35 maiden heifers averaged £5,550 (up £1,220 on 2022).
Strong demand for the cream of show potential Limousin genetics, saw a packed ringside at Borderway Mart on Friday 8 December for the highly anticipated Red Ladies and Weaned Calf sale. And not without cause as the sale average rocketed to £5,500 up £1,220 on the previous year. Red Ladies sold to 22,000gns, while the weaned calves topped at a whopping 25,000gns.
Topping the Red ladies lots at 22,000gns was the 19-month-old Garrowby Toffee, selling to Paul and Christine Tippetts for the Wilodge herd, Shifnal, Shropshire. Bred and exhibited by Garrowby Farm, Bugthorpe, York, Toffee performed well during this years show season, racking up no less than four breed championships and an interbreed championship title. She is the first heifer by the 28,000gns Grahams Rooney to be sold and bred out of Gunnerfleet Jeloche, who was purchased by the herd in 2020 and goes back to the 9,000gns Cloughhead Umpire. With a myostatin combination of NT821/Q204X she boasts a beef value of 41, placing her in the top 25% of the breed.
Judge Mary Cormack, of the Rougemont herd, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, was presented with one of the strongest show of females Red Ladies has seen in recent years and bought her choice of champion and reserve. Mary first judged Red Ladies in 2006 and is a huge supporter of the breed.
Show champion Sarkley Tenrietta (April 2022 born), bought forward for sale by Elfed Williams, Sennybridge, Powys, who purchased her this time last year at the weaned calf sale for 10,000gns, is bred by EH Pennie and Son, Montgomery, Powys. Elfed was overcome with emotion, as she was crowned champion. Tenrietta has been his first pedigree Limousin to show and he’d enjoyed much success with her at the English and Welsh Winter Fairs. Sarkley Tenrietta is a double Q204X heifer, out of the 18,000gns Dinmore Goldcrest sired Sarkley Lenrietta, and is by the 14,500gns Carnew Millreef. Her breeder Chris Pennie said “a stock bull out of Tenrietta’s granddam Henrietta was retained in the herd for a number of years and this has been a much-favoured line for Sarkley. Her other granddam is Dinmore Elle was a Royal Welsh show champion”.
Following the show, Mary commented “there was a tremendous show of females which is testament to the enthusiasm and support this breed has. The ringside was packed with lots of new faces. My champion was the most complete, seamless and handles beautifully. There was some exceptional heifers with more muscle but Tenrietta was my type of beast”.
The next lot through the ring was also knocked down for 18,000gns, Anside Trinity from the Irvine family, Drummuir, Banffs, turned out by Martin and Mel on the day. Placed 3rd in the show, the April 2022-born heifer is sired by the 24,000gns Claragh Franco and is the fourth calf out of dam Anside Liberty, a Powerful Irish daughter. With a combination myostatin of NT821/Q204X, she was purchased by Kevin Cruickshank, Elgin, Morayshire a new, entrant to the breed.
The five figure lots didn’t stop there, just two lots later Page Farm Partnership, Ripon, North Yorkshire, paid 10,000gns for the 19 month-old and pre-sale show class topper Grahams Trendy. Another daughter of the aforementioned Claragh Franco, this embryo transfer heifer, who placed first in her class at the Royal Welsh show in July and claimed the best heifer award in the 2022 Scottish herd competition, has a F94L/Q204X myostatin pairing and a top 25% beef value of 39. Her Dam is the 9,800gns Millington Vascular daughter and she was bred and exhibited by R & J Graham, Bridge of Allan, Stirling.
Next in the lineup of top priced lots was the August 2022-born Ritchies Treasure, who secured first place in the presale show to go with the one she claimed in the senior class at the recent Stars of the Future show for her breeder Aileen Ritchie, Whitecairns, Aberdeenshire. Treasure was the first Red Ladies entrant for Aileen who was thrilled to achieve 8,000gns for her Carnew Millreef sired heifer (the same sire as the Sarkley Tenrietta 18,000gns Champion) knocked down to Messrs Davies, Ballinalee. Ritchies Treasure is bred out of Burnbank Nessa, a daughter of the 32,000gns Huntershall Gladiator. With a retail value of 39, placing her in the top 25% of the breed, she has a combination myostatin of F94L/NT821.
Also selling for 8,000gns, just a few lots later was Goldies Taboo, a 14-month-old heifer from Bruce Goldie, Mouswald, Dumfries and Galloway. Taboo, who was conceived by embryo transfer from a Goldies Juggler and Goldies Glamour flush, has had a successful season, winning the reserve Beef Interbreed title at the Dumfries show and the Overall champion of champions accolade at the Moffat show and being placed second in her class in the pre-sale show. A double F94L carrier, with a top 1% beef value of 53, she was purchased by Messrs Campbell, Lochgolihead, Arygill.
Glenrock Tinaturner was the next of the top selling lots, when she was knocked down at 6,000gns to IP Jones, Corwen, Clwyd. A double Q204X carrier, the November 2022-born Tinaturner, who placed third in her class has a beef value of 41. Bred by from S and T Illingworth, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, she is sired by the 14,000gns Goldies Oxo while his dam is the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin daughter Procters Lustrius.
The reserve champion Burnbank Tangerine was snapped up by judge Mary Cormack for 6,000gns. At just 12 months old, she was one of the youngest Red Ladies forward and Mary loved her length and style and commented she was full of breeding. With a F94L/Q204X myostatin combination, Tangerine is bred out of Burnbank Mammamia, who goes back to the prolific AI sire Loosebeare Fantastic, she is sired by the homebred Burnbank Overfly and was bred and exhibited by D and L Graham, Blairdrummond, Stirling.
Pabo Taketime (July 2022 born), presented by WP Hughes & Son, Rhosgoch, Anglesey sold for 5,500gns over the water to Malachy Byrne, Newry, Co Down. Sired by the 70,000gns Ampertaine Magnum and out of home bred Pabo Pinnacle the dam sire of the Irish-bred Derrygullinane Kingbull
she’s a double Q204X myostatin.
Tomschoice Toptotty (November 2022-born) presented by JM and SP Cooper, Dacre, North Yorkshire and purchased by purchased by DE Ayres and Co, Ludlow, Shropshire for 5,500gns. Sired by Carrickmore Maximus and out of Tomschoice Poshtotty with a NT821/Q204X myostatin. Toptotty was another with a great show record, having accumulated first prize at Ryedale show, reserve champion at the Kilnsey show, champion at the Nidderdale show and the first prize heifer award in the North Easit Limousin Club herd competition.
Uptonley Tonic achieved 5,200gns for Lin Calcraft, Payhembury, Devon who goes over the water to Charlotte Martin, Dromara, Co Down. With combination myostatin of F94L/NT821 she was winner of class 2 at 22-months-old and sired by the 24,000gns Claragh Franco and out of Foxhillfarm Martha, who goes back to the Balmoral show champion Guards Boomer.
Glenrock Tigerlily for S and T Illingworth, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway was knocked down to Messrs Knaggs and Son, Darlington, Co Durham for 5,000gns and finished second in class 3.
April 2022-born is a heifers calf out of Glenrock Pocahontas and sired by Foxhillfarm Jasper and a double F94L myostatin carrier and has a beef value in top 10% of the breed.
Whinfellpark Treasure, a full sister to Whinfellpark Royalty, who was crowned reserve overall champion at the Red Ladies in 2021 and went on to sell for 15,000gns made 5,000gns.
Sired by Gunnerfleet Lion and out of Whinfellpark Flair, one of the herds top breeding females who has been used extensively in their flushing program is F94L/Q204X myostatin carrier, purchased by Longwood Farm, Risborough, Buckinghamshire.
Castlemill Tiara from P Weir and Son, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire, finished third in class and sold to undisclosed purchaser for 5,000gns. Sired by Huntershall Pendragon and out of Kype Nicola with NT821/Q204X myostatin. At the previous years Red Ladies her sister Castlemill Tori, sold for 15,000gns.
