria.
