WITH a top price of 8500gns and a steady trade thereafter, Limousin bulls sold to a similar commercial demand as this time last year to average £4945 for the 40 sold on Monday, a rise of just under £400 on the year for only three fewer.

Society chief executive, Iain Kerr, was upbeat about the sale and the Limousin breed’s place in the industry, bolstered by the society’s investments in breed improvements.

Leading the trade at that top price was the reserve supreme champion from Bruce Goldie and father, Jim, of Mouswald, Dumfries. Their ET-bred Goldies Lancelot, which also stood reserve junior, is among the first crop to sell by Foxhillfarm Irishlad, a 38,000gns joint purchase with Jonathan Watson when he stood reserve junior champion at Carlisle in May, 2014. Lancelot’s dam is the Sarkley Ragtime-sired Goldies Vitality, and come sale time Lancelot was knocked down to Clive Richardson, of Portadown, County Armagh.

It was a good day for Andrew Burnett and his Spittalton herd, which was announced as the overall winner in the Scottish Limousin Club’s herd competition just days before, when he sold seven bulls to average £5610. Dearest of these at 8200gns was Spittalton Lewis, a second prize winner that was later snapped up by Allan Lambie at Loanhead of Duchally, Auchterarder. He is by the 8000gns Maraiscote Gigolo, while the dam is Spittalton Erica, a Dyfri Tanner daughter.

Andrew, from Upper Spittalton, Blair Drummond, and stockman Tim Russell, also produced the next highest price when MJ Agnew, Little Airies, Kirkcolm, forked out 7200gns for Spittalton Liam. This lad, the same age as Lewis having been born in March, 2015, is by the 4000gns Dinmore Hitman and out of Spittalton Faith, herself by the home-bred Spittalton Chopper that was used on heifers before selling privately.

There were two bulls at 7000gns with the first of these coming from the Irvine family at Braehead, Drummuir, Keith, in the shape of Anside Looper. This second prize winner is among the first crop of bulls by Powerful Irish, whose very first sons to sell through the ring topped at 12,000gns at Carlisle a few days before. Selling to A and M Robertson of Ballycurrie on the Isle of Bute, Looper is out of a Normande-bred cow by Ardnacrusha Uthman.

Also making 7000gns was Archie and John MacGregor’s supreme champion, Allanfauld Judo, which was described by judge, Jonathan Aiken of the Carnew herd in County Down, as ‘just my type, being long and great on his legs with a deep loin and good back-end.’ Bred out of an Allanfauld Cracker daughter and snapped up by WJ and P MacKenzie, Hilton, Tain, Judo is the first to sell by the Ampertaine Commander-sired Knockcroghery Hero, a €6900 purchase at Roscrea back in 2014.

See this week's issue of The Scottish Farmer, out October 22, for the full round up from the Stirling Bull Sales.