- 55 Bulls average £4,717
- 8 more bulls sold on the year
- Three bulls at 10,000gns and more
- 65% clearance rate of bulls forward
- 14 Females average £2,257; Goldies lead at 4,800gns
- Sale grosses £291,060
Elrick Inferno from Michael Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, Ellon, Aberdeenshire lit up the Limousin trade when securing the headline price of 14,000gns at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s October Sale held at Stirling Agricultural Centre on Monday 20th October 2014.
This April 2013-born calf is by the 22,000gns AI sire Hartlaw Excaliber, a Wilodge Tonka son who previously won the Male Championship at the 2011 National Limousin Show. The dam of Elrick Inferno is Elrick Centrefold, a Ryedale Paragon daughter. With a huge Beef Value of LM+58, he sold to the Keirsbeath Herd of David Orr, Mains of Beath, Crossgates, Fife and will be used across the herd’s 50 pedigree cows. The intention is also there to take semen from the bull in due course.
Elrick Inferno had earlier been crowned Intermediate Champion and then Overall Supreme Champion by Judge Colin Soutter, Whinfellpark Cottages, Brougham, Penrith, Cumbria, who is the Herd Manager of the noted Whinfellpark pedigree herd.
Commenting on his Champion, Mr Soutter said: “This bull had great presence and was very proud of himself in the ring. Very modern in type he had length, width along the top, roundness down the side, and was full of muscle without being fat.”
A prolific Championship winner at Stirling and Perth sales, this latest title and top price for the Elrick herd followed on from February this year where it had also secured the Reserve Championship and 12,500gns sale top price with Elrick Handsome.
In all, Mr Massie’s three sale bulls grossed an impressive £24,990 which included the 6,000gns Elrick Iconic, a Wilodge Fastrac son and out of Elrick Eve (another by Ryedale Paragon). He went under the hammer with a Beef Value of LM+43 to commercial producers GT & S Coghill, Muce, Birsay, Orkney
Overall, the sale saw 55 bulls sell to level at £4,717 which represented an additional 8 bulls on the year. Three bulls made over 10,000gns with seven in all making 6,000gns or more. Commenting, British Limousin Cattle Society Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “Following on from Carlisle two days earlier this was another solid Limousin sale trade. At both sales we have seen the number of bulls sold on the year increase which for a back-end trade is really positive. In all, 140 Limousin bulls have been sold in 72 hours to average well over £5,000 which I think represents a very solid demand and a realistic trade. Again, it was a good show of commercially relevant bulls forward at Stirling with a lot of value to be had.”
At 11,000gns was Spittalton Imperial, another bull out of an impressive line-up from local breeder Andrew Burnett, Upper Spittalton, Blair Drummond, Stirling. By the 100,000gns AI sire, Haltcliffe Vermount, and out of Spittalton Bramble the Dyfri Tanner daughter, this April 2013-born intermediate bull from the same class as the Overall Champion, sold to Northamptonshire commercial producers LD Carr, Upper Higham Farm, Rushden. From the same stable came the similarly aged 7,800gns Spittalton Irvine, by Bolide and out of Spittaton Eve, who sold with a Beef Value of LM+45 to the Ythanvale herd of DW Youngson, Rosemarkie House, Station Road, Ellon. Rounding off a good day’s trading for Spittalton were further bulls at 5000gns, 4800gns, 4000gns and 3500gns.
The third bull at the five-figure mark of 10,000gns was Maraiscote Ivan from Ian Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw. By the Irish-bred senior herd sire Virginia Andy and out of the Tyddyn Mei-sired dam Maraiscote Aster, this May 2013-born bull now heads in a split deal to joint purchasers Tommy Lang, Parduvine, Rosewell, Mid-Lothian together with JW Gibb, Toftcombs Farm, Biggar. Ian Nimmo had earlier sold the 9,000gns Maraiscote IHawk, the Overall Reserve Champion, by the noted Goldies Comet and out of Maraiscote Davina, whose full brother Maraiscote Hawk, had sold for 13,000gns in October 2013. The new owner is the noted Balfour Estate, Balfour Mains, Shapinsay, Orkney. Other Maraiscote bulls realised 5200gns, 4000gns, 3800gns and 3000gns respectively. The Stirling trade followed hard on the heels of the Carlisle Sale where Maraiscote sold another Goldies Comet son, Maraiscote Imperial, for 10,000gns.
Selling away for 7,500gns was the Junior Champion Homebyres Inch in an impressive sale debut from first-time consignors AF Thomson & Son, Lammerview Farm, Athelstaneford, North Berwick. Bred by Messrs J Logan, Humebyres, Kelso this one is by Homebyres Gregory and out of the Ronick Hawk daughter Homebyres Catriona and was snapped up by Fodderletter Farms, Mid Fodderletter, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch. Messrs Thomson had previously sold another bull for 5,500gns, this time in the shape of the Reserve Senior Champion the January 2013-born senior bull, Hartlaw Indigo, bred by John McKeen, Silloth, Wigton. By the Cannon son Cloughhead Jurassic and out of Hartlaw Endora, he was knocked down to Gary Bell, Haas Side Farm, Haas Grove Loaning, Lockerbie.
Two bulls made 5,800gns apiece. Early in the catalogue, W & A Oag, Brims Mains, Thurso sold Brims Intensive, by the French sire Vagabond and out of Brims Diva, to W Nelson & Co, West Brackly, Kinross. Further bulls from the Brims holding realised 4200gns, 4000gns and 3200gns. Also at 5,800gns was Allanfauld Irnbru from A MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, Glasgow. By the prolific Haltcliffe Underwriter and out of the homebred heifer Allanfauld Forte, he sold with a Beef Value of LM+34 to JD Steele, Goddens, Pitroddie Farm, Perth.
A pair of junior bulls each made 5,500gns. Strawfrank Ironman brought out by Allan Campbell, Strawfrank Farm, Carstairs Junction, Lanark is a June 2013-born Procters Commander son and out of Goldies Cordella (by Goldies Terence) and sold to Ballintomb Farm, DulnainBridge, Grantown On Spey. Matching this figure was Esmors Black Illingworth, born in July 2013, sired by Newhouse Billy and out of the French dam Facture. With a Beef Value of LM+49 he was sold by DE Evans, Monfa, Gwornaffield Road, Mold to J Fisher, Flathill, Dunorennan, Kirkcudbright.
From a small show of females the Overall Champion was Goldies Black Honeydew from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot Farm, Mouswald, Dumfries.This October 2012-born heifer is another by Hartlaw Excaliber, the sire of the top price bull, and is out of the Ampertaine Bravo cow Goldies Flake. Goldies Black Honeydew was sold, AI’d to Bailea Black BMW, for the top price of 4800gns to Messrs Richardson.
Click here for highlights of the sale.
Other Leading Prices:
5,200gns Goldies Instructor to WT Hendry & Son, Back O’ Muir Farm, Bannockburn
5,200gns Maraiscote Icefall to A Sime & Son, Bruceland, Elgin
5,000gns Spittalton Ian to I & R Malcolm, Poltalloch, Kilmartin
5,000gns Emslies Black Harvester to Huntlyhill Farms, Huntlyhill Mains, Lanark
5,000gns Anside Iceman to L & LJ George, Parks, Rothiemay, Huntly
Averages:
55 Bulls £4,717.36
14 Females £2,257.50
Auctioneer: UA
