A GOOD show of bulls and the demand for the Limousin breed ensured a bumper event at last weekend’s society sale at Carlisle, where an electric trade saw prices peak at 30,000gns with a further 15 making 10,000gns or more.
Most impressive was the fact that with senior bulls attracting a a healthy trade from the very start, an additional 17 more bulls were sold.
Add to that 53 bulls making 5000gns or more and averages up a massive £1058 on the year, then breeders certainly had plenty to smile about.
And, mirroring United Auctions’ Stirling sale, clearance rates were also up on the year, with 114 bulls out of the 125 forward finding new homes representing a 91% clearance.
While the senior bulls sold well, it was the junior section that undoubtedly proved the star attraction, securing the majority of lead prices including the sale lead at 30,000gns.
Soaring to the top and producing a personal best for Danny Sawrij’s Swalesmoor herd, from Kedzlie Farm, Blainslie, Lauderdale, was the embryo calf, Swalesmoor Liam, brought out by freelance stockmen, brothers Fraser and Alistair Cormack and herd stockman, Bruce Porteous.
The farm which is better known for it’s 30-cow pedigree Charolais herd, which runs alongside a similar number of Limousins and now, 100 pure Luings, led the trade with a 16-month-old by the French-bred, Cloughhead Umpire – a bull sold at Carlisle in 2005 for 42,000gns to Haltcliffe and which has bred numerous five-figure-priced bulls in the past, including the 72,000gns, Haltcliffe DJ and the 35,000gns Plumtree Deus.
Swalesmoor Liam made 30,000gns
On the dam side, Liam is the result of a flush from Nebo Favourite, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter purchased by Danny Sawrij for 9000gns at the Cowporation dispersal alongside her calf, Cowporation Iris, in 2014.
Placed second in his class at the pre-sale show and first at last year’s National Limousin Show, the golden-coloured Liam boasts a daily liveweight gain of in excess of 2kg per day over the last eight weeks.
He was knocked down to Richard Harker, Grayrigg Hall, Grayrigg, Kendal, and Matt and Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket-Newmarket.
Commenting on the purchase, Mr Harker said: “This bull is a very modern Limousin. He has tremendous length, is clean, and good on his legs. He carries a lot of style and has plenty of depth and quality in his pedigree.”
Echoing those sentiments, Craig Ridley added: “I saw Liam at the National Limousin Show at the end of July. At the time I thought he was the outstanding young bull there and I tried to buy him but Danny (Sawrij) wouldn’t sell. He is just absolute sheer class, and just what a Limousin bull should look like.
“He’s a super colour, has a beautiful head, is long, clean, has great flesh and style, and is still just a very young bull.”
Both the junior champion and the reserve junior made 22,000gns with the champion, selling up the road to Aberdeenshire with Neil and Stuart Barclay, who run the Harestone herd, outside Insch.Their purchase, Swarland Likelylad, a 17-month-old from Andrew Proctor’s 40-cow pedigree herd from Swarland, Morpeth, boasts some relatively new genetics, being the third son sold by the 23,000gns Fairywater Haig, the reserve junior here in 2014 by Ironstone Diego, whose first son, Swarland Larry, made 14,000gns here in October. The mother, Swarland Fanciful, is by the 12,000gns Brontemoor Apache.
Swardland Likelylad
Andrew’s other Haig son sold made 12,000gns earlier in the day selling the Cowx family for pedigree use at Hudscales, Hesket Newmarket. This was Swarland Leon, a heifer’s calf bred from Swarland Helen which is a half sister to Swarland Hansy – the mother of the 14,000gns Swarland Larry.
Swarland Leon
Ian Handley’s reserve junior champion from Gunnerfleet, Ingleton, Lancs, also made 22,000gns.
His cracker is the first son sold by the home-bred bull, Gunnerfleet Hicks, a son of the 32,000gns Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor which bred numerous high priced males and females for the 75-cow herd. The dam, Gunnerfleet Ilocks, by Plumtree Fantastic, is from a family which has produced in excess of £500,000 of cattle sales.
Gunnerfleet Lion made 22,000gns
From a 20,000gns kick-off, this 16-month-old ET was knocked down to Ian Scott, manager of Messrs Jenkinson’s Whinfellpark herd of 120 cows at Clifton Moor, Penrith.
The champion, Foxhillfarm Louisvuitton, from Mike and Melanie Alford’s Foxhillfarm herd, from Cullompton, Devon, made 20,000gns to John Penny and Sons, Leeds Road, Rawden, Leeds.
Backed by some of the best genetics in the business, this 18-month-old ET is a result of a flush from the Wilodge Vantastic cross Bankdale Alice daughter, Foxhillfarm Gracie which is the only Limousin to have won the top four breed shows in one year, and sired by Guards Boomer.
First at the National Show and reserve senior male at the Stars of the Future, Louisvuitton also boasts two double muscle genes in his pedigree from F94L and QNT.
Hot on his heels, the reserve intermediate and reserve overall, made 19,000gns selling to Lochaber commercial producer, Gordon Cameron, who runs 100 sucklers at Acharacle, Fort William.
This was Iain and Andrew Nimmo’s Maraiscote Lothario, a 19-month-old son of the 30,000gns stock bull, Goldies Comet which has bred several five-figure priced bulls and also bred the 125,000gns record priced female, Glenrock Illusion.
Mariascote Lothario
Lothario was champion at Biggar Show, second in his class at the National and is out of Maraiscote Genie, a Virginia Andy daughter – one of 150 cows in the herd based at Bogside, Newmains, Wishaw.
Minutes later, Mr Nimmo then forked out 18,000gns for Andrew Gammie’s muscly bull, Westpit Lowry, a red ticket holder from Drumforber, Laurencekirk. Another backed by some first class genetics, Lowry is the result of the Newark in-calf purchase, Brockhurst Holy, another Wilodge Vantastic daughter this time out of the Highland and Great Yorkshire show champion, Brockhurst Bolshoi.
Westpit Lowry
Lowry is by the Fieldson Alfy son, Ardglasson Highlander, with his sale going towards the next big celebration – the headwetting of Andrew and his wife Kathryn’s first born, Finlay, who was born only days before the sale.
There were more celebrations to come when John and Mandy Smith-Jackson, produced their best ever sale, when Hightown Leon made 18,000gns to commercial producer, John White, Rigg Farm, Lunedale, Middleton-In-Teesdale.
The couple, who are better known for breeding quality show calves, Bluefaced Leicesters and Scotch Mules, received this money for a 16-month-old son of Waindale UFO, a 14-year-old bull that also sired last year’s Smithfield Show champion for Jennifer Hyslop.
Hightown Leon
Equally notable, the dam, College Unice, a Hartside Jacko daughter, which was bought at the College dispersal and is also still going strong, bred the couple’s 12,500gns Hightown Fernando, from Hightown, Melkridge, Haltwhistle.
There was another personal best for John Murray and daughters, Hannah and Eve, when their Haneve Luigi, a rising two-year-old by Powerhouse Elite, not only picked up the reserve senior honours but also a 16,000gns price tag.
This was only their second bull to be sold at Carlisle from the 14-cow herd, at Glebe Farm, West Butsfield, Tow Law. He is out of the Haltcliffe Doctor daughter, Haneve Geraldine.
Haneve Luigi
Luigi, which won the best young bull in the North-east herds’ competition, last year, headed home with F Ward, Rogerley Hall, Frosterley, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham.
John Logan and son, also John, Humebyres, Kelso, also came up with the goods taking 14,500gns for Homebyres Lockett. The breeding behind this one includes the AI sire, Lowerffrydd Empire, onto the Kaprico Davelle-sired heifer, Homebyres Freesia. West Glamorgan producers, Messrs Howells, Gelli, Port Talbot, were the last men in on this red ticket holder.Home-bred genetics were behind James and Duncan Hazard’s Mereside Leo, all the way from Saltby Heath, Lincs, too, which made 13,000gns to JM and SP Cooper, Hill Top Farm, Dacre, Harrogate. This third prize winner is by the Plumtree Deus son, Mereside Godolphin that sold for 40,000gns and out of the Haltcliffe Dancer heifer, Mereside Hougie.
Homebyres Lockett
Mereside Leo
It was a similar story for the Quick brothers, Andrew, Paul and Mark, all the way from Devon, when they received 11,000gns and 10,000gns for bulls backed by home-bred genetics.
Their Loosebeare Lunar, a 20-month-old by the Wilodge Vantastic son, Loosebeare Fantastic – a bull that has bred several five-figure priced bulls to a top of 35,000gns – out of Loosebeare Samanna, a Greenwell Manager-sired female that has already bred sons to 6000gns. He made 11,000gns to R Dunlop, Pinvalley, Barr, Girvan.
Selling at 10,000gns to Bishop Auckland producer, W Robson, High West House Farm, Tow Law, was Loosebeare Lord, another by Fantastic but out of a daughter of Haltcliffe Anzac.
Another cracking string of bulls by the Claragh Franco from Eric and Elaine Norman, Little Orton, Carlisle, peaked at 10,500gns for Norman Levi.
Their second prize bull is a full brother to the 15,500gns Norman Hawk, being out of the Lowabbey United-sired Norman Clover. Buyer was J Pritchard, Evistones, Rochester.
The last of the big sales at 10,000gns came for Darren Wharton’s Withersdale Levi, a rising two year-old from Willow Farm, Mendham, Norfolk. Newcastle upon Tyne producers, J Leiper and Sons, Black Heddon, Ponteland, forked out the cash for this Plumtree Deus son out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter, Withersdale Finesse.
Withersdale Levi
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