averages:

34 senior bulls, £4782.36 (-£823.47 for two fewer sold); 46 intermediate bulls, £5141.63 (-£3021.97 for five more); 38 junior bulls, £6921.71 (-£181.83 for two more).

Overall, 118 bulls, £5611.36 (-£1406.91 for five more).

By Kayley Kennedy

WITH no runaway top price hitting last year’s high of 70,000gns the overall average slipped by more than £1400 on year at the sale of Limousin bulls at Carlisle, but a strong commercial trade helped push no fewer than 13 bulls to above the five-figure mark.

With a good show of bulls on offer, those commercial buyers willing to fork out during such uncertain times will feel they got themselves a bargain as bulls could have easily made a lot more on another day.

Interestingly, this was the first time the British Limousin Cattle Society has listed bulls’ myostatin status, ie the double muscle gene which comes in a number of forms. The most popular of these genes is F94L, dubbed the ‘profit gene’ by the BLCS as it increases the size of muscle fibres with no associated increase in calving difficulty, lowered fertility or longevity.

That being said, the top two animals both featured the nt821 gene, a rarer form of the myostatin gene which produces increased loin depth, reduced fat and a larger rear-end. The Q204X variant also featured in some of the top prices and animals with this gene exhibit increased loin depth, reduced fat cover and greater meat tenderness.

The reserve junior champion led the trade when Pabo Niro from Welsh father and son team, Peredur and Llyr Hughes, attracted the top bid of 17,000gns when knocked down to Gary Bell at Haas Side, Lockerbie. Achieving the Hughes’ best price to date, this ET-bred lad which is homozygous nt821 crosses Netherhall Jackpot on to the Pabo General-sired Pabo Icemaiden, a first prize heifer from the Royal Welsh which claimed another red ticket a couple years later with a calf at foot. Born in May, 2017, Niro had already made his mark on the show circuit by securing the inter-breed title at Anglesey Show as well as the reserve junior honours at the Royal Welsh earlier in the year for the herd of 30 pedigrees that runs alongside 90 commercials at Fferam Gyd, Llanbabo, Rhosgoch, Anglesey.

Niro’s similarly-aged ET brother, Pabo Netherhall, heads back to Wales with Messrs Williams, Holyhead, Gwynedd, for 8000gns. The pair have stood at the top of the line all season as Netherhall beat Niro to stand reserve male champion at the Royal Welsh and was second in his class at the pre-sale show.

Stephen Nixon’s Huntershall Nutcracker from the Southerfield, Wigton-based herd attracted plenty of attention and secured the second top price of 16,000gns when paraded by daughter Alice and son Andrew, with Andrew Stott also lending a hand. This April, 2017-born lad’s pedigree features some top breeding as he’s out of the Rossignol daughter Huntershall Josie, a full sister to Huntershall Filleppe, while his sire is the noted Plumtree Fantastic that has bred sons to 28,000gns. Forking out the cash for this bull which carries the nt821 and Q204X genes were Messrs Harryman, Keswick.

A first prize winner from Bruce Goldie was snapped up by Garry Patterson for his Aultside herd near Keith and Graham Morrison for his Deveronvale herd near Banff. That was Goldies Northstar, which boasts good calving figures and is sired by the Ampertaine Gigolo son, Goldies Juggler. The dam of this May, 2017-born bull is Goldies Gracious, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter bred from one of the herd’s most noted females, Goldies Vitality.

Bruce, from near Mouswald, Dumfries, also received 10,000gns from Messrs Duncan, Ballindalloch, Banffshire for Goldies Nugget, an Ampertaine Foreman-sired embryo-bred bull. His dam is another from the Vantastic/Vitality combination in the shape of Goldies Fragrance.

The very first lot set the sale off to a good start when Redpath Farms sold the four-year-old Dinmore Jollygood for 13,000gns as he was coming on to his own daughters in the herd at Heiton, Kelso. Bred by Paul Dawes, this Wilodge Tonka son is out of Dinmore Gaiety, a Procters Duvalier daughter, and sold to Messrs Booth, Aston, Sheffield. Notably, his son, Redpaths Nobleman, claimed the intermediate championship and, come sale time, attracted a bid of 18,000gns but was turned out the ring unsold and heads back to his home stead.

It was a good day for Ian Handley when entries from his Gunnerfleet herd near Chapel le Dale, Ingleton, sold to tops of 12,500gns and 9500gns. Plumtree Fantastic breeding was back in the headlines when a 16-month-old son, Gunnerfleet Noble, sold north to Orkney with the Baillie family, Tankerness, for 12,500gns. Bred from one of the herd’s top cows, he is out of the Heros-sired Gunnerfleet Cindy.

Earlier, Ian received 9500gns from Messrs Lloyd and Co, Caerslis, for Gunnerfleet Nick, a son of the 24,000gns Ballinloan Jaegerbomb that was born a month earlier than his dearer herd mate. He is out of Gunnerfleet Isabella, a Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor daughter that was bred out of the French cow, Defense.

Bulls from Garry Patterson’s Aultside herd proved popular and more than funded the 14,000gns purchase of Goldies Northstar when first prize entries that were also members of the reserve group of three sold to 12,000gns and 10,000gns. Notably, both were from the same flush that combines Foxhillfarm Jasper on to the Hargill Blaze-sired Spittalton Flush, that bred the 65,000gns supreme champion in February, Aultside Meanmachine, as well as the 55,000gns Aultside Hulk a few years earlier.

Messrs Cleasby forked out 12,000gns to take Aultside Nirvana home to work near Penrith, Carlisle, while Messrs Howells paid 10,000gns to take Aultside Notorious down to Wales at Llandysul, Dyfed.

Next best at 11,500gns when sold to Andrew Ewing, buying for telephone customers South Eastern Cattle Breeders, Ireland, was Haltcliffe Newton from the Ridley team and stockman Kevin Bates, Hesket new Market, Wigton. His dam, Haltcliffe Enigma, is backed by home genetics being by Haltcliffe Braveheart, while his sire is the 20,000gns Ballyrobin Joop.

With good breeding and the figures to match, James McKay’s Ampertaine Norseman from Kilrea Road, Upperlands, Maghera, Count Down, caught the eye of the team at Ashford Hall Farm and heads to work near Chesterfield having been bought for 11,000gns. Norseman’s pedigree needs no introduction as he is by the 38,000gns Ampertaine Foreman while his dam, the Ampertaine Commander-bred Ampertaine Fantasia, has already bred a son to 18,000gns and is a full sister to Ampertaine Gigolo – sire of the 140,000gns Trueman Jagger.

Matching that 11,000gns when knocked down to Messrs Telfer and Son, Stocksfield, was the Marr family’s Kinniside Novel, which offers some different breeding as his sire is Dylans Irnbru, a Sympa son which has already bred bulls to 12,000gns. His dam from the herd at Cathow Farm, Cleator, Cumbria, is Kinniside Bronte, a Brontemoor Ulex daughter.

A brace of bulls from John Logan’s 85-cow herd from Humebyres, Kelso, were the second and fourth bulls to hit the 10,000gns mark. First to go under the hammer when knocked down between Messrs Campbell and Messrs Fisher, both Stranraer, was Homebyres Newtown, an AI son of Ampertaine Elgin, which produced a 7000gns bull for John in May. His dam is the consistent breeder Homebyres Dawn, which is in turn by Homebyres Vanhee.

The very last bull to sell, Homebyres Newman, matched that when snapped up by Messrs Burns, Melton Mowbray. He is among the first sons to sell by the 17,000gns Larkhill Julius bought at Carlisle, from which heifers will be on offer at the Red Ladies Derby in December. His dam, the Homebyres Arnott-sired Homebyres Echinacea, is also a proven breeder with two bulls sold at Carlisle.

The Quick family’s first prize winner from the herd of 130 cows near Zeal Monachorum, Crediton, attracted a bid of 9000gns from Page Bros, Elkington, Northampton. Bred from the Loosebeare Fantastic daughter, Loosebeare Joanne, he is among the first crop to sell by the 19,000gns Ampertaine Jeronimo and is a three-quarter brother to the 17,000gns Loosebeare Nelson sold in May.

OTHERLEADING prices:

8000gns – Miss J Gilliland’s Ballyrobin Neptune, by Lowerffrydd Emprire, to Messrs Walker and Son, Lund, Driffield; J Nimmo’s Maraiscote Nacho, by Millgate Jukebox, to T Laird and Son, Sunnyside/Carbello, Cumnock; RM Hazard and Sons’ Mereside Nijinsky, by Trueman Jagger, to Messrs Norman, Carlisle; S Reel’s Gorrycam Notorious, by Cloughhead Lord, to Messrs Phillips, County Sligo.

7500gns – R Dick’s Ronick Nemo, by Broadmeadows Cannon, to Messrs Cameron, Fort William.

7000gns – JCG Bloom and Son’s Scorboro Mischief, by Fenomen, to Messrs Marr, Skene; Mr and Mrs SD Illingworth’s Glenrock Nebraska, by Rathconville Eugene, to Messrs Story, Carlisle; DG and MJ Edwards and Son’s Dyfri Nolan, by Fenomen, to Messrs Sloan and Sons, Cumnock; P Cairns’ Plumtree Najinski, by Trueman Jagger, to Messrs Buchan, Kirriemuir; R Dick’s Ronick Nissan, by Lynderg James, to Messrs Proctor, Morpeth; BT Goldie’s Golides Nixon, by Goldies Fortess, to Messrs Knaggs, Darlington, County Durham; Procters Farm’s Procters Nitrogen, by Goldies Jurassic, to Messrs Cadzow, Tranent, East Lothian; McKinney Brothers’ Heathmount Napoleon, by Sportsmans Hagrid, to Messrs Francis, Newtown, Powys.