- Maiden Heifer Glenrock Illusion 125,000gns (£131,250)
- All-Breeds UK & European Record for a Bovine Animal
- World Record Price for a Limousin Animal
It was a world record-breaking day on Friday 22nd August at the Sale of the Glenrock Limousin Herd on behalf of Mr & Mrs Stephen Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie, Dumfries with the maiden heifer Glenrock Illusion selling for 125,000gns (£131,250).
Held at Harrison & Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle, a huge crowd from all four corners of the United Kingdom, and Southern Ireland, witnessed the new record mark being set when Illusion was purchased by Mike & Melanie Alford of the Foxhillfarm pedigree herd, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon, in a half share along with Danny Sawrij for his Swalesmoor herd at Kedzlie Farms Ltd, Kedzlie, Blainslie, Lauderdale, Galashiels. The £131,250 figure sets a host of new record marks in being an All-Breeds UK & European record for a bovine animal, and a world record for a pedigree Limousin animal. The previous record had been the £126,000 paid for the Limousin bull Dolcorsllwyn Fabio in 2012.
Glenrock Illusion, a January 2013-born embryo calf by the 23,000gns Goldies Comet and out of the herd’s matriarch cow Glenrock Spangle, arrived at the sale with a glittering show record behind her that had included being Junior Limousin Champion and Reserve Junior Interbreed Champion at the 2014 Royal Highland, Junior Limousin Champion at the 2014 Great Yorkshire Show, Scottish Limousin Grand Prix Champion in August this year, and Junior Champion and Reserve Interbreed at the 2013 Stars of the Future Show.
Watch the video of Glenrock Illusion selling HERE
Within a catalogue of the highest quality and depth, the sale of Glenrock Illusion had been much anticipated. H&H auctioneer David Thomlinson took a first bid of 10,000gns to set the ball rolling and a spell-bound crowd looked on as a flurry of determined bidding quickly took Illusion to and beyond the six-figure mark before settling at the new record figure.
Following the sale, Glenrock Illusion has now gone down to Foxhill Farm in Devon and will immediately be put on a flushing programme before being put in-calf. Speaking after the sale, a delighted Melanie Alford said: “For us the dam line is the key to any successful breeding programme and Glenrock Illusion combines the best of breeding with Goldies Comet, Wilodge Vantastic and Emue on the sire side and of course the noted Glenrock Spangle on the dam. At this stage we may flush Glenrock Illusion to Sympa or to our homebred 38,000gns Foxhillfarm Irishlad to add to the tremendous female line of the herd’s Bankdale Elizabeth.” Glenrock Illusion will also be on display at the Alfords’ Open Day which is due to be held on Sunday 14th September!
This British Limousin Cattle Society Breeders’ Sale was billed as a ‘Sale of the Glenrock Herd including Show Team’ and was held ‘reluctantly’ but positively with the Illingworths having been given the opportunity to purchase Howgillside after twenty years of tenancy. The remarkable twelve-year-old ‘herd matriarch cow’ Glenrock Spangle, who prior to the sale had bred females to 20,000gns (Glenrock Bianca, Red Ladies 2007) and bulls to 16,000gns (Glenrock Fortune, Carlisle May 2012), was the only animal to be retained. At the sale itself, Glenrock Spangle progeny sold for a gross of £257,000 with her life-time progeny surpassing £366,000! Rachels Lesley, Glenrock Spangle’s mother, was originally purchased for the herd at Carlisle for 700gns! The first flush of Glenrock Spangle and Goldies Comet had provided six eggs, five pregnancies and a gross in excess of £180,000. Goldies Comet, a Wilodge Vantastic son, is the stock bull owned jointly by the Maraiscote and Calla herds respectively.
Beyond a day never to be forgotten for the Illingworth family of Stephen & Helen, son Thomas, and daughter Vicki, Stephen Illingworth commented: “Whilst we always knew Glenrock Illusion was a very special heifer, to sell her for £131,000 is way beyond our wildest expectations and is very much the icing on the cake for what was a great sale throughout. From the day she was born Illusion was something special and has just got better and better. This year she has had the profile in the showring which has helped to showcase her. She has so much style and presence, size and length, width along the back and is full of character and femininity. She’s a very special heifer with the pedigree behind her as well.”
The world record for Glenrock Illusion led the trade but the sale was a flyer throughout for the 65 lots catalogued. Overall, the sale grossed a mighty £537,000. Amongst the highlight averages, 15 maiden and yearling heifers averaged £15,155 with 32 cows served and/or suckling averaging £6,811.87. In all, 11 lots made five figures or more.
On the sale as a whole, Stephen Illingworth said: “There was a terrific crowd at the sale and so many bidders that helped the sale on for which we are very grateful. Showing has given the herd profile, and I hope also that the quality and consistency of animals that we have brought forward regularly to sale and that have gone on and done well helped also. There is proven breeding in the cattle and a depth of pedigree.”
“As a farming family, the greatest pleasure you get is looking at your cattle at home. The fact that so many people think as much of your cattle is really very humbling.”
The crowd at Carlisle was by popular opinion the largest witnessed at a breeders’ sale held there in some 20 years and this was picked up on by the sale auctioneer David Thomlinson: “Glenrock cattle and bloodlines have been at the forefront of the Limousin breed for a number of years. The depth of bloodlines and proven breeding presented an opportunity for new and established buyers to purchase some quality animals and genetics. The cattle sold readily and many bidders will have left disappointed that they could not purchase. The sale was held at fairly short notice and these were very genuine cattle. In forty years of selling Limousins, this would easily fit into the top five breeders’ sales that I’ve been involved with.”
“As for the world record-breaking Glenrock Illusion, animals like this very rarely come on the market. With the depth of breeding behind her she will not be a one-off. I’m thrilled to bits that the sale was held at Carlisle. It was a great day for the Limousin breed, the buyers, the auctioneers, and most of all the Illingworth family.”
The day’s second top price of 24,000gns was paid for Glenrock Impulse, a January 2013-born embryo calf by Goldies Comet and out of Glenrock Spangle making her a full sister to Glenrock Illusion. This animal was also sold in a half-share with Danny Sawrij again being a purchaser and this time along with NR Barclay for his Harestone herd at South Road, Insch, Aberdeenshire.
Also at 24,000gns and heading to the Procters pedigree herd, Procters Farms, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, Lancashire was the cow and calf outfit Glenrock Diamante which was sold for 15,000gns, along with her heifer calf Glenrock Imp at 9,000gns. The September 2008-born Diamante is sired by Objat and is out of the Festin-sired Glenrock Dupree. Her November 2013-born heifer calf Glenrock Imp is sired by Glenrock Spartacus. Glenrock Diamante was sold in-calf to Glenrock Highwayman.
The first lotted Glenrock Spangle daughter, Glenrock Campari, sold for 16,000gns also to Procters Farms. A ‘herd favourite’ from one of the best breeding families in the herd, the 2007-born Glenrock Campari is by the noted Cloughhead Lord and was sold with her third calf at foot. The January 2014 born Glenrock Jackie is a daughter of Goldies Comet. Both lots purchased will enter into flushing programmes with the aim being to add progeny from around 30 recipient dams to the progeny from the Procters herd’s present 70 breeding females.
Leading the handful of bulls on offer was the 15,000gns paid for the November 2012-born Glenrock Humdinger. An embryo calf, Humdinger is sired by the noted Sympa, and is out of Glenrock Spangle. He had previously won Best Young Bull in the 2013 North West Limousin Club Herd Competition. Purchasing Glenrock Humdinger were CN & N Raine who run the Towler herd at Stanhope Gate, Middleton-In-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, Co Durham.
Glenrock Spangle was again to the fore when Glenrock Inclusive sold for 14,000gns to the Derriaghy Herd of Messrs DG Green & Sons, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland. November 2013-born, this maiden heifer is by the Nenuphar son Bremore Artist and is another embryo calf out of Glenrock Spangle.
Making a combined price of 13,000gns was the cow and calf unit of Glenrock Cellest who sold for 7,000gns to Andrew Ewing, Dumbretton Farm, Annan, Dumfriesshire and thereafter her heifer calf Glenrock Ingenue (her fourth calf) who sold as an ‘A’ lot for 6,000gns to Mr AH Jack, Kilcoy Cottage, Muir of Ord. Glenrock Cellest is a 2007-born cow by Ronick Hawk and out of Glenrock Juniper, one of the herd’s noted cow families. Ingenue is a September-born daughter of Goldies Comet.
Glenrock Fantasia made 5,000gns and her calf Glenrock India 7,500gns to realise a combined price of 12,500gns. Fantasia is by Bremore Artist and is out of Glenrock Caprice (who sold for 4500gns). The rising yearling heifer Glenrock India sold for 7,500gns being sired by the noted AI sire Swarland Eddie. Purchasing Glenrock Fantasia was L Brierley, Longhouse Farm, Cumnock, Ayrshire. Glenrock India was sold to the Crossfell herd of RJ Armstrong, Crossfell House, Milburn, Penrith, Cumbria.
The November 2012-born embryo calf Glenrock Heroine was purchased for 12,000gns by WI & AW Callion for their Lodge pedigree herd at Bolfornought Farm, Stirling. This heifer was yet another out of Glenrock Spangle and was sired by Bremore Artist.
Glenrock Horizon was purchased for 11,000gns by TP Atkinson and his Arradfoot pedigree herd at Meadow View, Newland, Ulverston, Cumbria. Born in December 2012, this classy young heifer is by Goldies Comet and is out of Glenrock Eternal, a Bremore Artist daughter.
The final animal at five figures was Glenrock Elusive who sold for 10,000gns to Mr WJ Bradley & Sons, Knockloughrim, Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry and his Drumard Herd. Glenrock Elusive is a 2009-born Wilodge Vantastic daughter and is out of Glenrock Caprice who earlier had earlier made 4,500gns. Glenrock Elusive went under the hammer with her heifer calf at foot Glenrock Joyous by Mistic Gucci. Mistic Gucci, a Wilodge Cerberus son, himself went on to sell later for 6,200gns to JF Teague, Temple House, Buteland Farm, Balerno.
Other Leading Prices:
13 & 13A Cow & Calf 9,500gns
13 4,500gns H & R McCracken, 11 Ganaway Road, Ballywalter, Newtonards, Co.Down, N Ireland
13A 5,000gns JW & ME Fieldson, Poplar Farm, Corringham, Gainsborough, Lincs
63 9,000gns DBD & CA Edgar, Fellside Farm, Ousby, Penrith, Cumbria
22 & 22A Cow & Calf 8,500gns
22 5,000gns M Surphlis, Fairview, Ballyhullagh, Lasnaskea, N.Ireland
22A 3,500gns GN Dunn, Ridgepark, Highridge Farm, Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton, Devon
47 8,000gns JR McKeen, Rosehill Farm, Garvagh, Co. Londonderry, N Ireland
40 7,000gns A Bunting & Son, Midtown Farm, New Abbey, Dumfries
43 7,000gns T Moffat, Hillend Farm, Biggar, Lanarkshire
4 6,200gns M McKenna, 14 Kirley Road, Maghera, Co.Derry, N Ireland
7 6,000gns AMC Eddy, Treloweth Farm, St.Erth, Hayle, Cornwall
28 6,000gns TC Altham (Farm), Sellet Mill, Kirkby Lonsdale, Carnforth, Lancs
35 6,000gns MS Potter, Blackacres Farm, Goosey, Faringdon, Oxon
55 6,000gns J Logan, Humebyres Farm, Kelso, Roxburghshire
39 5,800gns D McLaren, Classlochie Farm, Kinross, Perthshire
58 5,500gns AMC Eddy, Treloweth Farm, St.Erth, Hayle, Cornwall
48 5,000gns ES & E Norman, Little Orton Farm, Little Orton, Carlisle, Cumbria
64 5,000gns AC Watts, Pytindu Farm, Llanddew, Brecon, Powys
Averages:
32 cows served and/or suckling £ 6,811.87
6 ET calves £ 6,685.00
4 in-calf heifers £ 3,386.25
15 maiden & yearling heifers £15,155.00
5 bulls £ 7,812.00
Auctioneer: Harrison & Hetherington
