For the second consecutive year, James McKay’s Ampertaine herd from Northern Ireland led the way at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s annual two-day show and sale at Carlisle, selling the lead priced bull at 35,000gns while his consignment produced one of the top herd averages at £9213 for eight.

Yet, despite this flying trade, the top sale from the 120-cow Ampertaine herd falls way short of their 100,000gns lead at last year’s event, which, as a result, saw overall sale averages fall back to 2016 levels, with 117 bulls cashing in at £6523.  This compares to the 2017 Carlisle sale when 128 bulls levelled at £7712.70.

Star of the show was the intermediate champion, Ampertaine Majestic, brought out by Barney O'Kane, which was selected supreme overall by well-known free-lance stockman and breeder, Dougie McBeath, Stirling.

“As soon as I saw him, I knew I had a champion,” said Dougie. “He stood out from the very start. He’s got the width, size, scale, correctness, mobility and breed character,” added Dougie pointing out that while there was a great show of good commercial-type bulls, there were few exceptional breeders’ bulls to chose from.

His choice of champion, a December 2016-born entry, is an AI son of Plumtree Fantastic which has bred a heap of top four and five-figure priced bulls to include the 28,000gns Lenagh Morpheus, sold here in February.

Equally notable, is the dam, Ampertaine Joy, a heifer by Goldies Fantastic that boasts the 13,000gns Ampertaine Abracadabra in her pedigree. Maternal sister to the 13,000gns Ampertaine Interest, Majestic sold back across the Irish Sea at 35,000gns, when purchased over the telephone by new breeder and commercial showman, Gareth Corrie, Newtonards.

Outwith the 35,000gns sale, a further 15 sold at or above the 10,000gns bracket. Next best at 20,000gns was Twemlows Morpeth, a 20-month-old bull from Shropshire breeders, Will and Jackie Forrester. Producing a personal best for this 80-cow pedigree herd from Higher Heath, was a blue ticket winner and AI son of the top show calf producing sire, Swarland Eddie, which has also bred pedigree bulls to 12,500gns.  The dam is Twemlows Hilda, a Cloughhead Ernie daughter that has produced bulls sold privately. Buying back some of their own genetics, brothers, Thomas and Philip Hutton, were the last men in on this beefy boy buying for their Setmabanning herd based at Threlkeld, Keswick, run in partnership with their 84-year-old father George. Incidentally, this is the first UK-bred bull the family has purchased.

Flying the flag for Scotland, distillery workers, Duncan Morrison and son Grant, who run just four cows at Newtack, Keith, sold their first ever Carlisle bull at 20,000gns to pedigree and commercial breeders, Hugh and Geoffrey Annett, Widdrington, Morpeth, Northumberland. This November 2016-born bull is by the Ampertaine Foreman son, Artnagullion Jaggerbomb, a bull bought in Stirling for 4500gns and bred from Emslies Colossus daughter, Emslies Insi, which was bought as calf at foot, alongside her dam, Emslies Fifi at Craig Cameron’s Greenferns dispersal sale.

Despite the controversy surrounding the pedigree of Ballinloan Jaegerbomb, his sons sold well for Ian Handley and his father Jim’s Gunnerfleet herd from Chapel Le Dale, Ingleton, with sales at 18,000gns and 15,000gns and several other big prices. Dearest was Gunnerfleet Merving, a 19-month-old that stood first in his class at the pre-sale show, purchased by Gary Swindlehurst, herd manager at Procters Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe. Merving goes back to the foundation cow, Ballyburton Una and to Gunnerfleet Enchantress whose bulls grossed in excess of £75,000, being a heifer’s calf out of the Plumtree Fantastic daughter, Gunnerfleet Jenie.

Eric and Elaine Norman, who run the Normans herd at Little Orton, Carlisle, bought the 15,000gns bull, Gunnerfleet Mars which stood second in his class to Merving. Again there is some top breeding behind this youngster with the dam, Gunnerfleet Genny by Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor, being out of Gunnerfleet Penny which bred three bulls to average just shy of £8000.

Other Gunnerfleet bulls sold to 15,000gns for Gunnerfleet Nato, another red ticket holder this time by Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor son, Gunnerfleet Hicks. Breconside Farm Partnership, Breconside, Moffat, were the last bidders on this January 2017-born ET bull which is a full brother to the 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion and the 30,000gns Gunnerfleet Mongo, being out of the Plumtree Fantastic-sided Gunnerfleet Ilocks.

The long trip north from Devon again proved fruitful for the Quick Brothers – Andrew, Mark and Paul – too, when they sold their dearest at 17,000gns. This was Loosebeare Nelson – the first son sold by the 19,000gns Ampertaine Jeronimo, bred from the Aghadolgan Emperor-sired heifer, Loosebeare Inky. Champion Limousin bull calf at Beef South West, Nelson sold back down to south to pedigree breeder, Jack Neale, buying for his 90-cow Nealford herd based at Wilkey Down, Launceston, Cornwall.

Stephen and Thomas Illingworth’s Lockerbie-based Glenrock herd came up with the goods too, selling three bulls to average £15,225. Tops here from this four-cow herd was Glenrock Memphis, a second prize winner by the AI sire, Ampertaine Gigolo. His dam is Glenrock Fantastic, a Haltcliffe Vermount-sired female bred from the top breeding cow, Glenrock Spangle, that has bred in excess of £500,000 of progeny to include the record priced female, Glenrock Illusion at 125,000gns. Maternal brother to the 15,000gns Glenrock Northernstar sold at the weaned calf sale here in December, Memphis was knocked down to G and AE Marrs and Son, Cathow, Kinniside, Cleator, Cumbria.

Morayshire breeder, Walter Cruikshank, Clury Farm, Dulnain Bridge, then bought a full brother to the 125,000gns Glenrock Illusion at 14,000gns. Glenrock Matrix, a November 2016-born bull by Goldies Comet and out of the Kype  Interrogate-sired Spangle, is also a full brother to the 24,000gns  Glenrock Impulse the 20,000gns Procters Loneranger and the 12,000gns Glenrock Ideal.

And, at 13,500gns, Doncaster producers, G and S Gilleard, Thorninghurst, Thorne, bought Glenrock Nemo, a fourth prize February 2017-born ET son of Ampertaine Gigolo, again bred from Spangle.

Two bulls came under the hammer for 14,000gns to include Roger, Duncan and James Hazard’s Mereside McKay, a second prize junior bull from Saltby Heath, Lincolnshire. Their 16-month-old bull by the Scottish AI sire, Lodge Hamlet, is bred from the Carmorn Copilot daughter, Mereside Goddess and sold to Steven Wilson, Corby Hill, Carlisle. McKay was best bull calf under a year old in the East Midlands Herds Competition.

Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries, sold the second bull at 14,000gns along with another at 11,000gns. First was Goldies Nicholas, which is backed by home-bred genetics on both sides. He is by the Ampertaine Gigolo son, Goldies Juggler of which a half share was sold to Roy Fisher and later to the Foxhillfarm herd. The dam is the Goldies Fortress daughter, Goldies Ina. Nicholas heads out to work with JM and SP Cooper, Hill Top, Dacre, Harrogate.

The same sire was behind Mr Goldie’s reserve intermediate champion, Goldies Maverick, which made 11,000gns to J and F Hartley and Sons, Low Shipley, Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland. His dam is the Haltcliffe Doctor daughter, Goldies Izzy.

Henry Savage and Sons’  Trueman herd from Northern Ireland, picked up the reserve overall champion with the junior leader, Trueman Newton, which made 9000gns, but it was their second prize November 2016-born Trueman Major, that went one better to sell for 10,000gns to GI and JSA Howells, Shadog, Llandysul, Dyfed. This ET is bred from the best cow in herd, Trueman Euphonium, by Wilodge Vantastic, and sired by the 140,000gns world record priced bull, Trueman Jagger.

Two other bulls made 10,000gns to include Albert and George Howie’s Knock Msport, a December 2016-born son of the 21,000gns Goldies Goldfinger, from Aberdeenshire, out of the Baileys Finalest daughter, Knock Izzy.  The buyers of this red ticket holder were JM and SM Priestley, Cracrop, Brampton.

Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, Perth, bought the last 10,000gns bull, Haltcliffe Nadal from Matt and Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market. Another first prize winner, Nadal is a February 2017-born son of Wanthwaite Jackal out of the Ampertaine Elgin-sired Haltcliffe Imogen.

OTHERLEADINGprices

Bulls – 9000gns – J Watson’s Tweeddale McCartney, by Goldies Goldmine, to AG Kirton and Sons, Severn Lodge Farm, Kinlet, Bewdley, Worcestershire; H Savage and Sons’ Trueman Newton, by Trueman Jagger, to TH Harrison and Son, Sleddale Hall, Wet Sleddale, Shap, Penrith.

8500gns ­– I Handley’s Gunnerfleet Mazda, by Ballinloan Jaegerbomb, to E Jones, Coedmor Hall, Cellan, Dyfed; I Handley’s Gunnerfleet Morgan, by Ballinloan Jaegerbomb, to M Bindloss and Son, Shap Abbey, Shap; BT Goldie’s Goldies Nike by Goldies Fantastic, to  JG Pears, Bella Vista, Hartcliffe Road, Penistone, Sheffield, South Yorkshire; A MacGregor’s Allanfauld Norman, by Powerhouse Italic, to GH Walton.and.Sons, Greyside Farm, Newbrough, Hexham.

8000gns – R Dick’s Ronick Mainman, by Ampertaine Jamboree, to A Clark, Hangram Lane Farm, Ringinglow, Sheffield.

For full report and pictures see this week's SF

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.