Shawhill tops Shorthorns

6000gns Meonhill Leader

First time vendors, Fran Baird, Mel and Adrian Park, and Stephen Hamilton, who run the Charlesbury herd, near Charlton, received 5200gns for the reserve champion, Charlesbury Mr Mackai. This 19-month-old roan bull is the first son of the Irish import, Creaga Kai, out of an imported dam, Creaga Jetta and sold to A Vrona, Langhalm Lodge, Borley Road, Rutland. 

5200gns Charlesbury Mr Mackai

The first bull through the ring, Burnside Lad, from Jill and William McAllister, Kells, Ballymena, made 5000gns up to Orkney with JW Taylor, Aikers, Eastside, St Margaret’s Hope. He is a 20-month-old AI son of Dakota of Upsall, a bull which has bred sons to 20,000gns, and is the calf bred from the Paintearth Rama-sired, Burnside Honey Boo Boo, a dam which full brother made 6000gns here in February, 2017. 
The McAllisters also got 4000gns for another Dakota son, Burnside Lazer, a two-year-old bred out of Burnside Honeysuckle. Buyer here was Jim Innes and sons, Jim and George, Dunscroft, Huntly.
HG Murray, from Bonar Bridge, Sutherland, paid 4500gns for the best from the Redpath family’s herd at Knowehead, Kilry, Alyth. This was Knowehead Kestrel, a two-year-old son of Coldrochie Echo, which stood second in his class, out of Knowehead Queen Elizabeth.
Gerald Turton’s Upsall herd, from The Grange, Upsall, Thirsk, peaked at 4200gns for Leader of Upsall, one of the first sons of Grenadier of Upsall to be sold, bred out of a Dingo of Upsall dam. Born in January, 2017, he heads to Wales with GH Jones and Son, Bryn Mawr, Northop, Lintshire. 
Last to sell in the top bracket was Birselawsie Kozmo, from Aberdeenshire breeder, James Hardie, Gates of Birselawsie, Midmar. Selling for 4000gns to Aucheneck Estates, Killearn, Glasgow this two-year-old son of Birselawsie Glenlivet, is out of Rinmore Michaela and stood breed champion at Echt and Banchory, and reserve at Tarland. 

Females
A cracking trade for the Shorthorn females saw prices peak at 5000gns for the second prize intermediate heifer from the late Gordon Brooke Estate’s herd at Upper Huntlywood, Earlston, which is managed by John Elliot jnr, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso. 
Brought out by stockman, Iain Campbell, was the April, 2017-born, Gordon Millicent, a roan heifer by the 13,000gns Chapelton Braveheart, a bull which stood champion at Stirling Bull Sales in 2013. Bred from the Holmeere Alastair daughter, Holmeere Millicent, this heifer’s maternal sister Lintonpriory Millicent, stood inter-breed native champion at Stars of the Future, last year. Forking out the cash was Messrs Evans and Price, Llwhnywel, Llanilar, Aberystwhyth, Ceredigion.

Draft females from Major Gibb’s Glenisla herd, Blairgowrie, Perth, also proved popular, with a top price of 4800gns paid for Glenisla Foxglove Flake when sold to Walker of Netherwood, East Cottage, Netherwood, Bannock. By Chapelton Glen Clova, this March, 2017-born heifer is bred from a previous Glenisla Foxglove Flake, by Holmeere George.
Two came under the hammer at 4600gns from Northern Ireland breeder, Duncan McDowell, who runs his well-known Castlemount herd at Newtownards, Co Down. First at that price was the female champion, Castlemount Matrix Margo, a 17-month-old daughter of Elliot Matrix – a bull bought privately in 2014 which has bred sons to 13,000gns and daughters to 7500gns for the female champion here in 2016, as well as the lead price of 6600gns in February, 2017. Bred from Castlemount Matrix Margo, she sold to T and J Linton, Sornfallow, Wiston.  

​4600gns Castlemount Matrix Margo (female champion)

The other by the same sire, Castlemount Matrix Strawberry, made the same money to Messrs Evans and Price. She is out of Castlemount Neptune Zabrina and is from the same dam line as the senior native inter-breed champion at Stars of the Future in 2016. 
Two females hit 3800gns including the third prize senior heifer, Knockenjig Tessa from David and Rosemary Dickie’s herd at Sanquhar, Dumfries-shire. By Glengloy Geronimo, out of a Meonhill Charlie Chaplin dam, this 18-month-old sold to I Tennant, Hyndford Road, Lanark, having run with both Meonside Gangster and Fearn Jumpstart prior to the sale. The same home also received 3000gns from R Brown, Causewayend Farm, Fintray, for Knockenjig Duchess, an April, 2017-born heifer by Glenisla Explorer.
Matching that price was Major Gibb’s Glenisla Waterloo Naomi, an 18-month-old heifer by Chapelton Glen Clova, out of a Fearn Whyvis dam. She was snapped up by JM Hay and Son, Meikle Tullo, Edzell. 
T and K Madden’s reserve female champion, Ballyvaddy Heathermaid from their herd at Glencloy, Ballymena, realised 3500gns to GS and GI Pettit, Mains of Tannachy, Portgordon, Banff. This 15-month-old stylish heifer is an AI daughter of Dakota of Upsall, bred from a Fearn Rhuaridh dam. 
Dearest of the females from the Roddick, Laurie and Thomson team was the first prize intermediate heifer, Shawhill Foxglove Linnet. An 18-month-old daughter of Burnside Elite, she made 3000gns to GA Francis, Pistylluchaf, Dyfed. 

3500gns Ballyvaddy Heathermaid (reserve female) 

LEADING awards:

Bulls born Oct 1, 2016, to March 10, 2017 – 1, T and D Bradley Farmer’s Meonside Kilimanjaro, by Elliot Salute, unsold; 2, Mr and Mrs J Redpath’s Knowehead Kestrel, by Coldrochie Echo, 4500gns to HG Murray, Midgale, Bonar Bridge; 3, Miss AT MacDonald’s Portnadoran Logan, by Knockenjig Foremost, 3500gns to W and J McGowan and Son, Fingask, Cupar; 4, D and J Hardie’s Birselawsie Kozmo, by Birselawsie Glenlivet, 4000gns to Aucheneck Estates, Killearn; 5, Mr and Mrs J Redpath’s Knowhead Lord Scott, by Aberdona Greengrass, 2800gns to D and S Calder, Braes of Grandtully, Grandtully, Perthshire. 
Bulls born after March 11, 2017 – 1 and male champion, Thomson, Roddick and Laurie’s Shawhill Leroy, by Shawhill Henderson, 2000gns to DJ Welsh, West Broadmoss, Fenwick, Ayrshire; 2 and reserve male, Park, Baird and Hamilton’s Charlesbury Mr MacKai, by Creaga Kai, 5200gns to A Vrona, Langham Lodge, Rutland; 3, D McDowell’s Castlemount Loverboy, by Elliot Matrix, unsold; 4, Messrs Maxwell’s Faughhill Lenny, by Elliot Anchorman, 2200gns to Messrs Armstrong, Tullyhona, Northern Ireland; 5, D McDowell’s Castlemount Lester, by Elliot Matrix, 2500gns to A and J Alston, Chapelton of Menmuir, Brechin. 
Females
Heifers born April 10, 2016, to March 31, 2017 – 1, Thomson, Roddick and Laurie’s Shawhill Beatrice Lottie, by Shawhill Henderson, 1800gns to Messrs Anderson, Ardoch, Thornhill; 2, Balgay Farm’s Balgay Drinking Song, by Caramba Hush, 1600gns to R Brown, Causewayhead, Fintray; 3, D and R Dickie’s Knockenjig Tessa, by Glengloy Geronimo, 3800gns to I Tennant, Lanark; 4, RS and G Johnson’s Gilven Butterfly Lexi, by Meonhill Charlie Chaplin, 2900gns to Smallburn Farms, Rothes; 5, D and R Dickie’s Knockenjig Duchess L1962, by Meonside Gangster, 1900gns to H and N Sloan, Burnfoot, Oxton, Lauder. 
Heifers born April 1 to May 2, 2017 – 1, Thomson, Roddick and Laurie’s Shawhill Foxglove Linnet, by Burnside Elite, 3000gns to GA Francis, Pistylluchaf, Abergorlech, Dyfed; 2, GR Brooke Estate’s Gordon Millicent 166, by Chapelton Braveheart, 5000gns to G Price, Parcyderi, Llanilar; 3, D McDowell’s Castlemount Matrix Kyla 2, by Elliot Matrix, 2600gns to T and J Linton; 4, Thomson, Roddick and Laurie’s Shawhill Lavina, by Shawhill Freedom, unsold; 5, D and R Dickie’s Knockenjig Duchess, by Glenisla Explorer, 3000gns to R Brown, Causewayend, Fintray.
Heifers born after May 3, 2017 – 1 and female champion, D McDowell’s Castlemount Matrix Margo, by Elliot Matrix, 4600gns to T and J Linton; 2 and reserve female, T and K Madden’s Ballyvaddy Heathermaid, by Dakota of Upsall, 3500gns to GS and GI Pettit; 3, GR Brooke Estate’s Gordon Millicent 187, by Elliot Matrix, 3000gns to Park and Baird; 4, T and K Madden’s Ballyvaddy Tessa, by Dakota of Upsall, unsold; 5, D McDowell’s Castlemount Matrix Strawberry 3, by Elliot Matrix, 4600gns to Evans and Price.