Despite the continued debacle surrounding Ballinloan bulls and their progeny, pedigree Limousins met a strong demand at the breed's show and sale at Carlisle, where no fewer than 14 bulls at five-figure prices, backed up by a lead price of 27,000gns to average £6350 for 103.

Obviously, the ongoing rumpus relating to the pedigree and age of previously sold Ballinloan bulls, was very much the hot topic of the day, most breeders were nevertheless sympathetic towards the Limousin Cattle Society which appears to be very much stuck in the middle now that Trading Standards and BCMS have taken over.

And, outwith the news that some 60+ Ballinloan cattle had had their passports removed and the ramifications surrounding that, it was very much business as usual, with prices peaking at 27,000gns and 25,000gns.

Star of the show was Archie and John MacGregor's Allanfauld Nemesis, which topped the sale selling to father and son duo, Albert and George Howie, buying for their 60-cow Knock herd from West Knock, Stuartsfield, Peterhead. They were most impressed by the bull's top line, length and correctness.

A son of the AI sire, Loosebeare Fantastic, a bull that has already bred sons to 35,000gns and 29,000gns, this November 2017-born red ticket holder is bred from the sole cow in the Allanfauld herd, Allanfauld Elegance, following a major herd reduction. She was and remains nevertheless one of best breeders in the herd from Kilsyth, Glasgow, having bred several bulls at 5000gns and 6000gns. Her sire was the retained bull, Allanfauld Cracker, which in turn was a son of the Irish-bred Drumeel Viking, purchased for €13,000gns.

Helping to finance that transaction, the Howies received 13,000gns for their similarly aged black bull, Knock Neo, a son of the 21,000gns Goldies Goldfinger which is still going strong at eight years of age and has bred sons to 10,000gns and 9000gns. Neo is out of the Goldies Florida-sired Knock Jayjay, and sold to locally to Messrs Graham, Miller Hill, Gilsland, Carlisle.

As always, Dumfriesshire breeder, Bruce Goldie enjoyed a cracking sale, having sold the next two top bulls at 25,000gns and 16,000gns and the top priced female the previous evening at 14,000gns. His best, Goldies Newmar, the reserve intermediate champion at the pre-sale show is a similarly aged embryo-born bull bred from one of the top female lines at Townfoot, Mouswald.

His dam, Goldies Fragrance, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter out of the prolific Goldies Vitality – a cow whose grand-sons averaged £10,000 at the last three sales – has already produced two 10,000gns bulls and two 9000gns bulls. Neymar is sired by the 45,000gns Ampertaine Jamboree, stockbull for the Ronick herd which bred at 4500gns heifer at the Red Ladies sale for the Dick family. Welsh breeder Bryn Owen, who runs the Hafesp herd at Red House Farm, Newtown, Powys, forked out the cash.

Making 16,000gns to Cornwall breeder, JH Neale buying for his Nealford herd from, Wilkey Down, Launceston, was Goldies Ohboy, another ET bred bull, this time bred from the Mas Du Clo daughter, Millington Gorgeous which was bought at the herd dispersal at 9200gns having stood junior female champion at the Royal Welsh. The same way bred as the 50,000gns Millington Highlight which was sired by Wilodge Vantastic, Ohboy a 15-month-old entry, is also a maternal brother to the 14,000gns heifer sold the previous night.

Just behind on 15,000gns, Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market, Wigton, sold Haltcliffe Navigator, a December 2017-born son of the top breeding French sire, Sympa, out of Haltcliffe Isla, by Larkhill Firmount. He was brought out by stockman Kevin Bates and sold all the way down to Norwich with H Harvey and Son, Waxham Hall, Waxham.

Another from the same stable, Haltcliffe Orator, made 10,000gns selling to Gary Swindlehurst, manager at Procters Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, Lancs. A son of the 12,000gns Ballyrobin Joop, this 14-month-old youngster is bred from an easy calving line, being out of the Haltcliffe Gains-sired Haltcliffe Joan.

Christine Williams and Paul Tippetts' Wilodge herd from Shifnal, Shropshire, was another in the money with sales at 14,000gns and 10,000gns for their two bulls. Dearest was Wilodge Ninja, the intermediate and reserve overall champion, purchased by up and coming young breeders, William and David Moir, buying for their Cairness herd at Home Farm, Cairness, Fraserburgh. Their purchase, boasts some of the best breeding in the business, being the first son sold by the 40,000gns Grahams Lorenzo which sired the 12,000gns Wilodge Naturelle, sold at the Red Ladies sale last December. The dam is Wilodge Goclaire, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter earmarked for flushing, which goes back to Wilodge Oclaire – a full sister to the dam of Wilodge Tonka.

Earlier Wilodge Navigator, a class winner made 10,000gns selling to arable and commercial beef farmer, J Galbraith and Son, Upper Kinneil, Linlithgow. Navigator's pedigree is just as impressive, being an ET calf bred from Wilodge Gem, another Vantastic daughter and full sibling to the well known, Wilodge Diamante. He is sired by Gerrygullinane Glen, a former 'most promising Irish young bull'. Navigator is also bred the same way as the 60,000gns Wilodge Lookout and is a full brother to Wilodge LJ, sold privately to the Goldies herd.

Matching the 14,000gns sale was Dyfri Nomad, a bull with the highest Beef Value in the catalogue at 67, from Welsh breeders, David and Joan Edwards and son Aled and Eleri, Home Farm, Llandovery. The dearest sold at auction by the Welsh sire, Fenomen, a bull shared with Jim Bloom – Nomad is bred from Dyfri Lleucu, an Ampertaine Gigolo son that goes back to the cow family founder, Vagabonde. November 2017-born, this entry headed back down to Wales with Richard Jones, buying for the Montgomery herd based at Lwynobin, Montgomery, Powys.

Intermediate bulls enjoyed the best of the day's trading and it was another that sold next at 11,000gns for retired school teacher, John McGeehan, and his son, Shane, a plumber to trade. Producing a personal best for this 20-year-old herd, was Slieve Nando, a December 2017-born bull from the 20-cow herd based at Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, purchased by DA Thomas, Ffynnondafolog, Penybont, Dyfed. The first son sold from the Wilodge Cerberus-sired cow, Slieve Jen, Nando is by the 17,000gns AI sire, Trueman Idol.

A further four bulls sold at 10,000gns to include the senior champion, Aultside Nickelback, the reserve senior male champion at the Stars of the Future and second prize best bull in the Scottish Herds competition, from Morayshire breeder, Garry Patterson, Upper Forgie, Keith, who also sold another at 9000gns. An AI son of Lodge Hamlet, this June 2017-born entry is bred from the Dinmore Goldcrest daughter, Aultside Jazz, a show cow bred from Spittalton Flush – the dam of the 65,000gns Aultside Hulk and the 55,000gns Aultside Meanmachine. Nickleback sold for pedigree use in the 50-cow Garthiaen herd, owned by Bryn Lloyd, Llandrillo, Corwen, Wales.

Jonathan and Jayne Watson's Tweeddale herd from Bowsden Moor, Berwick Upon Tweed, also came up with the goods selling two at 10,000gns, to include Tweeddale Newsbeat, an 18-month-old bull and the first son sold off the €9800 Gallaway Kemp, a bull bought at Roscrea in partnership with the Goldies herd. Bred from Tweeddale Lacey, a heifer by Goldies Fandango, he was bought out with assistance from freelance stocksperson, Kim Brown of KB Livestock Services, based at Alloa, and James Boyd, and was bought by Patrick Greed, buying for the Killerton herd based at Columbjohn Farm, Killerton, Devon.

Matching that bid was Tweeddale Oxygen, a 16-month-old son of Goldies Fandango, a bull purchased for 22,000gns that has since bred sons to 23,000gns. He is out of the top breeding cow, Goldies Dahlia, a Normande Arapaho daughter that has bred a former junior champion here and heifers to 10,000gns. The buyer was commercial and pedigree breeder, Clive Rowland, buying on behalf of Gararowby Estates, Bugthorpe, York.

James McKay's Ampertaine Octavious, a 15-month-old bull by the AI sire, Plumtree Fantastic, which also sired the 35,000gns Ampertaine Majestic, also hit the magical 10,000gns mark. A red ticket holder at the pre-sale show, Octavious, brought out with assistance from Barney O'Kane, also boasts some first class genetics on the dam's sire, Ampertaine Icemaiden, a daughter of the 38,000gns Ampertaine Foreman. John and Ben Richardson, Ghyll House, Appleby, forked out the cash for this bull from Upperlands, Maghera, Co Derry, buying for their Mystyle pedigree herd.

OTHERLEADING prices

9000gns – G Patterson's Aultside Nitrous, by Aultside Hulk, to TW Oliver, Cawfields, Haltwhistle; T Illingworth's Eagleside Orinocco, by Kype Orkney, to JA Wood and Sons, Kinnerton Hall Farm, Ratlinghope, Shrewsbury; W Barron's Barrons OJ, by Loosebeare Fantastic, to J Burnett and Sons, Upper Spittalton, Blairdrummond, Stirling.

8000gns – P Dawes' Dinmore Nimbus, by Goldies Comet, to R Chadwick, Cronk Breck, Greeba, Isle of Man; W Richardson and Son's Mystle Nowmister, by Rossignol, to J Baillie, Sebay Cottage, Tankerness, Orkney; M and M Alford's pre-sale champion, Foxhillfarm Obama, by Foxhillfarm Jasper, to McNeill Estates, Shennington Estate, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart; S and A Morley's reserve junior champion, Petteril Orlando, by Mereside Godolphin, to CJ Roots, Kilnford Croft, Dumfries.

7500gns – ML Thomas' Nebo Oliver, by Ampertaine Foreman, to G Yarr, Whitton Farm, Lethnot, Edzell.

Averages: Bulls – 31 senior, £5466.94; 36 intermediate, £7433.13; 36 junior, £6025.83. Overall, 103 bulls, £6349.49 (-£173.97 for 14 fewer sold).

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.