Thrunton tops Stirling Angus sale at 15,000gns

The good news is, this represented a rise of £11 per head on the year. The bad news however, was the fact that 16 fewer bulls found new homes compared to the same sale in 2017, and the clearance rate, at 72% was 4% lower.

“It was a very good trade with a good line up of decent bulls making a sensible, commercial trade,” said newly elected president, Angela MacGregor, who owns the Newcairnie herd in Aberdeenshire.

“The premium for Aberdeen Angus prime cattle, which at present ranges from 13-40p per deadweight kg depending on what area you are in, is a real incentive for buyers.  Producers were also looking to the breed for its ease of fleshing and management attributes,” she said added that purchasers were also paying attention to estimated breeding values and particularly ease of calving.

The sale also heralded the first day for the society’s new chief executive, Barrie Turner, who was extremely enthusiastic for the future of the Aberdeen Angus breed.

“I am very proud to be representing the No 1 beef breed and one of the best brands in the world. Aberdeen Angus beef is renowned throughout the world and I intend to build on that by looking at the various benefits of the different grading schemes for taste and tenderness and how we can invest in them.

“There is a lot of work to do with wholesalers and retailers to build new and better marketing initiatives. We will also be looking at genomics and feed conversion efficiency for individual animals. However, for the next few months, I intend to make myself as visible as possible to the members and the stakeholders to hear the concerns of individuals and how best to take the breed forward,” said Mr Turner.

Leading the bull trade at 15,000gns was Thrunton Panther, a first prize senior bull from Ian Campbell and sons, Andrew and Bruce, who run 20 pedigree Angus females alongside a Charolais enterprise at Thrunton, Whittingham, Alnwick. 
A son of the 17,000gns Hallington Edition, which has already done well for his owner Andrew Hodge, Rulesmains, Panther is bred from the young cow, Thrunton Paradise, a Netherallan Peter Pershore daughter. He sold to Alistair and Graeme Fraser, buying for their Idvies herd from Newton of Idvies, Forfar.
On the other side of the coin, Ian's brother, John who farms at Rosebrough, Chathill, Alnwick, went to 10,000gns for the senior champion, Logie Explosive, a 23-month-old bull from David Stubbs of AJR Farms, Millton of Collieston, Ellon.  Explosive is by the privately purchased Rawburn Enoch, a bull that bred the reserve inter-breed champion here in October which made 6500gns and other sons to 7500gns, and out of Logie Elegant, a Logie Banner son.
Wanda Hobbs’ sole entry from the 25-cow Ellin herd from the home farm at Wedderlie, Gordon, which sells up to 60 bulls privately every year, also made the grade with a 14,000gns bid for Ellin Ergo. 
This was paid for another red ticket holder, in the shape of a 17-month-old son of the ET-bred Wedderlie Target, a bull retained for breeding by the American sire, OGL Battle Cry, and bred from the Canadian ET cow, HF Tibbie 86 Ergo. Target has already produced several good commercial bulls, but this was his dearest son to date. 
Ergo is bred from Ellin Eragle, a daughter of the 5500gns Perkhill Eagle, which on her dam’s side goes back to Wanda’s foundation Wedderlie cow gifted to her from her parents as a 21st birthday present. North of England Blackface sheep breeder, Selby Robson, Yatesfield, Otterburn, was the last man in on this entry.
The Allens from Stouphill, Alnwick – Bill and Kate, son Dallas and daughter Ruth – are relatively new to the breed, but they are certainly making their mark, when they sold three bulls  to average £7700. 
Tops for this 50-cow herd which has been selling here for the past three years, was Stouphill Lord Ramon, a 22-month-old bull that stood third in his class at the pre-sale show. He is by Duncanziemere Jigsaw, a bull that cost 7000gns here and whose first three sons sold in October averaged in excess of £5000. Alasdair Houston, who owns the Gretnahouse herd at Gretna, forked out the cash for this entry which is out of Rawburn Lady Rose, a Rawburn Double Oseven daughter bought privately from John Elliot. 
There were more celebrations to come when Aberdeenshire breeders, Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s Deveron herd from Turriff, received 10,500gns, 9500gns and 5000gns. 
The dearest, Deveron Eldon, a second prize senior bull, is from the first crop of calves by 10,000gns Belhaven Dryburgh Abbey, and bred from Deveron Penzance-sired Deveron Elize. First prize yearling and reserve native beef breeder at the Highland and reserve at the breed’s winter national show, Eldon sold to R  and E Vance, Broughton Skeog, Whithorn, Newton Stewart.
The same sire was behind the couple’s 9500gns bull when Deveron La Quinta was purchased by Angus and Patricia Glennie, buying for their Threeburnford herd from Oxton, Lauder. La Quinta is bred from one of the top females in the 70-cow herd being out of Deveron Lady, a Blackhaugh Easy Papa-sired cow that also bred Deveron Leggat and the reserve heifer calf at the Black Beauty Bonanza.
A further four bulls sold for 10,000gns to include Linton Gilbertines Profile, from the Trustees of the late Gordon Brooke, Upper Huntleywood, Earlston. Some top genetics are behind this senior bull brought out by stockman Ian Campbell, with the sire being Rawburn Elysium, a bull that has bred sons to 28,000gns and a champion female at the Highland. Page Farms, Newton Grange, Bedale, North Yorkshire, were the final bidders on this ET bull bred from the 14,000gns Lockerley Primrose, an Idvies Jester Eric-sired cow.
Sons of home-bred bulls did the business for Aberdeenshire father and son team Neil and Mark Wattie, too when they sold two bulls at 10,000gns from their Tonley herd from Alford. 
First up was Tonley Eagle, a fourth prize winner by Tonley Essien, a Rawburn Double O Seven son sold privately, that bred the reserve junior and the female champion here in October. The dam, Tonley Ester, by Blelack Evor, is from the same family that has produced bulls to 14,000gns. Eagle goes out to work at Quixwood, Duns, having been purchased by John and Iain MacFarlane.
Later, the reserve junior champion, Tonley Emmerson, the first son sold by Tonley Anelka, a Blelack Evor-sired bull retained for breeding bred from Tonley Annie, a cow that has produced sons to 6800gns. Galashiels producer, JW Weir, Cortleferry, Stow, was the last man in on this 20-month-old that was reserve senior champion at the Stars of the Future. His dam, Tonley Equidora, by the 7000gns Tonley Esquire, is one of the most consistent breeding cows in the 150-cow herd, with her last two sons selling at 6800gns and 4800gns.
The final lot to hit the magical 10,000gns mark came from Tranent-based butcher, John Gilmour who owns the Belhaven herd, managed by free-lance stock handlers, Richard and Carol Rettie who are now based at Methven, Perthshire. This was Belhaven El Burladero, an AI son of the show bull, Gretnahouse Blacksmith out of the Canadian ET, Weeton Eston Anne, bought at the Weeton dispersal. Burladero heads down to Hawick, having been purchased by AR Bell and Son, Kirkton.
The same home also received 8200gns from Mountquhanie Farms, Cupar, for Belhaven Lone Ranger, a 22-month-old bull by Retties Lone Ranger, bred from the Canadian ET, Belhaven Drama Queen.
The reserve overall champion, Alasdair Clark and sons Brian and Alasdair’s Duncanziemere Mr Bennett, made 9000gns selling to Hugh and Sandy Wilson, Newbank, Moffat. Sired by the former Highland Show champion, Rawburn Jester Eric, which bred sons to average in excess of £9500, last year, this 20-month-old bull is from the same family as Duncanziemere Magic Boy, which sold for £15,000 privately at the Highland Show last year as a two-month-old calf. 
Just behind, on 8500gns, Orkney breeder, Colin Davidson, sold his second prize winner, Skaill Donald, which provides an outcross completely free from Netherallan Peter Pershore, to Jan Boomaars, Heathdown, The Ridge, Woldingham. The first son to be sold by the privately purchased, Rawburn Jackson Eric which is a son of Rawburn Boss, this senior bull is bred from the Skaill Legend-sired Skaill Diana.
Three bulls made 8000gns including Euan Brewis’ Eastfield Jenson, an Abberton Proud Nixen son brought out by Iain McGillivray, from Eastfield of Lempitlaw, Kelso, purchased by Tillyfour Farms, Wardes, Kintore, Inverurie. The breeding behind this 22-month-old includes Abberton Proud Nixen – a sire that has bred several five-figure priced bulls for the herd, onto the Rawburn Edge daughter, Eastfield Jenny.
Tom and Jack Arnott, Haymount, Kelso, also had a good day with two bulls at 8000gns, with both being sons of Blelack Black Blockbuster, of which a half share was bought privately from the Massies as a yearling. Blockbuster has already produced sons to 11,000gns and 10,000gns with heifer calves to 5500gns. 
First to make 8000gns for the father and son team was Haymount Wavebreaker, a June-2016 born son of the Haymount Privor daughter, Haymount Wavora, purchased by AC Grant and Son, Middlefield, Forres, Morayshire.
Messrs Reid, bought the second, Haymount Gold Dust, a similarily aged bull bred from the Blelack Prince Carl-sired Haymount Golarla, a cow that boasts several impressive sisters that have produced bulls to 11,000gns.
The overall champion was Graeme Fraser's Idvies Ferrari, an intermediate bull by the 10,000gns Gretnahouse Prince Cool, bred from Idvies Flora, by Lockerley Legolas, was unsold through the ring and heads home to work on the family's Idvies herd based at Forfar.

•    The female champion led the small but selective line up of heifers when Neil and Mark Wattie’s Tonley Princess sold for the top price of 7000gns. Living up to her name for this 150-cow herd from Alford was one of the top show heifers, a 22-month-old daughter of Blelack Evor, bred from the Blelack Prince Consort-sired Tonley Princess. Northern Ireland breeder, Kevin Mcoscar, Island Farm, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, was the last man in on this youngster which boasts a heap of top awards to include reserve female at Turriff, breed champion at Keith and reserve yearling champion at the Black Beauty Bonanza, last November. She changed hands six months in calf to Tonley Elvis.
•    The three Angus heifers sold averaged £3535.