United Kingdom-Devon Cattle Show and sale.

UNITED KINGDOM-DEVON CATTLE SHOW AND SALE.

THE largest entry of bulls since the 1970s delighted the crowds of buyers and breed enthusiasts at the Devon Cattle Breeders’ Society Spring Show & Sale held at Sedgemoor Livestock Centre.

The judge, Colin Hutchings, of the Bovey Herd, saw four very strong classes of bulls.He choose his champion in Mrs Lisa Roper’s Forde Abbey Gulliver, a February 2007 son of Cutcombe Pippin out of a home-bred cow, from the herd’s famous show family, F A Beauty 26th classified G+76.Mr Hutchings remarked: "This lovely young bull typifies all that is good about the modern Red Ruby Devon – tremendous natural fleshing combined with scope and style, yet retaining the traditional qualities of rich colour, docility and outstanding locomotion."In the sale ring Gulliver sold to Simon and Grania Phillips, of the Collaton Herd at Chulmleigh, for the day’s top price of £5,775. Reserve Championship went to John Gilson’s Challange Buttons, an April 2007 son of Bywood Buttons and out of his very successful Ribecca show family.This bull exhibited tremendous length and muscling and sold at £4,725 to J M Williams, of the Werrington Herd at Launceston.Other leading prices included David Barker’s Efford Down Grenadier at £5,250 to G Dart & Sons (Champson Herd, Molland), Messrs Gay’s Bagnell Glorious at £3,255 to Mike and Sue Lanz (Wellshead Herd, Exford), David Barker’s Efford Down Gunnadoo at £3,150 to M Avent (Hannerdown Herd, Chippenham), Jeff Thomas’s Bollowal Bach at £3,150 to Mrs E D Roper (Forde Abbey Herd, Chard), Simon David and Tracey Andrews’ Dunkery Jack at £3,150 to Stephen Potter (Whitsley Herd, Bristol) and John Stanbury’s Knowstone Masterpeice at £3,045 to R C Hector (Stathe Herd, Bridgwater).Heifers were much in demand as David Ingram, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, started a new herd with two in-calf and 13 maiden heifers. Mr Ingram was involved in several bidding battles on the best heifers, but narrowly missed out twice, with David & Andrews’ Ashbrittle Gloriosa selling at £1,470 to G Summerhayes (Rocknell Herd, Tiverton) and Heywood & Hurd’s Whitefield Bridesmaid 42nd at £1,470 to Sophie Simmons (Gillingham, Dorset).Averages: 29 bulls, £2,546; seven cows, £920; eight in-calf heifers, £1,370; 25 maiden heifers, £1,132.