IT was the very first bull through the ring that led the summer sale of Limousin bulls and females at Borderway Mart, last week, when Haltcliffe Gains was chapped down for 5500gns. 
In all, bulls met a 67% clearance for 30 forward, with both the collective females and the production sales from the Ampertaine and Procters herds selling well.
Making the top price was Haltcliffe Gains, a February, 2011-born bull from Matt and Craig Ridley, Lonning Head, Hesket Newmarket, Wigton. A son of the 15,000gns Haltcliffe Dynamo bred out of Haltcliffe Ainsi, a Nenuphar daughter, he goes out to work at Park Grange, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, with S and S Hough.
Second top among the bulls was 4800gns, paid for Tomschoice Lust from JM and SP Cooper, Hill Top, Dacre, North Yorkshire. Selling north to Cornhill, Skene, with WJ and A Marr, this 16-month-old bull is by Warrenderpark Geronimo while the dam is Tomschoice Desire, by Brontemoor Aceofspades. 
Jimmy and Donald MacGregor's Dyke Jings from Dyke, Milton of Campsie, matched the 4800gns sale selling to MG and E Green, Thorniewaite, Lochmaben, Lockerbie. Born November, 2014, out of Dyke Flavia, a Drumduff Champ daughter, Jings is by Netherhall Gilbert.

The large entry of females saw a top price of 5000gns paid by Mark Mckinstry, Belfast Road, Crumlin, Co Antrim, for the dearest from William and James McKay's offering from their Ampertaine herd.

That was Ampertaine Jan, a July, 2014-born daughter of Plumtree Fantastic that also bred the 19,000gns Ampertaine Jeronimo, while the dam is the Ronick Hawk-sired Ampertaine Venice.
Two Ampertaine heifers made 4800gns apiece, with the former, Ampertaine Lola, selling to W Corrie, Crossnamuckley Road, Newtownards. This 17-month-old Ampertaine Foreman daughter is out of the Glenrock Ventura-sired Ampertaine Eloise.
Also making 4800gns, selling to Hampshire Livestock, Tollerton Road, Huby, York, was the Sympa-sired Ampertaine Janice. This 19-month-old, is out of Ampertaine Delight, a Ronick Hawk daughter from the Sharon family that has bred a number five-figure bulls, including the 38,000gns Ampertaine Foreman.The collective female sale was headed up by two from Michael and Melanie Alford's Devon-based Foxhillfarm herd, with a top call of 4000gns paid by GW Jones, Craig Fach, Caereinion, Welshpool, for Foxhillfarm Jessica. Born in Apirl, 2014, out of the Goldies Terrenca-bred Corridan Chelsea, this Sympa daughter was served by Ampertaine Gigolo – sire of the record priced 140,000gns Trueman Jagger – back in February. Top price for Procters Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, managed by Gary Swindlehurst, was 3800gns, paid for Proctors Ivana, a November, 2013-born Haltcliffe DJ daughter got by ET and bred from the Mas du Clo-sired Ulna. The buyer was EE Davies, Erw Pistyll, Aberdovey, Gwynedd. 

See this week's issue of The Scottish Farmer, out June 25, for the full report and averages from the Limousin sale at Carlisle.