A BUMPER show of Beef Shorthorns backed by soaring demand, produced a record breaking trade for the breed with a new bull high of 26,000gns and a best ever average just shy of £6000.

Add to that a further eight five-figure sales, and averages jumped by a massive £1565 on the year to level at £5914. More impressive however, was the fact that almost double the number of bulls sold this year compared to February 2016, with 65 finding new homes, representing an 87% clearance, against the 34 cashed last year from a 51% clearance.

Star attraction undoubtedly was the sale of Major John Gibb and his daughter, Catriona’s Glenisla Jackpot, which secured the new breed record of 26,000gns for the family farm at Glenisla, Blairgowrie. Living up to his name and surpassing the previous best of 17,000gns paid here in 2014, was an AI two-year-old son of Broughton Park Thunder, an Australian sire, which bred the herd’s top breeding bull, Glenisla Xcalibur. The dam, Glenisla Desire, by Glenisla Vagabond, is one of the best breeding females in the 70-cow herd established in the mid 1970s. Jackpot, a roan bull brought out by stockman Stephen Martin, stood second in his class at the pre-sale show, and was knocked down to pedigree Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus breeder, James Porter of the Uppermill and Old Glenort herds, respectively from Dromore, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

Douglas McMillan’s Coldrochie herd from Luncarty, Perth, enjoyed a flying trade with sales at 15,000gns and 10,000gns. Dearest was Coldrochie Jurassic, a 20-month-old roan bull by the 12,000gns Knockenjig Foremost, a bull whose six heifers sold at the October sale peaked at 11,000gns. Reserve junior at the pre-sale show, Jurassic is out of Colnvalley Rosebud, by the home-bred sire Colnvalley Titanic, and sold to Bill and Jane Landers, Bargaly, Newton Stewart, who were second last bidders on the 26,000gns Glenisla bull.

The similarly aged Jason of Upsall, an AI son of Glenisla Zetor from Gerald Turton’s Upsall herd from Upsall, Thirsk, also proved popular, selling for 14,000gns. Bred from one of the best female lines in the 80-cow herd, this roan bull is out of the Wallace of Upsall daughter, Clipper X431 of Upsall, which is the dam of two bulls already used in the herd. Immediate past president, Geoff Riby, Low Stonehills, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was the last man in.

Increased demand combined with a cracking show of females set the ball rolling for buoyant trade for the Beef Shorthorn breed from start to finish, with the heifers witnessing a complete clearance and an average some £1100 up on the year to level at £3016 for 33.

The Scottish Farmer:

                       Castlemount Matrix Foxglove Flake

Topping the trade at 6600gns was a June 2015-born roan heifer from Duncan McDowell's Castlemount herd from Northern Ireland, purchased by Ross Withers, Higher Tresawle, Probus, Truro, Cornwall. Selling at this bracket was Castlemount Matrix Foxglove Flake, another by the privately purchased Elliot Matrix, which bred Mr McDowell's bulls. The dam, Ballyvaddy Foxglove Flake, which is a daughter of Glenisla Foxglove Flake, was purchased privately in Ireland. She sold served to Meonhill Firefox.

See this week's issue of The Scottish Farmer, out February 11, for the full report from the first week of the Stirling Bull Sales, featuring reports, leading awards and photos of the trade leaders from the Beef Shorthorn, Aberdeen-Angus and Limousin breeds.