United Kingdom-Limousin cattle sales.
A HUGE demand for Limousin bulls at Carlisle last weekend, ensured an 87% clearance and a jump in averages of £864 on the year, with the 131 bulls levelling at a UK all-breeds record of £5688.
And that was without a record-breaking top price. Trade peaked at 23,000gns - but it was just one of 17 lots to hit the five-figure mark.
"All of the industry messages are for added value cattle; easy care, easy calving, feed efficiency, with top yield and killing out percentages. Limousin breeders are providing the goods in numbers and it was proved today that buyers are investing heavily in their future with great confidence," said breed chief executive, Ian Kerr.
Scottish buyers were out in force, with several of the top priced animals heading north, including the 23,000gns Goldies Comet - the reserve junior and reserve overall bull from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries.
Selling late in the day, this 16-month-old, an embryo calf, is got by the 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic. The dam, Goldies Vitality, is by Sarkley Ragtime and out of Goldies Tiffeny - a full sister to the sire of two 20,000gns bulls.
Sporting an EBV of LM+45, Comet caught the eye of two Scottish pedigree breeders and was knocked down jointly to David Baillie, for the Calla herd at Carnwath, and Ian Nimmo’s Maraiscote herd at Bogside, Newmains, Wishaw.
The only other entry from the Goldies consignment also made it into the list of leading prices, selling at 12,000gns. That was another Vantastic son, Goldies Conquest, a 17-month-old out of a strong female line. His mother, Goldies Una, comes from the same family that produced the 50,000gns Wilodge Cerberus. Forking out the cash for this bull, which stood second in his class to the sale topper, was the DWH Gascoigne Group, Southwell, Notts.
Haltcliffe Vermount, the record price Limousin at 100,000gns, is really proving his worth for buyers, Procters Farm Ltd at Slaidburn, Clitheroe. Following on from the Carlisle sale in October, when his sons fetched 28,000gns, 22,000gns and 10,000gns, this time the herd’s sole entry, a Vermount son, reached the day’s second top price of 20,000gns. Reserve intermediate champion at the pre-sale show, the 21-month-old Procters Cyclone - brought out by farm manager Gary Swindlehurst - is out of Procters Sonia, a Neutron daughter that is out of one of the herd’s foundation females, Waverbank Poppy. Impressed with his shape and sire’ he sold north to William and Ann Oag and sons, for their Thurso-based Brims herd of 80 pedigree cows, which run alongside 330 commercials.
The junior and supreme champion - picked out the previous day by judge, Michael Fieldson, Poplar Farm, Corringham, Gainsborough - was the Northern Ireland-bred Millgate Caesar, which sold for the third top price of 18,000gns. Consigned by first time Carlisle sellers, Michael and Christina Loughran, and son Michael, who run 35 pure females at Dungate, Co Tyrone, this one boasts a huge EBV of LM+46. Sired by the Roscrea-bought Ballyline Udolf, he is out of Hollybank Angel, an Epson daughter bought privately as a calf.
Reserve champion at the All-Ireland Bull Derby last year, Caesar was another to sell to Scotland, purchased by Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, Perth.
