A CRACKING show of bulls coupled with growing demand for the Limousin breed ensured a bumper trade at last weekend's society sale at Carlisle, where trade peaked at 30,000gns.

More impressive however, was the fact that with senior bulls attracting a good sound trade from the very start, an additional 17 more bulls were sold and with averages up a massive £1058 on the year.

But 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 top at 30,000gns.

Soaring to the top and producing a personal best for Kedzlie Farm's Swalesmoor herd from Blainslie, Lauderdale, was the embryo calf, Swalesmoor Liam, brought out by Fraser and Alistair Cormack and 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 which has bred numerous five-figure-priced bulls in the past to include the 72,000gns, Haltcliffe DJ and the 35,000gns Plumtree Deus.

On the dam side, Liam is the result of a flush from Nebo Favourite, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter purchased 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 brown coloured Liam which boasted a daily liveweight gain of in excess of 2kg per day over the last eight weeks, was knocked down to Richard Harker, Grayrigg Hall, Grayrigg, Kendall, and Matt and Craig Ridley.

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.

Andrew’s second Haig son sold made 12,000gns earlier in the day selling the Cowx family for pedigree use at Hudscales, Hesket New Market. 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.

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 sales. From a 20,000gns kick-off bid, this 16-month-old ET was knocked down to Ian Scott, manager of Messrs Jenkinson’s Whinfellpark herd of 120 cows based at Clifton Moor, Penrith.

The champion, Foxhillfarm Louisvuitton, from Mike and Melanie Alford’s Foxhillfarm herd from Cullompton, Devon, made 20,000gns selling 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 to include F94L and QNT.

Hot on his heels, the reserve intermediate and reserve overall, made 19,000gns selling to Argyllshire 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. 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. 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 first class 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. 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 too, 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. The bull which was only the second to be sold here from the 14-cow herd from Glebe Farm, West Butsfield, Tow Law, is out of the Haltcliffe Doctor daughter, Haneve Geraldine. 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, have enjoyed a good run of sales recently, and last weekend was no exception, receiving 14,500gns for Homebyres Lockett. The breeding behind this transaction includes the AI sire, Lowerffrydd Empire, onto the Kaprico Davelle-sired heifer, Homebyres Freesia. West Glamorgan producers, Messrs Howells, Gelli Farm, Port Talbot, were the last men in on red ticket holder which is a grand-son of Homebyres Dahlia, which has bred sons to 10,000gns.

Home-bred genetics were behind James and Duncan Hazard’s Mereside Leo, all the way from Saltby Heath, Grantham, Lincs, too, which made 13,000gns to JM and SP Cooper, Hill Top Farm, Dacre, Harrogate. This third prize winner which was also placed at the National Show, is by the Plumtree Deus son, Mereside Godopohin that sold for 40,000gns and out of the Haltcliffe Dancer heifer, Mereside Hougie.

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 bred sons to 6000gns. Lunar made 11,000gns selling 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 home-bred 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 19-month-old second prize winner is a full brother to the 15,500gns Norman Hawk, being out of the Lowabbey United-sired Norman Clover. The buyer was J Pritchard, Evistones, Rochester.

The last of the five figure sales at 10,000gns came for Darren Wharton’s Withersdale Levi, a rising two year-old from the 15-cow herd based at Willow Farm, Mendham, Horleston, Norfolk. Newcastle upon Tyne producers, J Leiper and Sons, Black Heddon, Ponteland, forked out the cash for this red ticket holder by Plumtree Deus out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter, Withersdale Finesse.

OTHERLEADINGprices

Bulls – 9000gns – ES and E Norman’s Norman Lloyd, by Claragh Franco, to H Rutherford, Low Eshells, Hexham; CV and EM Lewis’ Garyvaughan Leo, by Garnedd Gower, to A Peart and Son, Woodcroft Farm, Frosterley, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham; CV and EM Lewis’ Garyvaughan Longtain, by Emslies Integrity, to T Laird and Son, Sunnyside Farm, Cronberry, Cumnock.

8800gns – BT Goldie’s Goldies Landscape, by Foxhillfarm Irishlad, to I Brown, Lowgate Farm, Lowgate Fleet, Lincolnshire.

8500gns – EW Quick and Sons’ Loosebeare Lampard, by Aghadolgan Emperor, to J Leiper and Sons, Black Heddon, Ponteland; J Common’s Crossdykes Lord, by Westpit Graeme, to T and R Harper and Sons, Southmains, Skirling, Biggar, Lanarkshire.

8200gns – JM and SP Cooper’s Tomschoice Lincoln, by Kaprico Eravelle, to K Lister and Sons, Kiln Hall Farm, Kettlewell, Skipton, N.Yorkshire.

8000gns – ES and E Norman’s Norman Lance, by Claragh Franco, to

NA Birch, High Rakes Farm, Monyash, Bakewell, Derbyshire.

FEMALES

32 5,800gns W Richardson, Ghyll House, Dufton, Appleby-In-Westmorland, Cumbria

25 4,200gns S Littlewood, Hollingreave House Farm, Raygate, Newmill, Holmfirth

26 4,200gns JW & ME Fieldson, Poplar Farm, Poplar Lane, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

30 4,200gns S & S Hough, Park Grange Farm, Park Lane, Pontefract, W.Yorkshire

23 4,000gns Messrs Howells, Gelli Farm, Cymmer, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan

2 3,500gns DE Evans, Monfa, Gwernaffield Road, Mold, Clwyd

27 3,500gns J Dobson, White Kirkley Farm, Frosterley, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham

19 3,200gns SJ & M Carey, The Orchard, Brindham Lane, Wick, Glastonbury, Somerset

5 3,000gns IK & AM Grisedale, Greenmount Farm, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, Cumbria

10 3,000gns G Patterson, Upper Forgie, Keith, Banff, Aberdeenshire

36 3,000gns TP Wigham, Hargill House, Coanwood, Haltwhistle, Northumberland

40 Females £2404.50

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Auctioneers

HARRISON & HETHERINGTON LIMITED, Carlisle

Tel - 01228 406230