A real meanmachine of a bull from Garry Patterson’s Aultside herd from Keith, well and truly lived up to his name at the Limousin Society’s bull sale at Carlisle, securing the overall championship and top price of 65,000gns.

On a day that witnessed no fewer than 19 five-figure prices and overall averages up by more than £800 on the year to level at £7540 for 104, Mr Patterson’s Aultside Meanmachine lifted the junior title and then the supreme overall before selling for the lead price. The buyers were Matt and Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe, Heskett new Market and Lancashire-based, Procters Farm, managed by Gary Swindlehurst.

“I saw the bull at Turriff Show last year and thought he was a cracker there and he still is, with exceptional width, power and shape. He’s also tremendous on his legs and never stands wrong,” said Craig Ridley after the sale.

Producing a personal best here for Mr Patterson who runs only a handful of pedigree cattle, was a full brother to the herd’s previous top, Aultside Hulk, the intermediate champion at the 2014 May sale at Carlisle, which sold for 55,000gns. He is by Wilodge Cerberus, and out of Spittalton Flush, a Hargill Blaze daughter bought at the Stirling Bull sales for just 2000gns after standing female champion.

Four other bulls sold for 20,000gns or more, with an internet bid of 30,000gns claiming Ian Handley’s Gunnerfleet Mongo, a first prize junior bull and embryo born calf from Gunnerfleet, Ingleton, Lancs. Bred from the herd’s top cow, Gunnerfleet Ilocks, a Plumtree Fantastic daughter that also bred the 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion and the 14,000gns Gunnerfleet Landmark, Mongo is by AI sire, Ampertaine Gigolo and sold to A Renton and H Redden, Ramparts Business Park, Berwick Upon Tweed.

Christine Williams and Paul Tippetts, Wilodge, Shifnal, Shropshire, went to 28,000gns for Mark Stewart’s Lenagh Morpheus, a September 2016-born embryo calf bred from the Broadmeadows Cannon-sired Lenagh Chanel. First in his class at the pre-sale show, Morpheus is by the AI sire, Plumtree Fantastic, a bull that has bred numerous five-figure sales for his owner, Mr Handley. Equally well bred on the mother’s side, Chanel, which is a daughter of the privately purchased show heifer, Kype Ulay, has bred sons to 13,000gns for the Co Antrim-based small herd from Randalstown.

Minutes later, Co Tyrone-based civil engineer, Kieran McCrory received 22,000gns for his similarly aged embryo calf, Bernish Memphis, bred from the show heifer, Bernish Julifortune, an Ampertaine Elgin daughter that was female champion at the NI Calf Show and first at Balmoral Show in 2015. He is by the 23,000gns Fairywater Haig and sold in a two-way split to AH and KJ Booth, Hardwick Hall Farm, Aston, Sheffield and Calogale Beef Semen Sales, Gerycoed, Four Roads, Kidwelly, Dyfed.

It was also a good day at the office for free-lance stock couple, Malcolm Telfer and Helen Claxton, when they received 20,000gns for their first Limousin bull sold at auction. Telfers Munster, a natural born calf is by the AI sire, Lodge Hamlet and bred from Telfers Imagination which is the first home-bred female from the couple’s two-cow herd, being out of their foundation female, Goldies Florist, bought as a yearling five years ago  6000gns. The bull, from Newton Hill House, Newton, Stocksfield, sold in a two-way split to Irish breeders, Henry Savage and Sons, buying for their Trueman herd from Altnamackin, Newry, Co Down, and Dan Tynan, Beechhill Farm, Doon, Mountrath, Co Laois, Eire.

Andrew Gammie was also in the money when he sold his reserve junior and reserve supreme for 15,000gns to Nick Oliver, Cawfields, Haltwhistle, Northumberland. This was the youngest bull in the catalogue, Westpit Macgregor, another by Ampertaine Gigolo, this time bred from the Fieldson Alfy-sired Westpit Florence which has bred sons to 5000gns.

Heading up to Aberdeenshire at 14,500gns, Aileen Ritchie, Tamara, Whitecairns, bought the Aiken family’s Carnew Millreef, all the way from Northern Ireland. He is by Lynderg Hero and bred from the show calf, Carnew Erica, by Wilodge Vantastic.

For full report and pictures see this week’s Scottish Farmer