- Millington Highlight sells for new cow and calf breed record at 50,000gns to new breeder
- Highlight’s daughter, Millington Juliet, sells for 30,000gns
- Six animals make 9000gns or more
The much anticipated dispersal sale of the noted Millington Limousin herd was held at Harrison & Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Friday 19th August 2016. On behalf of Millington Limousins, The Grange, Millington, York, the dispersal sale lived up to expectations with a 50,000gns top price and six animals in all making 9,000gns or more in a strong sale throughout.
Appropriately named, and ‘Highlight’ of the day, a full ringside fell silent as H&H auctioneer James Little took an opening bid of 10,000gns to set the ball rolling. After a flurry of bids she was knocked down to new Limousin breeders Mick Gould and his wife, trading as M & J C Gould, Grange Farm, Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury, along with his brother-in-law, Jonathan and his nephew Tom Waring. The Goulds are in the process of establishing the Woodmarsh herd prefix, whilst Jonathan and Tom already have the Everpark herd prefix. Commenting Mr Gould, who also runs 300 dairy cows and a pedigree Texel flock, said: “In establishing a new herd we wanted to start with something exceptional and in my mind a cow like this very rarely comes on the market. She’s a superb cow visually and just full of breeding and quality.”
The leading price of 50,000gns and a new cow and calf breed record was paid for the four year-old-cow Millington Highlight who was sold with her heifer calf at foot, Millington Limelight. The full package, Millington Highlight combined visual appearance along with a depth of breeding and excellent performance figures. For good measure she also arrived with a lengthy show record that included two Reserve Supreme Championships at the Great Yorkshire Show. An embryo calf she is a Wilodge Vantastic daughter out of Brockhurst Option whose mother is the highly regarded Ronick McAinsi.
Confirming the demand for the bloodline and the quality on offer the second top price of 30,000gns was paid for Millington Highlight’s first calf, Millington Juliet. This November 2014 born calf is by the French sire Ecran and again she sported some outstanding performance figures. Purchasing this maiden heifer was John and Pat Varley for their Queenshead herd based at Myrtle Grove Farm, Queensbury, Bradford. Commenting Pat Varley said: “We have been a closed herd for a little while now and felt this was the chance to buy a heifer that has it all. She’s got the looks and the figures to match!”
The herd’s matriarch cow Brockhurst Option, lived until the age of 16 and certainly left her mark on the breed. She featured heavily throughout the day’s top prices with direct descendants grossing in excess of 100,000gns on sale day. Prior to this, she had already bred offspring to (28,000gns) Millington Davina, (10,000gns) Millington Ferrari, (10,000gns) Millington Choice. (9,800gns) Millington Vascular, (7,000gns) Millington Hampton, (6,000gns) Millington Dallas. (6,000gns) Millington Decision, along with other private sales.
In all six animals made 9,000gns or more at the sale; proving the strength and depth of cattle in the catalogue that was described as ‘a rare opportunity to acquire some of the best Limousin genetics in the UK’. The sale of the Millington herd, owned for the past two years by Ashcourt Farms Ltd, followed a company restructure and change in farming policy. The herd has been managed for the past six years by Ian Nattress. Ian had turned the cattle out superbly on sale day which was a testament to his attention to detail and the Society is sure on behalf of everyone who knows Ian that we all wish him the best in the future. Commenting after the sale Ian Nattress said: “I feel very proud to have been able to manage and run the Millington herd for the last six years and I’d like to thank both John Weatherill and Bob Bousfield for the opportunity. The herd itself was very much going in the right direction and well on the way towards where I wanted them to be. I would like to wish all the purchasers the very best of luck. Millington Highlight and her daughter Millington Juliet are probably the best two cattle I have ever had the pleasure in working with to date.”
The Millington herd was originally established by John Weatherill some sixteen years ago and Mr Weatherill, who is looking to re-establish a Limousin herd, featured among the purchases during the day.
Leading Mr Weatherill’s purchases was the 12,000gns that he paid for the served heifer Millington Joyous. Joyous is a Greenwell Fieldmaster daughter and out of the Highlander sired Millington Gracious. Another to go to the same buyer was the 10,000gns Millington Hilton who was sold with her first calf at foot, the bull calf Millington Mayfair by Norman Hawk. December 2012 born, Hilton is an embryo calf by Objat and is another out of the same dam as the top price, Brockhurst Option.
At 11,800gns was another embryo heifer calf Millington Lapwing who was the same breeding, sired by Objat and out of Brockhurst Option. She was purchased jointly by the Calogale herd of Messrs Lee, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, along with the Frogmore herd of Chris White, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
Early in the sale Millington Gorgeous made 9,200gns. This 2011 born embryo calf is a Mas Du Clo daughter out of Brockhurst Option and was sold with her bull calf Millington Majestic at foot, a Norman Hawk son. This outfit was purchased by Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries for his Goldies pedigree herd.
Other Leading Prices
57 8000gns Breconside Farm Prtship, Breconside Farm, Moffat, Dumfriesshire
93 8000gns Barker Farming Partnership, Tancred Grange, Scorton, N. Yorkshire
40 5800gns J Wetherill, (Millington Limousin Ltd), The Horse Shoe, Tadcaster Road, York
55 5500gns J Wetherill, (Millington Limousin Ltd), The Horse Shoe, Tadcaster Road, York
60 5500gns A Bunting & Son, Midtown Farm, New Abbey, Dumfries
31 5000gns Michael Phillips, Doon West, Gurteen, Co Sligo, Eire
50 5000gns PJ & E Henshall, Sarkshields Farm, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire
64 5000gns S & S Kennedy, 31 Loanhill Avenue, Mauchline, Ayrshire
69 4800gns JV & K Brown, Colby Moor Lane, Llawhaden, Narberth, Dyfed
3 4500gns AJ Ewing, Dumbretton, Annan, Dumfriesshire
8 4500gns James Tennant Ltd, Manor House Farm, Fraisthorpe, Bridlington, Humberside
23 4500gns JR & C Ward, Whitstonehill, Tundergarth, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire
63 4500gns R & A White & Son, Two Thorns Fields Farm, Bamford, Hope Valley
32 4200gns J Wetherill, (Millington Limousin Ltd), The Horse Shoe, Tadcaster Road, York
43 4200gns A Bunting & Son, Midtown Farm, New Abbey, Dumfries
12 4100gns AJ Atkins Agriculture Ltd, Masons Green Farm, Halifax, W. Yorkshire
38 4000gns P Cummings, 5 Holmefield, Holme, Carnforth, Lancashire
59 4000gns T & D Irwin, St Mary’s Hall Farm, Great Bentley, Colchester, Essex
Averages
46 cows served and/or suckling £5277.39
4 embryo calves £5906.25
18 served heifers £4369.17
21 maiden heifers £3387.56
1 stock bull £8400
9 bulls £2286.67
