The Charolais breed enjoyed a tremendous day’s trading at their spring show and sale at Stirling, this week, setting a new all-breeds record average of £6072, with an 80% clearance and 18 bulls hitting the five-figure mark.

That average – for 163 bulls – eclipsed last February’s record breaking one by £10, but with prices peaking at 26,000gns, compared to the 55,000gns top price 12-months-ago, it was the strong demand for commercial type bulls that really buoyed up the overall trade and many of the top priced lots went for predominantly commercial use.

Collecting several of the top prices after a successful two days in both the show and sale ring, was Hamish Goldie, with cattle from his 95-cow Goldies herd, based at South Bowerhouses, Ruthwell, Dumfries. Leading the way for the 12-strong consignment – which averaged out at £9511 – and topping the sale at 26,000gns, was the first prize-winner, Goldies Detour.

A 16-month-old, he is by the home-bred bull Goldies Banker, a past reserve senior champion at Perth, while the dam, Goldies Violin, a Thrunton Trademark daughter, is out of Allanfauld Gigi, bought as an 11-year-old by the Goldies when re-stocking in 2002. Detour sold to Charlie Boden, for the Stockport-based Sportsman’s herd.

Next best for Mr Goldie was his reserve junior champion, Goldies Decider, an October, 2008-born bull, by another home-bred sire, Goldies Unbeatable, the 25,000gns 2004 Perth champion. The dam, Goldies Blossom, is also full of home breeding – she is by the 34,000gns past Perth champion, Goldies Uppermost.

Boasting figures in the top 1% of the breed, with a Terminal Sire Index of 48 and a Self Replacing Index of 52, Decider was knocked down at 14,000gns to WD Mundell and Son, Meigle, Clovenfords, Galashiels.

Another breaking the five-figure barrier for the Goldies lot was Goldies Diademe, a 20-month-old which sold at 11,000gns. Sired by the 10,000gns Balthayock Ulex and out of the Blelack Rustic daughter, Goldies Ura, he sold to Mountquhanie Farms, Cupar, Fife.

Achieving the sale’s top average was Drew and Bob Adam’s Newhouse herd, from which six bulls, brought out by stockman Brian Wills, sold to level at £12,110. Top from the family’s 35-cow herd was 22,000gns, paid for the intermediate and overall champion, Newhouse Dingdong – picked out the previous day by judge, Gilbert Crawford, of the Northern Ireland-based Coolnaslee herd.

He is by Sackville Adonis, which has previously bred sons to 18,000gns for Newhouse. The first bull calf out of the Balnuith Ringleader daughter, Newhouse Vicky, he is another with impressive figures, sporting a TSI of 38 and a SRI of 45. Buyer was David Fattorini, for his Fairway herd at Skewkirk Hall, Tockwith, York.

The Adam family also collected the reserve intermediate title with Newhouse Diablo, which went on to sell for the sale’s third top price of 15,000gns. This July, 2008-born bull is by Silver Joss, while the dam, Newhouse Acorn, by Bleleack Rustic, is a full sister to a bull sold for 18,000gns. Diablo went in a two-way split, for mainly commercial use, to the Warnocks, at Dreva, Broughton, Biggar, and JR Green, The Craggs, Lilliesleaf, Melrose, jointly.

Not far behind, the Adams got 14,000gns for another Sackville Adonis son, a second prize-winner out of the Balnuith Ringleader daughter Newhouse Vibe. He sold to TA Jones and Son, Danycapel, Dryslwyn, Carmarthen.

Securing the best auction price to-date for their 50-cow herd, based at Kennieshillock, Lhanbryde, Elgin, the Milne family – Roy and Kirsty and sons, James, Matthew and Sam, sold bulls at 11,000gns and 10,000gns. Dearest of the two was Elgin Darthvader, a 20-month-old second prize-winner by the 6200gns Gower Versace – a bull that has bred two junior female champions at the Highland Show. Out of a Rumsden Samurai daughter, he was bought by B Keir and Son, Bridgend, Craigievar, Alford.

At 10,000gns, the Milnes sold another Versace son from the same class, Elgin Dalmally, to James Herdman, Edlingham, Alnwick.

Another of a string of bulls to reach 11,000gns was the best from the Campbell family’s Thrunton consignment, from Whittingham, Alnwick. That was the reserve senior champion, Thrunton Denzil, by the Oldstone Egbert son, Gretnahouse Archangel and out of the Burradon Talisman daughter, Thrunton Verity. Boasting big figures, with a TSI of 41 and a SRI of 48, he was knocked down to M and I Steele, Wicker Inn, Banchory.

Also hitting 11,000gns was the 19-month-old Carwood Darwin, from Colin Wight’s 40-cow herd at Biggar, which sold to Kincraigie Farms, Lumphanan, Banchory. He is sired by the 13,000gns Kelton Trident and out of Carwood Anabel, by Midlock Russell.

The trip across the water from Bushmills, Co Antrim, proved worthwhile for Gary Henderson, who received 11,000gns for the second prize-winner, Sandelford Duggan, an 18-month-old by the 14,000gns Goldies Usher. Out of the Drummeer Major-sired cow Sandelford Seles, Duggan is a full brother to Sandelford Bergkamp, bull performance champion at the Royal Ulster in 2007. Final bidder for that one was JA Morris, Olrig Mains, Thurso.

Having sold Sportsmans Columbo – the first son of the 55,000gns Perth purchase Thrunton Voldemort – for 55,000gns last February, Charlie Boden produced another successful son this year, in the form of Sportsmans Dreadnaught, a first prize-winner which made 11,000gns. Out of a home-bred Maerdy Romeo daughter, he sold to Caithness buyer WR Mill, Forsie, Westfield, Thurso.

Final 11,000gns bull was Mrs Lucy Poett’s Harviestoun Declan, a 17-month-old from her Dollar-based herd, near Stirling. Brought out by Richard and Carol Rettie, Declan is by Ravensworth Unwin, which has bred sons up to 10,000gns in the past. Out of the bought-in cow, Barochan Odette, by Dundas Jackpot, he sold to Messrs Ellis and Keir, Cairncoullie, Glenkindie, Aberdeenshire.