DYKE BULL TOPS SOLID STIRLING LIMOUSIN TRADE AT 13,500GNS
Commercial demand sees 81% clearance rate
59 bulls sell to average £4,730
Averages up £130 on year
With a top price of 13,500gns, JR MacGregor, Milton of Campsie, Glasgow, led a good commercial trade for Limousin bulls at Stirling on Monday 3rd February 2020 at United Auctions with their Reserve Senior Champion, Dyke Olympian. Taking him home were J & A Galloway, Lochlyoch Farm, Carmichael, Biggar, Lanark. Capping a great day’s trading, Dyke sold all their run of seven bulls to average an impressive £7,455.
Judge Robert McNee, Over Finlarg, Tealing, Dundee, said it was overall a good show of bulls with strength in length, locomotion, loin and good tops. Very commercially minded and running an upland farm, the McNees hang all their own cattle – mostly through ABP Perth – so Robert was looking for easy-fleshing bulls with a bit of cover to get the maximum carcase return. At home, the McNees run 100 Luings, 60 Limousins and 12 Simmental cows alongside a flock of 900 Cheviot ewes.
The day’s leading price, Dyke Olympian, is an April 2018-born son of the 12,000gns Goldies Lordoftherings purchased when standing Supreme Champion at Stirling in February 2017. The 13,500gns Dyke Olympian, described by the judge as “tall, long and very correct,” is out of the milky, fifteen-year-old cow Dyke Amazon, who has bred show calves to £7,000 and is full sister to the 7,000gns Dyke Triumph. He carries a Beef Value of LM+53 placing him in the top 1% of the Limousin breed for growth and performance.
Second leading price was the 10,000gns Reserve Junior Champion, Newhouse Oriental, when selling to Cloquhat Farms, Wester Cloquhat, Bridge of Cally, Blairgowrie. This black-coated bull was consigned by Messrs RM Adam & Son, Newhouse of Glamis, Glamis, Forfar with the herd also enjoying a solid trade that saw their six bulls gross £38,036. Oriental was born in July 2018 and is by Westhall Jammy who sired the leading price at the corresponding fixture last year (Westhall Norris 11,500gns), and is out of Newhouse Lazykay. Another with an exceptional Beef Value (LM+52), the judge described him as having tremendous length, top and depth of flesh.
Continuing the good run from Donald MacGregor’s 50-cow Dyke herd were two bulls at the 9,000gns mark. The first of these was the Supreme Champion, Dyke Outlaw, born in April 2018 and weighing 1090kg. He is sired by Netherhall Gilbert, purchased at Carlisle and a good breeder in the herd with sons to date averaging £7,000, and is out of the Goldies Comet daughter, Dyke Jemma. The judge liked Outlaw’s size, overall correctness and balance of flesh and the bull heads now to J W Kay & Co, Gass, Straiton, Ayr.
Another at 9,000gns was the fifth prize winner Dyke Ovation (LM+56) when selling to Messrs Renwick, Corsebank, Sanquhar, Dumfries. By the Goldies Fantastic son, Goldies Lordoftherings, he is out of the Ryedale Paragon daughter, Dyke Viva, still going strong at 15 years of age. Also from Dyke, going under the hammer for 6,000gns to Messrs D&E Campbell, Benview, Kilmoluaig, Isle of Tiree, was Dyke Ozzie, again by the Lordoftherings sire but this time out of the Haltcliffe President-sired dam, Dyke Dazzler.
The third bull at 9,000gns was the much-admired second prize winner Ringway Odeon from P J Henshall, Sarkshields Farm, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie. An AI son of the Irish-bred Elite Icecream, by Ampertaine Elgin, and out of the Haltcliffe Vermount-sired dam, Ringway Fallon, this June 2018-born bull was bought by Cobbleheugh Farms, Cobbleheugh, Dinnet, Aberdeenshire.
At the 8,500gns mark was the red rosette-winning Goldies Orlando from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries when knocked down to Huntlyhill Mains, Lanark. By the Ampertaine Gigolo son, Goldies Juggler, and out of the Goldies Terence-sired cow Goldies Dalmation, he sold with a Beef Value of LM+49.
The Goldies Herd then sold their fourth prizewinner, Goldies Overture (LM+55), for 8,000gns in a three-way split to DH Amory, R MacIntosh & P&T Michie. An embryo calf born in June 2018, Overture has Wilodge Tonka breeding on both dam and sire sides being by the Wilodge Cerberus son, Ampertaine Foreman, and out of the Wilodge Vantastic-sired dam Goldies Fragrance who bred the 25,000gns Goldies Neymar.
Making 8,200gns for the Newhouse Herd was the fourth prize winning homozygous black and polled Limousin bull, Newhouse Ontop, sired by the Newhouse Glamis son, Westhall Jammy, and out of Newhouse Lyn (by Greenhaugh Forester). New owners are Dunecht Estates, Dunecht, Westhill, Aberdeenshire. At 6,800gns was Newhouse Omagh, by the same sire and out of the Objat-bred Newhouse Luckykay, who went under the hammer to GT & S Coghill, Muce, Birsay, Orkney.
Andrew Burnett, Upper Spittalton Farm, Blairdrummond, Stirling then sold his Junior Champion & Reserve Overall Spittalton Overland for 8,000gns. Admired for his length and depth by the judge and his ability to go on and develop further, Overland is by Burnbank Judge and out of the Sympa daughter, Spittalton Harriet. He heads to Croy Cunningham, Gartness Farm, Balfron Glasgow.
Realising 7,000gns was the well-muscled Harestone Oklahoma consigned by Neil Barclay, South Road, Insch, Aberdeen. By the Jacot grandson, Lodge Hamlet, and out of the Nenuphar daughter, Harestone Ladybog, this May 2018-born bull went under the hammer to Wilson Peters, Monzie Farms, Gilmerton, Crieff.
Other Leading Prices
5,500gns Homebyres Ontario Messrs J Logan to N&M McLelland
5,200gns Westhall Outlook McNee LtdA&L Cromarty
5,000gns Spittalton Oslo Mr J Burnett to Crofters Commission
5,000gns Walkers Oluminate Mr P Walker to Tulloch Farm
5,000gns Dyke Oliver JR MacGregor to Messrs Foreland
Averages:
59 Bulls £4,730.34 (+£130)
Clearance Rate 81% (+1%)
Sale Gross £279,090 (+£7,690)
Auctioneers United Auctions
