STIRLING Bull Sales ended on a high when Simmental bulls met an improved trade to average £6187 for the 69 that changed hands, a rise of £467 on the year for eight more sold.

With no fewer than eight bulls selling for five-figures and a large proportion of the sale making 7000gns or more, demand for the breed was strong with the top bulls heading to work on commercial and pedigree units.

“It was a pretty steady commercial trade and folk were looking for bulls that were good on their feet and legs,” commented the society’s chief executive, Neil Shand. “Semen testing is making a big difference now and locomotion, semen testing and health status is almost becoming more important to breeders than estimated breeding values. We’re also finding some of the commercial boys that have dabbled in other maternal breeds have come back to the Simmental.”

The Islavale herd from the Stronach family at Berryleys, Keith, proved as popular as ever and led the Simmy sale at 16,000gns for the second prize Islavale Irish. He and one of his herdmates are the first sons to sell by Curaheen Giant, a bull bought at Roscommon for €8000 when he stood junior champion a couple years back, with females retained in the 200-cow herd. Born in March, 2017, out of Islavale Damsel, an Ex90-rated Clonagh A Super Star daughter, Irish was part of the winning pairs at the Scottish National Show held at Turriff earlier this year, and sold to Phil Simmers who runs a number of pedigree females at Backmuir, Keith, alongside Luing and commercial units.

That Curaheen Giant has set a good average for his first two sons to sell as Islavale Imperial, the reserve junior champion, was also snapped up by Phil Simmers, this time for 11,000gns. Out of an Ex90-classified Popes Laird daughter, Imperial was junior and reserve male champion at the Scottish National.

Two junior bulls sold one after another for 14,000gns, with Gary and Angela Christie’s Rockytop Invader the first to go under the hammer when chapped down to Cameron MacIver, who runs a handful of pedigrees alongside commercial cattle at Wester Coltfield, Forres. Achieving a best price for the Christies’ 40 pedigree cows at Birchfield, Glass, Huntly, Invader is the first bull to sell by the 15,000gns Kilrbride Farm Fearless bought when Gary judged back in 2016, and out of Burytown Belvina, a Corskie Wham daughter bought at the Burytown dispersal.

Matching that 14,000gns was Saltire impressive, another to set a best herd price for John and Grace Houliston and daughter Gayle, from Newmains, Drem, North Berwick, who run just 15 cows and use the best AI sires they can. Impressive is by Woodhall Ferrari and out of the Saltire Arnie-sired Saltire Diva, whose first bull calf sold to Balthayock for commercial use. Forking out the cash for this red rosette winner was Noel Kilpatrick who takes him across the water to Ballymoney Lodge, Dromore Road, Banbridge, County Down.

Not far behind on 13,000gns was the intermediate champion and reserve supreme from Billy Macpherson, daughter Anne and her husband Raymond’s 24-cow herd at Blackford, Croy. Blackford Iolair has already done well in the showring, standing continental Beefbreeder champion at the Royal Highland before touring the North-east circuit where his top accolade was the champion of champions title at Nairn. Bred from a daughter of the 10,000gns Kilbride Farm Strabane, Blackford Waxwing, Iolair is by the 18,000gns Kilbride Farm Doubleaction whose son, Blackford Hero, matched that 13,000gns to set a centre record at the Spring Show at Thainstone. He in fact sold to the underbidder of Hero, Robin Brunton, Crudie Acres, Arbroath.

With eight bulls selling for five-figure sums, also hitting the 11,000gns mark when sold to the Bruce family at Tillyeve, Udny, was Drumacritten Ian, the junior and overall champion from William Nelson and sons, George and Keith, who have now sold three bulls for 11,000gns. This champion from the Fermanagh breeders’ class at Enniskillen is an AI son of Dermotstown Delboy while his mother is a home-bred Dripsey Super King daughter in the herd near Rosslea, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

See this week's issue of The Scottish Farmer for a full round-up and pictures from the Stirling Bull Sales.