25,000gns top; 140 lots sold; 72% clearance
Charolais bulls met a solid trade peaking at 25,000gns in Perth on Thursday 26 October, with a new UK all beef breeds average of £5,049 established for 140 lots traded. Those figures represented the highest number of bulls of any breed coming under the hammer sold during the week's autumn multi-breed sales and a 72% clearance.
"Trade was underpinned throughout by commercial producers who in the last few weeks have reaped the rewards from their Charolais cross calves which have attracted premium prices from finishers at the autumn store sales," commented British Charolais Cattle Society chief executive, David Benson. "These suckler men are beginning to realize that as the new payments recede and modulation begins to bite, the one way they can improve their returns is by investing in a Charolais bull to produce fast growing calves that achieve that weight for age, together with good conformation and quiet temperament."
Sale leader at 25,000gns was Garracloon Vidame, a rising two year old who had collected the senior and overall supreme championships the previous day for Sean McGovern and his 11 year old daughter, Eimear, of Clogher, County Tyrone. "Vidame has length and scale, he is a very correct bull with immense power," commented Kevin Thomas after the five hour judging stint.
Sean McGovern, who established his 12 cow Ratory herd of pedigree Charolais five years ago and has since sold to 15,000gns, commented: "Winning the Perth title was among our goals and we feel very incredibly lucky in that we haven't had to wait as long as many others."
Vidame was bred in County Mayo by Susan MacHale and offered at an official breed society sale at Carrick-on-Shannon earlier this year where he was identified by Sean McGovern to have that Perth potential. Irish breeders were out in force in Perth keen to return him home, however they lost out to a telephone bid from Scottish purchaser, Gordon Cameron, Acharacle, Argyll. Sired by the Paris Show champion, Jupiter, he was out of a Garracloon bred cow by Doonally New. Vidame who weighed in at 1,040kgs, made his inaugural trip across the water in June to the Royal Highland where he secured the Marks & Spencer Beefbreeder interbreed championship, and since then has taken the breed and interbreed championship titles at Clogher Valley show.
The event's second highest call of 19,000gns came late in the day from Eleanor Short, Beragh, County Tyrone for the reserve junior champion, Corrie Alan CH34 bred and exhibited by Duncan MacGregor, Kilsyth, Glasgow. This much admired 17 month old was by Oldstone Egbert and out of a home bred dam going back to Corrie Highlander. He was no stranger to the ring having collected the junior male and overall reserve champion titles at the Scottish and Northern National Charolais Show. For Duncan, it was the highest price ever he had secured since establishing his herd, now amounting to 40 cows, in 1992.
Minutes later Brynffanigl Arwr CH31, who had stood below Corrie Alan in his class, was sold for 18,000gs to John McKenzie and his son, Rory, to run with their 15 cow pedigree Charolais herd and 130 commercial cows based at Fortrose, Inverness. "This bull is tremendous. He is very correct with a good back end and has the potential to grow in to a big able bull," commented Rory. For his breeders, father and son team, Bob and Rheon Roberts who have made the 600 mile round trip to Perth from Uchu, Abergele on a regular basis for the last 20 years, Arwr by far surpassed their previous best of 8,000gns. Both his sire and dam lines were sired by Oldstone Egbert; he was a Derryharney Outstanding son and out of a homebred cow by the Northern Irish bred sire. Arwr was no stranger to the ring having secured the reserve junior male title at the Royal Welsh, and also the Welsh National Charolais Show's male championship.
At 14,000gns, Thrunton Athos who is in the breed's top 1% with a Beef Value of CH35 sold to CE Smith, Keelby, South Humberside. Bred by the Campbell family, Ian, John and their father, Colin of Thrunton, Alnwick this March 2005 born entry offered a superb blend of genetics. Athos was by the 15,000gns Carlisle champion, Burradon Talisman who sired Thrunton Voldemort, the record 55,000gns and February 2006 Perth intermediate champion, and he was out of a homebred dam from their 120 cow herd, going back to the 25,000gns Maerdy Location.
Athos led a string of Talisman sired bulls bred and exhibited by the Campbells, each of which consistently demonstrated length, scale and quality conformation backed by top performance data. Their next best at 10,000gns was 18 month old Thrunton Aramis CH34 who was out of a homebred cow by the 25,000gns Perth supremo, Mowbraypark Orlando. The buyer was David Grant, farm manager to Gelston Castle Farms, Boreland of Kelton, Castle Douglas.
Thrunton Apollo CH34, another March 2005 born Talisman son and this time out of a homebred cow by the 20,000gns Moncur General, made 8,500gns to A and H Sim and Son, Monymusk, Inverurie. Thrunton Alamo CH28, a June 2005 born entry whose dam was by Blelack Jaguar, went for 7,200gns to Conon Brae Farms, Dingwall, Ross-shire. Finally, the Border Union and Berwickshire show champion, Thrunton Aristocrat CH34 (January 2005), who goes back to Blanerne Fearless was knocked down sold for 6,500gns to breed newcomer, John Rix, Colchester, Essex.
Farm worker, Kevin Mallarkey, Hatton, Peterhead made a highly memorable debut trip to Perth with his homebred 16 month old, Strathys Ace selling for 13,000gns to father and son team, Neil and Graeme Massie, Dinnet, Aboyne who selected him to join their 140 pedigree Charolais cow Blelack herd for his 'power and scale'. Sired by the 28,000gns Farleycopse Turbo, Ace was out of Airdlin Stella, Ian Thomson's engagement present to Mr Mallarkey and just one of two cows in his Strathys herd which he plans to build to six breeding females.
Contributing towards the Massie's investment was the 8,500gns bid which their Blelack Appollon CH35 had attracted earlier in the day from AH Fisher, Portpatrick, Stranraer. This 17 month old was by Bassingbourn Ralph who goes back to Balthayock Nougat. The Massies also offered at 6,500gns Blelack Auk CH33, an 18 month old Thrunton Socrates son. He qualified for the Welsh
Beef Quality Improvement Scheme and sold to C Douch, Llanwrda, Dyfed.
Billy Turner, Skelton-on-Ure, Ripon was again in the limelight when a couple of Brampton bulls were placed in the final judging line up. Securing the reserve intermediate championship was Brampton Albert CH41 who sold for 12,000gns to Jim Muirhead, Letham Grange, Arbroath, Angus. This 18 month old was by Brampton Ronaldo, who has bred several class winners, and his grand dam was the noted 17 year old Brampton Hairbell, who remains an active breeding female within the North Yorkshire based herd.
The reserve senior title went to Brampton Venetian CH21, a rising two year old by the home bred Brampton Temperature and out of a homebred cow whose sons include the record 5,000gns Welshpool holder. Venetian sold for 6,000gns to join Peter and Sheilagh Donger's 280 pedigree cow Seawell herd, based at Foxley, Towcester.
David Walker, Cawdor, Nairn went to 11,000gns for Balthayock Adonis CH45, a 17 month old which he described to have 'tremendous growth potential' added to which was the attraction of an exceptional EBV muscle depth score of 10.4. Bred by Major David Walter, Perth, Adonis was by the 8,000gns Balmyle Thunderbird, and out of Balthayock Peach, a show ring champion from the unit's 85 cow herd.
The next highest call of 10,000gns was paid for Coolnaslee Advocate CH27, a class winner from Gilbert Crawford, Maghera, County Londonderry. This May 2005 born entry who was by Allanfauld Superscot and out of a Wildrose bred dam was knocked down sold to the Blyth family, Roy, Jean. Nei
