DESPITE the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, there was plenty of confidence in the beef sector at Monday’s Simmental sale in Stirling, where the growing trend towards breeding home-bred replacements ensured a buoyant trade for bulls, with averages improving just shy of £400 per head.
“It was a good sale,” said society chief executive, Neil Shand. “It was a good show of bulls but it wasn’t a vintage show. We had commercial buyers going to 10,000gns, 11,000gns and even 12,000gns for bulls, but farmers have more money in their pockets compared to last year at this time.
“The fat trade is around 30p per kg ahead of this time last year, store cattle are up slightly and it has not been an expensive winter so far, so there is more confidence in the market,” added Mr Shand.
This year’s event also witnessed a premium paid for bulls from high health status herds, particularly for Johnes and for bulls that had been semen tested or used at home, he said.
It was also a good day for his own 15-cow Cairnorrie herd which is based at Methlick, Aberdeenshire, when he sold the second top priced bull at 20,000gns.
Dirnanean Grafter made 20,000gns for Neil Shand
Producing a personal best here was Dirnanean Grafter – a 19-month-old bull bought alongside his dam, Dirnanean Polarine A8, a Starline Nelson-sired cow, at Finlay McGowan’s Dirnanean dispersal in October, 2015.
He is by Ranfurly Confederate, a bull purchased here for 6500gns and which has since been sold Stewart Stronach’s Islavale herd, at Keith.
Intermediate champion and reserve overall with freelance stockman, Rhys Grenham, at the helm, Grafter now goes to work in the Strathisla herd, with Adrian Ivory, Strathisla Farms, Meigle, Blairgowrie.
“I was impressed by his length, style, size and growth rates – he had a daily liveweight gain of 1.87 kg,” said Mr Ivory.
Top price, however, was 21,000gns paid for the reserve senior champion from Richard McCulloch’s Overhill House herd, from Armadale, West Lothian, managed by John Hughes.
This was Overhill House Guinness, the first son sold from the herd by Curaheen Drifter, an €18,000 purchase at Roscommon, which has already bred sons to €17,500 in Ireland. The mother is Woodhall Amara – an Annick Talisker daughter bought alongside a further 35-plus females from Hector Macaskill three years ago.
Topping the sale at 21,000gns was Overhill House 21,000gns
A partnership bid comprising Alan Thomson, Glasgow, who is looking to establish a new herd; Douglas Miller, Bridge House, Westfield, Bathgate, and two others were the last men in on this deep red bull. They also hope to sell semen from the bull.
On the debit side, Mr McCulloch forked out 16,000gns for the junior champion from Garry Patterson’s small Aultmore herd which runs along side several other small pedigree herds at Upper Forgie, Aultmore, Keith.
This was Aultmore Goliath, an ET-bred from the Whitemire King Kong daughter, Hazelden Jingle 8 – a female bought for 3000gns at the herd dispersal that bred a 7800gns bull for Mr Patterson at the May sale.
Reserve senior champion at the Stars of the Future Show, this youngster is by the AI sire, Banwy Bonzo and sold to the Overhill House herd for his style, conformation and presence, according to Mr Hughes.
Garry Patterson's Aultmore Goliath made 16,000gns
A further 11 bulls attracted five-figure sales, including the first prize winner in the last class which made 15,000gns to Lachlan Quarm, who owns the Annick herd, at Holehouse, Irvine.
Living up to his name was Wolfstar Gold Digger, a 15-month-old bull from father and son team, Alec and Ross King, Wolfstar, Ormiston, Tranent, who enjoyed a cracking sale, selling three bulls to average in excess of £12,000.
Wolfstar Gold Digger made 15,000gns
Their three were all by the 11,000gns stock bull, Team Celtic, whose first four sons averaged £11,550. Gold Digger is out of the Wolfstar Wotsit-sired cow, Wolfstar Chelsea – one of 40 cows in the herd.
Earlier in the day, Gerald and Morag Smith, and son Douglas, Drumsleed, Fordoun, Laurencekirk, went to 11,000gns for Wolfstar Gordy, a 22-month-old out of the Hiltonstown Soloman daughter, Wolfstar Wannabe which has already bred sons to 7200gns.
Another from the Kings, Wolfstar Gordy sold for 11,000gns
And, at 8500gns, Wolfstar Grampian, a May, 2015-born bull out of Wolfstar Crystal was knocked down to Cushnie Farms, Wardes, Kintore, Aberdeenshire.
Bute-based pedigree breeders, Robert and Paula McAlister, Langalbuinoch, Kingarth, got in on the action too, forking out 15,000gns for the first prize intermediate bull, Denizes Gallant, from father and son team, Michael and John Barlow, Four Oaks, Leyland.
Denizes Gallant made 15,000gns
Sired by Bosahan Dynamo – a bull bought at Bristol for 9600gns – this 19-month-old is out of the Tornado-sired Denizes Hannadante 9, whose full bother, Denizes Bonjovi, made 6000gns in 2012.
The champion, Stewart Stronach, son Stewart and grand-son Michael’s Islavale Gambler, from Berryleys, Keith, not only secured a second overall spring championship but also a 13,000gns price tag.
Their topper from a 200 mixed commercial and pedigree herd is by the 15,000gns Atlow Dixon and out of Islavale Cassie, by Woodhall Walker. Gambler, a 22-month-old bull which first won the senior championship and then the supreme overall headed back up north with Philip Simmers, Backmuir Trading, Keith.
Champion winner, Islavale Gambler made 13,000gns
Another by the same sire made 8500gns to Strathdee Estates, Langlanburn, Deskford, Cullen. Islavale Gethin, a rising two-year-old, is out of a home-bred Woodhall Walker daughter.
Islavale also got 10,000gns from Heather Duff, who runs the Pitmudie herd at Brechin. This was for the October, 2015-born Islavale Golden Boy. A first prize winner, he is by Woodhall Walker, a Corrick Kentucky Kid son bought alongside his mother, Woodhall Mistress, at a Woodhall production sale, and out of Islavale Amanda 2, by Clonagh A Super Star.
Again, the Stronachs enjoyed a cracking trade selling seven bulls to average £8280.
Heather also went to 11,000gns for the best from Brian and Stuart Grant’s Dellfield herd, from Druid’s Temple, Inverness. Dellfield Goldeneye, another red ticket holder, is the first son sold by the 11,000gns Islavale Ensign, and out of Dellfield Blanche, one of 50 pedigree cows in the herd.
Junior reserve, Dellfield Goldeneye hit 11,000gns
Goldeneye also made his presence felt at the Stars of the Future Show, were he was reserve senior male, last year.
On the other side of the coin, the Grant father and son duo went to 12,000gns for the dearest bull from Billy Robson and sons, Michael and Norman, who sold 14 bulls to average £5565.
Kilbride Farm Goldstar hit 12,000gns
Selling at this price for the Northern Ireland-based family, who have been selling bulls here for 36 years, was Kilbride Farm Goldstar, a red ticket holder by Kilbride Farm Warren – a bull which sold here for 9500gns and has bred sons to 18,000gns. A full brother to a 10,000gns bull, Goldstar is out of the Cairnview Snazzy daughter, Kilbride Farm Eunice.
Two other Kilbride Farm bulls made 10,000gns.
The first, Kilbride Farm Gregor, a polled bull by the Sneumgaarad Imperator, being bred from the same family as the Robson’s 12,000gns entry. Born in July, 2016, he is out of a home-bred Crugmelyn Brenin daughter and sold up to Orkney to Maesquoy Farms
Kilbride Farm Gregor
Later, a direct son of Brenin – a bull bought privately at the English National show that has already bred sons to 22,000gns and which the boys’ believe is their best current stock bull – matched the 10,000gns bid, selling to commercial producers, Kenneth Sutherland and sons, Stephen and Kenneth, of Sibmister and Stainland Farms, Thurso, Caithness. On the dam side, Kilbride Farm Gruffalo, is also bred from the Eunice family, being out of a home-bred daughter of Kilbride Farm Newry – one of 100 cows in the herd.
Kilbride Farm Gruffalo made 10,000gns
Two others made 11,000gns, with the first, William Nelson’s Drumacritten George, by Dermotstown Delboy, from Rosslea, Enniskillen, purchased by John Jeffrey, buying for his Kerseknowe herd from Kelso. This first prize senior bull is a heifer’s calf being out of the Drumlone Anchor-sired Drumacritten Dianna.
Drumacritten George
Later, commercial producer, Jim Innes, Dunscroft, Huntly, went to the same money for Corskie Grantown, an 18-month-old son of the record priced Bel Dhu Capercaillie, from Jimmy and Iain Green, Corskie, Fochabers.
Corskie Grantown
Corskie also took 8500gns for Corskie Godwin, a Westridge Dugan-sired April, 2015-born bull purchased by Craigkelly Farm, North Glassmount, Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, Fife. The Greens sold 13 bulls to average £6400.
Just failing to hit the magical five-figure bracket, Kyleston Geronimo, a Dirnanean Comrade son form SB Knox’ herd from North Balloch, Alyth, realised 9500gns to Sandy Hogg, Longyester, Gifford. He is bred from the Brooklyn Endeavour-sired Kyleston Terri.
Top price for Colin Inglis’ Greencap herd, from Craegorry, Dalachy, Aberdour, was 8500gns paid for the 19-month-old bull, Greencap Galaxy. Peebleshire producer, AC Burke, Nether Stewarton, Eddleston, was the last man in on this Popes Barclay son out of a home-bred cow by Omorga Volvo.
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