Castle Douglas Belted Galloways – 20,000gns record bull

Add in another three five-figure priced sales for two bulls and a heifer, and, overall averages up on the year, and it was a good day all round for this iconic breed.

Lomond Aberlour from Duncan Maxwell made 12,000gns Surpassing the previous breed high of 14,000gns paid last year for a bull was the 25-month-old Glen King, from James Jack, Dornells, Castle Douglas. The bull which had been bought privately as a calf at foot in 2021 from the since dispersed Gatehouse of Fleet-based Glen herd, managed by Robert and Debbie MacTaggart, was one of a batch of 12 cow and calf outfits purchased that day.

Lead priced heifer at 10,000gns, Craosdale Tawny Owl from MM and MA Handley

Glen King who stood male champion at the pre-sale show, is a son of Lipwood Machermore, a 4500gns bull, while the dam, Glen Becky, is a Coulmony Harris daughter out of Muil Maggie. He was brought out by farm manager John Carson, who is in charge of 45 pedigree Belted Galloway cows and followers at Dornells, and headed home with Helen Ryman who attends to the late Miss Flora Stuart’s 90-strong cow pedigree Mochrum herd from Mochrum Estates, Port William.

“King is a good well put together bull – great on his feet and well fleshed without at all being fat,” said Ms Ryman, who was most impressed by the bull.

Mochrum Genesis brought out by Helen Ryman, made 8000gns for Mochrum Estates

“He’s a different type of bull to what we’ve got at Mochrum and I think he’s got a great presence and style about him and with a good pedigree behind him too. I think he’ll be a great asset to the herd.”

On the credit side, Mochrum Estates sold their reserve male champion, Mochrum Genesis, for 8000gns to Paul Atkinson of the Lancashire-based Sweetwell herd. This 25-month-old which landed a red ticket at the National Show and at Wigtown last year, is by Romesbeoch Raymond and out of Mochrum Lill which goes back to the veteran show cow, Lilac 3.

Richard Wilson's Polbae Bernie sold for 8000gns

The second top price was 12,000gns paid for Duncan Maxwell’s 18-month-old bull, Lomond Aberlour, a third prize winner from Blairvockie, Drymen. This third prize winner from the pre-sale show is by the ET sire, Lomond 23 Alpha, which is a son of Firth King Henry, out of Netherwood Starlight. The dam is Lomond Rock Rose, a daughter of the 10,500gns Speddoch Rocky. Aberlour was knocked down to Sir JCL Keswick, Dumfries, buying for his Muil herd managed by Robert Ross.

Just behind on 10,000gns, Redvers Bell, High Edges Green, Cawburn, Haltwhistle, sold the two-year-old bull, Woodhall Douglas, to James Pritchard of the Evistones herd, Cleughbrae, Rochester. Douglas is bred from Tim Oliver’s Northumberland-based genetics being sired by Offthewall Tiberius and out of Offthewall Cymene, a Tobergill Jester-sired cow.

Redvers Bell sold Woodhall Douglas for 10,000gns Another two bulls reached 8000gns with the first being a red and white from Dalbeattie-based Richard Wilson’s Polbae herd. His sole entry, Polbae Bernie, a March 2021-born entry is sired by Ryehills Elliot and out of Polbae Bonnie 2, by Mosston Muir Jaguar. Male champion at the Royal Highland and senior male at the Great Yorkshire, in July, he headed home with Brian Edgar of the Broomhill herd from Northern Ireland.

Perthshire breeder, Diana Rettie, Hilltown of Ballindean, Inchture, received the same money for Ballindean Marcus, a Lomond Glayva son out of the Dunay Cracker daughter, Ballindean Gillyflower. The buyers were Chris and Christine Ryder buying for their Scaifehall herd from Yorkshire.

Ballindean Marcus from Diana Rettie, made 8000gns The top price amongst the females was 10,000gns paid for the bulling heifer, Croasdale Tawny Owl, from MM and MA Handley, Croasdale House Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe. A 13-month-old heifer by Lomond Whisky Galore, bred from the Cairnsmore Geordie-sired Croasdale Oh Marty, was knocked down to Mervyn Forster of the Elgany herd, Langley, West Midlands.

The long trip north from East Sussex paid dividends for Tottingworth Farms, Heathfield, too when they received 5000gns for the red rosette winner Tottingworth Aysha 3. Junior female at the Royal Highland Show, this 17-month-old daughter of Shelsleys Eros, out of a home-bred Barwise Hercule-sired cow, sold to Allan and Susan Campbell, for their Crawlaw herd based near Galston.

Tottingworth Aysha 3 made 5000gns selling to Allan and Susan Campbell

Having forked out the big money for the sale leader, Mochrum Estates sold Mochrum Justy 10, an in-calf heifer for 4600gns to Messrs Hodgson, of the Glencoyne herd, Penrith. This three-year-old by the Coulmony Blair son, Mochrum Pipe Major, out of a previous home-bred Justy by Mochrum Defender, was sold to Romesbeoch Raymond.

Mochrum also took 4200gns from the same buyers for the similarly aged Mochrum Laburnum 18, which also sold due to Romesbeoch Raymond. Her sire is the Maybeck Andrew son, Mochrum Stuart.

Mochrum genetics were also behind Northern Ireland-based Dessie Henry’s 4000gns in-calf heifer, Gruige Molly. Reserve champion at Ballymoney Show and breed leader at Ballymena and Antrim Shows, this January 2021-born entry by Clifton Lapwing is out of Mochrum Krista 5 and sold due to the red bull, Gruige Innis. The buyer was Mervyn Forester of Elgany Farms.

The champion female was Cessintully Islay, a 19-month-old heifer by Coulmony Callum from W Allan, Linlithgow, which made 3000gns selling to Harry Irvine, Northern Ireland. Her dam is the Cairnsmore Fergus-sired Cessintully Chloe.

The sole White Galloway entered this year was Doug and Tracy Ross’ Peepings Eyebright, from Romesbeoch, Shawhead, Dumfries. The pedigree behind this May 2021-born entry which made 2000gns to Ivan Rae, Northern Ireland, includes the sire Romesbeoch Boris and Peepings Wild Rose by Riggshield Aristocrat.

Auctioneers: Wallets Marts.

Averages: 11 bulls​​​​, £7693.63 (+£2395.91 for one less); five in-calf heifers, ​​​£3738.00 (+£500.50 for one more); 13 cows with calves at foot, £1494.23; 29 bulling heifers, ​​£2382.41 (+543.22 for 22 more).