UNITED KINDOM-LIMOUSIN BULL SALE.
Judge Michael Fieldson of the Fieldson Herd, Poplar Farm, Corringham, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire andUK all-breeds record average – 85 per cent clearance – sale grosses £745,000 – 17 bulls at 10,000gns and over – Junior bulls average £6,151. In a spectacular day’s trading, a new UK all-breeds record sale average of £5688 was set at the Carlisle Limousin Bull Sale. Demand from a standing room only crowd saw 17 bulls sell at 10,000gns or over with 42 in all selling at 5,500gns or more. 131 bulls of the 154 forward sold to all parts of the UK which was representative of an 85 per cent clearance rate. The depth in trading saw a bull sale gross just shy of three quarters of a million at £745,128. On Friday evening, 102 heifers had traded to average £1588 giving an overall two day sale gross of £910,000. Friday’s pre-sale show demonstrated the depth of quality bulls on offer. The top price of the day at 23,000gns went to the classy Reserve Supreme Champion Goldies Comet. Bred and shown by BT Goldie, Townfoot Farm, Mouswald, Dumfries, this 16 month old junior bull is an AI son of the 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the noted Goldies Vitality whose dam is a full sister to the prolific Goldies Terence. This bull combined visual appearance, depth of pedigree and a tremendous Beef Value of LM+45. Successful joint purchasers were Lanarkshire-based Scottish breeders David Baillie of the Calla herd, Carnwath, and Ian Nimmo of the Mariascote herd, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw. For the prolific Goldies herd, which comprises around 70 breeding females, this was their top Limousin sale price to date at Carlisle and surpassed the 20,000gns they had attained on two previous occasions. With good breeding connectivity, the female line of Goldies Comet also goes back to the pedigrees of the herd’s previous two top price bulls. Standing second in his class to the top price bull was Goldies Conquest from the same home and also sired by Wilodge Vantastic. This September 2007 born bull is out of the Epatant sired Goldies Una whose dam line goes back to Ronick Inkley and Broadmeadows Ainsi. Purchasers at 12,000gns was the DWH Gascoigne Group, 1 Church Street, Southwell, Notts who run a further nine Limousin bulls in their 350 head commercial herd.Procters Cyclone from Procters Farm Ltd made 20,000gns when also selling into Scotland and the Brims Herd of Messrs W&A Oag, Brims Mains, Thurso, Caithness. After selling four bulls for 64,500gns in October, this was a tremendous follow up for another bull sired by the 100,000gns Haltcliffe Vermount. Another outstanding bull, Procters Cyclone is out of the Neutron sired Procters Sonia and carried a Beef Value of LM+26.. In the pre-sale show this May 2007 bull had stood first in its class before securing the Overall Reserve Intermediate Championship. Bulls sired by Haltcliffe Vermount and sold both privately and at auction from the Procters Herd have to date sold for over 110,000gns.Following the sale, British Limousin Cattle Society Chief Executive congratulated the breeders on the quality of the bulls forward and commented, "An all-breeds UK record sale average put the cap on what was a tremendous sale for the Limousin breed. Limousin cattle are driving the UK market and today’s sale is indicative of the fact that there is a real price differential for Limousin cattle in the market place with the carcase quality, yield, consistency and conformation at any weight that is demanded. All of the industry messages are for added value cattle; easy care, easy calving, feed efficiency, with top yield and killing out percentage. Limousin breeders are providing the goods in numbers and buyers are investing heavily in their own future with great confidence", he said. "Throughout the catalogue, buyers had a real choice in the type of bull on offer to suit their commercial, or pedigree needs. The consistency in quality of bulls on offer with great tops, length, width and shape met with what was a fantastic all-round demand that has again raised the bar".The junior section of the catalogue saw 46 bulls sell to the top average of £6,151 and produce both the show top price, Goldies Comet, and the Overall Supreme Champion Millgate Caesar from M Loughran, Dungate, Dunamore, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. It has been an amazing few months for the Loughran family team of Michael Snr, son Michael, and daughter Christina. In October last year the Loughrans took their first ever bull to Perth and duly set a new breed centre record of 30,000gns. Millgate Caesar represented their first bull at Carlisle where this August 2007 born bull not only won the Supreme and Junior Championships but went on to sell for 18,000gns to Mr. SL Fotheringham for his Ballinloan Herd at Dunkeld, Perth! In the summer of 2008, this bull by Ballyline Udolf - a Mas du Clo son - had placed Reserve Supreme at the All-Ireland Bull Derby. He is out of Hollybank Angel and carries a massive Beef Value of LM+46 and a Muscle Depth of +7.20. The Millgate Limousin herd was founded in 2000 largely on the back of Christina Loughran’s interest in the breed which was initiated whilst she was a student at Greenmount College and had participated within the British Limousin Cattle Society backed LIMO project. Commenting on his Champion, judge Michael Fieldson said, "This bull really had something extra, his width was just colossal. He is a bull of overall growth, sheer character and you just have to admire the top line he has for his length. The sheer width he has from top to bottom is incredible."It was an excellent day’s trade for Lancashire-based breeders RS Harker, Overthwaite, Holme, Carnforth, who sold bulls at 16,000gns, 13,800gns, 12,000gns and 8,200gns respectively. At 16,000gns was the much admired Overthwaite Crackerjack, a June 2007 first prizewinning Intermediate bull and an embryo calf by the 42,000gns Cloughhead Umpire and out of the French dam, Titania. Joint purchasers were MT Jones & Co, Bailea Farm, Heol Senni, Sennybridge, Brecon and Messrs Heald & Co, Home Farm, Grove, Retford, Notts who run the Bailea and Coachhouse pedigree herds respectively. At the 13,800gns mark was the August 2007 born Overthwaite Cracker who was second to the Overall Champion in a strong Junior class when going under the hammer to Messrs Pears, Fellside House Farm, Caldbeck, Wigton, Cumbria who run the Caldbeck pedigree herd. Overthwaite Cracker is by Carmorn Vandyke, the Harkers’ senior stock bull purchased for 14,000gns at Carlisle May 2006 and out of the French dam, Ucilla. Vandyke is by Rocky and out of the Pelletstown Ken daughter, Carmorn Penny. David Harker commented: "This is the first Carmorn Vandyke son to come onto the market having initially used him on just 7 females in the 50 head pedigree herd." Mr Harker also runs around 150 females commercially and has plans to increase his pedigree herd to 100 head. The third Overthwaite bull at five figures was Overthwaite Chartered at 12,000gns when purchased by K McGregor, East Loanend Cottage, Berwick upon Tweed. This June 2007 intermediate bull, is by the AI sire, the prolific Sympa, and out of the dam, Uva.A much admired bull was the September 2007 born Beulah Cocacola who was bred and sold by first time Carlisle vendors, MJ & JM Price, Penycrug Farm, Llanafan, Builth Wells, Powys. From their 30 cow herd, this bull introduced new breeding in the form of the full French AI sire Objat. The dam of Cocacola is the Haltcliffe Egidius daughter Tygwyn Rachel. This junior bull, who stood second in his class, was sold for a cracking 14,000gns and went to the well known Hartsideanew pedigree herd of JM Thompson, Townfoot, Melmerby, Penrith.All the way from Devon, a cracking line-up of bulls from the 90 strong female herd of Messrs EW Quick & Sons, Loosebeare Manor, Zeal Monachorum, met with a strong trade. Five Loosebeare bulls sold for 13,000gns, 11,500gns, 8000gns, 7000gns and<
