93% Clearance
86 bulls averaged £9,590, up £1,360 on previous year.
30 bulls sold for five figure sums
3,000gns – 35,000gns range
“This one’s for dad” a touching tribute to the late Bill Quick as the greatly admired overall pre-Sale Show Champion, Loosebeare Tommy entered the ring. Son Andrew, paid tribute to his father in front of a packed ringside before bids flew in to secure the top price of 35,000gns at the Limousin spring show and sale at Carlisle. Tommy was knocked down in a two-way split to Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, of the Dyke herd, Milton of Campsie and Archie and John MacGregor, of Allanfauld, Kilsyth.
Loosebeare Tommy is an AI son of the consistent breeding Ampertaine Jeronimo (17,000gns), his dam is the Wilodge Jetsetter dam, Loosebeare Nandy and has a myostatin combination F94L/ Q204X. Tommy secured a personal best for the Quick family who run a 160-cow herd at Loosebeare Manor, Devon. Commenting afterwards, Andrew said “we love breeding cattle, we run the herd commercially and if we’re lucky enough to breed a good one we bring it to Carlisle. It’s been a special day; one you dream of and a fitting tribute to Dad”.
On the previous day, in front of an eager ring side, Loosebeare Tommy was tapped out by the notable Judge Paul Rainey of the Claragh Herd as the Intermediate and Overall Champion. This proved a popular choice and reflecting on his choice of Champion, Paul commented “there was a great show of bulls to suit all markets with tremendous quality in the top end of the show. The champion was outstanding quality with a powerful, lovely naturally muscled end and very correct legs and feet”.
The buyers from Dyke and Allanfauld took an instant liking to him in the show for his “carcass qualities – tremendous length and width of top, extremely deep and wide hindquarters with excellent legs and feet, backed up by positive breeding values with growth in the top 1% percent of the breed and positive calving figures. He’s the bull we came looking for to take our herd forward” said Donald MacGregor of the Dyke herd.
Gorrycam Turbo was the second highest price of the day achieving 32,000gns for Stephen Reel, Cullyhanna, Co Down. Reserve Senior Champion Turbo is a son of Gorrycam Phanton and bred by Gorrycam Pink who sold commercially to Gordon Cameron, Acharrade, Argyll with a myostatin combination of F94L/Q204X.
It was the Junior Champion and Reserve Overall Champion, Foxhillfarm Terminator (F94L/Q204X) for Mike and Melanie Alford who made 28,000gns, knocked down to Andrew Gammie of the Westpit herd. An Ampertaine Elgin son out of the prolific show winner Foxhillfarm Natasha, Terminator caught Andrew’s eye when he won Reserve Senior Champion on his only time shown at Stars of the Future in 2023.
It was a great day for the Alfords, whose striking heifer Foxhillfarm Tequila set the bidding a light from the get-go as first in the ring she secured the top priced female for 13,000gns. An Ampertaine Foreman daughter she is bred from Foxhillfarm Mammamia and found a new home over the water with Messrs Behan, Ballyfin, Ireland. Tequilas grandam is the 125,000gns Glenrock Illusion.
It proved a super Saturday for the Hughes family of the Pabo herd, Fferam, Anglesey with Pabo Tommy achieving 23,000gns. Pabo Tommy is by Whitehall Larry and out of Pabo Nigella, a great Icemaden daughter with a myostatin combination of F94L/ NT821. Nigella was part of the best cow family judged by Mary Cormack in the 2023 NWM & NW Club herd competition. Tommy goes back home to Wales to Messrs Howatson and Son, Denbigh, Clwyd. Just before him, stable companion Pabo Tiktok ably led up Llyrs daughter Mared (16 yrs), shadow judge to Paul Rainey the day before, was knocked down to Patrick Greed for 16,000gns of the Killerton herd. Tiktok is another Whitehall Larry son out of Pabo Onelopa with a F94L/NT821 myostatin, from the dam line that bred Icemaden and won best cow family in the Club herd competition.
The well bred Cowin Talisman (F94L/Q204X), by Ampertaine Elgin out of Cowin Prulove, great grandsire Ampertaine Foreman made 18,000gns for the Societies Vice Chairman Dyfan James selling to the Morris Brothers, Shropshire. It was a memorable day for Dyfan and son Rheon with Cowin Toronto the Reserve Intermediate Champion making 16,000gns snapped up by Messrs Henderson, Insch, Aberdeenshire. Toronto is by Gunnerfleet Lion out of Cowin Jeromina and was the winner of the young bull class at the Royal Welsh Show in 2023.
Whinfellpark Topnotch (NT821/Q204X), an embryo calf by Whinfellpark President and out of the notable Wilodge Poshspice (purchased in partnership with the Sportsman Herd for 250,000gns) went for 18,000gns selling to Kedzlie Farms, Halifax. Topnotch won Senior Male Champion and Overall Senior Champion at Stars of the Future 2023.
A further 6 bulls went on to make 16,000gns with no fewer than 30 bulls making the five figures.
It was a terrific sale for the breed, with the memorable sale performance warmly acknowledged by the British Limousin Cattle Society’s CEO, Alice Swift “our breeders put forward a seriously strong show of bulls with a range to suit all buyers from 3,000gns to 35,000gns. The atmosphere was electric from start to finish and it was extremely encouraging to see the competitive demand for the breed return, delivering one of the breeds strongest clearances at Carlisle. An efficient beef industry begins with easy calved, fast-growing genetics and it was evident buyers were seeking out these favourable traits to take forward their suckler herds”.
