- 93% clearance rate with 43 bulls selling out of the 46 forward
- Averages up by £696 with seven more bulls sold
- Ten bulls make 5000gns or more
- Sale grosses over £190,000
Goldies Justgreat and Goldies Jenson from the herd of Bruce Goldie, Townfoot Farm, Mouswald, Dumfries made 9000gns apiece to lead a strong demand for Limousin bulls at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s May Sale at Stirling held on Monday 2nd May 2016. The sale was held within the Multibreed Sale hosted by United Auctions.
Averages were up on the year by a mighty £696 with seven more bulls sold in front of a packed ringside of commercial buyers.
First to sell at the 9000gns mark was the November 2014 born embryo calf, Goldies Justgreat. Earlier in the day this bull had lifted the Limousin Supreme Championship when being given the nod by judge for the day Kevin Bates, Rosley, Wigton who is also the stockman at the noted Haltcliffe Herd. Full of breeding Goldies Justgreat is by Goldies Fandango and is out of Goldies Fairytale described by Bruce Goldie as ‘the best breeding female in the herd’. Fairytale is herself out of the prolific Goldies Vitality who is the mother, amongst others, of Goldies Comet and Goldies Goldfinger. Purchasing the Champion was W&R Thomson, Cairnbog Farm, Kilsyth, Glasgow.
Standing second in the same class, and also selling for 9000gns, was Goldies Jenson. This bull, October 2014 born, is by Goldies Fantastic who is also a Goldies Vitality daughter, and is out of Goldies Belle. With some good calving figures behind him this bull carrying both natural power and shape was bought by J&R Semple, Netherton Farm, Dalrymple, By Ayr. Other Goldies bulls in the sale made 4200gns and 3800gns.
Regular consignors at Stirling this was the third Limousin sale in a row where the herd (consisting of seventy breeding females) has had the top average for bulls sold. The top five bulls in all at this May Stirling Sale all featured Goldies breeding! All roads now lead to Carlisle for the Goldies Herd who will have 22 heifers within the female sale due to be held on Friday 6th May. Of these, eight are by Goldies Fantastic, with three being by Goldies Fandango. On the Saturday the Goldies pen of six bulls features a bull brother to the Stirling Champion Goldies Justgreat.
Commenting on the sale as a whole Iain Kerr, BLCS Chief Executive said: “The market is looking for cattle that can finish at 350kgs at 14 -16 months with consistently top grades, good yield and killing out percentage. This is driving a ready and growing demand for Limousin bulls with sales across the UK having been very strong so far in 2016. We now head to Carlisle at this coming weekend where there are a further 213 bulls catalogued for sale on Saturday.”
Earlier in the sale, and a first prize winner from the opening class, Maraiscote Jackdaniels made 7000gns when selling for Ian Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire. May 2014 born Maraiscote Jackdaniels is by the herd’s prolific stock bull Goldies Comet and is out of the Tyddyn Mei sired Maraiscote Bacardi. Again frequent sellers at the Stirling Sales this was the herd’s top price at the May Stirling fixture. Two lots earlier Ian Nimmo sold Maraiscote Joker, a Macschoice Chris son, for 4800gns.
Also enjoying a good day’s trading was the Tweeddale herd of Jonathan Watson, Bowsden Moor, Bowsden, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland who sold bulls at 6800, 5000, and 3600gns respectively. Leading the way for them at 6800gns was the June 2014 born Tweeddale Jupiter. This bull is sired by Goldies Fandango, the sire of the day’s Champion, and is out of Tweeddale Bonny, a Goldies Uppercrust daughter. A full brother to this bull had previously sold for 9000gns. Purchasing Tweeddale Jupiter was J Lyon, Little Kilchattan, Kingarth, Isle of Bute.
At 5000gns was Tweeddale Jiff, a Goldies Goldmine son out of Tweeddale Filipa. Buying this October 2014 born bull was RPD Scotland Ltd, Cowley Farm, Inverurie. The Haltcliffe Argos sired Tweeddale Jackanory had sold as the previous lot at 3600gns.
Local breeder Andrew Burnett, Upper Spittalton Farm, Blair Drummond, Stirling made 6000gns when selling his third prize winner Spittalton Journey. Sporting good performance figures for both growth and calving this October 2014 born bull is by Maraiscote Gigolo and is out of the Sympa sired Spittalton Harriet. This bull went to W McLaren & Sons, Longcarse, Alloa, Clackmannanshire. The herd also sold another Maraiscote Gigolo son, Spittalton Jersey, for 4000gns.
Two bulls made 5200gns. The first of these was the Reserve Supreme Champion Harestone Jason from the twenty five cow breeding herd of Neil Barclay, South Road, Insch, Aberdeenshire. Harestone Jason is by Fieldson Alfy, the same sire as the herd’s February Supreme Champion at Stirling Harestone Jim who sold for 10,000gns. Harestone Jason is the herd’s first calf out of Balnacraig Bounty, a Ferry daughter, who was bought privately from Gordon Cruickshank. Purchasing the Reserve Supreme, and one of three bulls on the day, was the noted commercial herd of Peter Alexander, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
Neil Barclay had a further first prize winner in the shape of Harestone Jeep who went on to sell for 5000gns. This October 2014 born bull is an AI calf by Ampertaine Foreman and is out of Clarkton Fiona. Harestone Jeep was sold to A&J Dunlop, Mains of Glasswell, Kirriemuir, Angus. Further bulls from the Barclay herd were sold for 3800, and 3600gns respectively.
The second bull to make 5200gns was Dyke Jay from JR MacGregor, Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie, Glasgow. Sired by Netherhall Gilbert, a Haltcliffe DJ son, and out of Dyke Enya, this November 2014 bull was bought by J Kay & Sons, Hartside, Lammermuir, Oxton, Berwickshire. Again regular sellers at Stirling the Dyke herd sold further bulls on the day to 4000, and 3800gs.
From Robert Graham, Airthrey Kerse Dairy Farm, Bridge Of Allan, Stirling, a number of polled Limousin bulls were offered. Taking the top price from this pen was Grahams Jordon who sold for 5000gns to Alvie Estate, Kincraig, Kingussie, Inverness-shire. Grahams Jordon is by the German bred and polled bull Hinz and is out of Saunders Eternal, an Anside Arnie daughter. Further bulls from the Grahams pen sold for 3800, and 3600gns.
Averages
43 (+7) Bulls at £4356 (+£696)
