Averages: 23 cows and calves £8550.65; four in-calf cows £4121.25; six in-calf heifers £6790; 10 maiden heifers £4557; five bulls £5103.

ONE of the best known pedigree Charolais cattle herds met an emotional goodbye at Sedgemoor Auction Mart, last week, when Andrew and Beth White dispersed their Dorset-based Balbithan herd, managed by Jane Haw.

The herd, which secured numerous breed and inter-breed titles over the years to include three Burke Trophy successes, met a flying trade, producing a new sale centre record of 17,500gns and a record breed average of £8550.65 for the 23 cows and calves sold.

It was one of those top show winners that produced the day's top sale too when the seven-year-old, Balbithan Faith, and her bull calf made 17,500gns to Mark Switson, Dunant, Glamorgan.

Faith boasts many accolades to include the reserve supreme championship at the Royal Cornwall Show, reserve female championships at the Devon and Royal Three Counties Shows and red tickets at the Royal Bath and West and Royal Berkshire Shows. She is by the 12,000gns Newhouse Benson and out of Balbithan Una which goes back to the 13,000gns Simpsons Gregg and was accompanied by her April-born Goldies Eddy-sired bull calf, Balbithan Nelson.

A breeder into the bargain, Faith’s 2016-born son Balbithan Mercedes, made 7500gns at Carlisle in May.

Mr Switson also went on to secure the maiden heifer, Balbithan Mowlem, by Balthayock Hamish for 5500gns.

Another top show cow with calf at foot sold next at 15,000gns to a Devon breeder. Balbithan Iona, a four-year-old which has twice been crowned Charolais National Show champion and secured a total of 10 inter-breed titles including as part of the 2016 Burke Trophy championship pair, is by the 10,000gns Chunal Dougie and out of Balbithan Dixie, by the 10,000gns Inverlochy Topsire. She sold with her five-month-old Goldies Eddy-sired son, Balbithan Nairn.

Two cow and calf outfits secured a total of 14,200gns and both were sold as split lots. The first was mother and son Balbithan Gilly and Balbithan Napoleon. Balbithan Gilly, a 16-year-old which is a full sister to the 26,000gns Balbithan Vespasian, is no stranger to the show-ring and has also bred show winning daughters. Another by Chunal Dougie, she is out of Balbithan Tilly, which is in turn was by Balthayock Nougat. She was purchased at the top cow price of 9,000gns by Jonathan Crawford, son of the late Gilbert Crawford and new custodian of the Coolnaslee herd in Maghera, Co Derry.

Her February-born son Napoleon, also by Balthayock Hamish, made 5200gns going back to Throop, Dorset with Jane’s son, Ben Trim.

The other cow and calf outfit to make a combined price of 14,200gns was the mother and daughter pair Balbithan Georgia and Balbithan Nabraska. The cow Georgia was purchased for 5400gns by JJ McGuigan, who is also based in Maghera, Northern Ireland. She is by Chunal Dougie and is bred from notable line of female show winners – her dam Balbithan Arizona, was reserve heifer champion at Newbury show and her grand-dam Balbithan Nadia was a former Royal Show supreme champion and reserve Burke Trophy winner. Completing the pair and securing the UK record price of 8800gns for a seven-month-old female Charolais calf was Georgia’s daughter Nabraska. Thor Atkinson, Ulverston, Cumbria was the final bider on this Davally Illusion-sired heifer.

Stock bulls sold next with two bulls at 6000gns apiece. First up was the 23-month-old Goldies Lawson, which was purchased in May at Carlisle where he was awarded the intermediate and reserve male championships. He heads down to work in St Austell, Cornwall with David and Bernadette Stacey, and is by Goldies Formidable. His dam is Goldies Violin, by Thrunton Trademark.

Matching the 6000gns bid was Balbithan Mackenzie, a February 2016-born son of the 11,500gns Loganbar Goran, out of Balbithan Hyacinth, a Newhouse Benson daughter. He sold to JH Davies, Citrea, Abergavenny. Another show goer, he won his classes at this year’s Charolais National and Royal Welsh shows, was awarded the junior championship at the Royal Three Counties show and the male and reserve breed championships at the Royal Bath and West.

Leading the heifers at 9500gns was another purchased on behalf of Ben Trim. The January-2015-born Balbithan Lupin is a daughter of Goldies Eddy and Balbithan Daisy and was the reserve champion at this year’s Royal Three Counties Show.

Minutes earlier, the two-year-old Balbithan Louisianna was knocked down at 7500gns to Thor Atkinson. Louisianna is out of Balbithan Georgia, sired by Goldies Eddy and is due to calf in January to Wesley Furnish.

Averages: 23 cows and calves £8550.65; four in-calf cows £4121.25; six in-calf heifers £6790; 10 maiden heifers £4557; five bulls £5103.

Auctioneers: Greenslade Taylor Hunt