MORE bulls sold, a higher clearance rate and several new buyers – but no record – that was the story of the Simmental breed show, which was led by the champion at 25,000gns.

While a further seven bulls attracted five-figure bids, averages fell by almost £600 on the year. By the end of the day, 82 bulls were cashed to level at £5383, down £586 on last year, which saw a lead bid of 18,000gns and a further eight five-figure sales.

Three Scottish herds had a cracking sale day, selling seven of the eight top priced lots, with the sale high coming from the Green family’s 180-cow Corskie pedigree herd from Garmouth, Fochabers.

This was the senior champion and supreme overall, Corskie Gingersnap, a rising two-year-old brought out by Iain Green and daughters, Laura, Jemma and Hannah, and stockman, Robert Taylor. Producing a personal best for this herd, was a son of the 45,000gns record priced Bel Dhu Capercaillie. Gingersnap was male champion and junior inter-breed champion at the Highland, Turriff and Keith, and overall champion of champions at Echt. He is bred from the Popes Laird daughter, Corskie Winola.

He sold to the judge, Vikki Wood, who together with her husband, Jimmy and their family of Harry and Hannah, run the 50-cow Popes herd at Preston and also the meat wholesalers business, Bowland Foods.

Corskie also produced the second equal top priced lot at 12,000gns when Corskie Griffin, another by Capercaillie, was knocked down to Aberdeenshire producer, C Thomson, Wester Tulloch, Midmar. This 17-month-old first prize winner at the pre-sale is out of the Ballinalare Farm Nightrider daughter, Corskie Bethina.

The breeders of the record priced Bel Dhu Capercaillie, Billy Macpherson and his daughter, Anne, who also run the Blackford herd at Croy, Inverness, came up with the goods again, selling three bulls to average £11,375 and all in five figures.

Two of the three bulls were bred much the same way as Capercaillie, with the first of two 11,000gns bids coming for Blackford Grouse, which is a full brother to Capercaillie and the 12,000gns Finch. An AI son of Hockenhull Waterloo out of the Kilbride Farm Strabane daughter, Blackford Wagtail, this April, 2015-born bull was knocked down to John and Hamish Dykes, South Slipperfield, West Linton.

Kenny and John Matheson, Milton of Aberarder, Daviot, Inverness, bought the second 11,000gns Blackford bull, Glen Affric, which is by Kilbride Doubleaction, but out of Silver Wells Bonnie, a Kilbride Farm Strabane-sired cow.

While Blackford produced the lead herd average, the Stronach family's Islavale herd, from Berryleys, Keith, wasn't far behind, selling five bulls to level at £8295. Father and son, Stewart Stronach, with the next generation, Michael, brought out the second of the 12,000gns bulls, when Islavale Galahad, sold to AD Sutherland, Connachie, Elgin. Reserve intermediate at the pre-sale show, Galahad is the first son sold by the 15,000gns Atlow Dixon. Backed by the best of genetics on the dam’s side too, he is out of the Glenturk Premier daughter, Islavale Teresa, which bred the 14,000gns Islavale Donald which is now stock bull at Strathisla.

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