Aberdeen-Angus bulls enjoyed the best of the trading on the first day of the Bull Sales at Stirling, producing the lead price at 12,000gns and the top average at £4596 for 58 – the highest number of any breed sold on the Monday.

However, the all blacks also witnessed the biggest drop with averages falling a massive £1141 on the year and for three fewer sold.

To be fair, Angus breeders did have a cracking sale here last year with averages up a massive £674 on 2017 figures. Instead, Barrie Turner, the breed’s chief executive blamed the fall in averages on the continued uncertainty surrounding not only farming, but all industry as a result of the political shenanigans surrounding Brexit.

“The trade is a reflection of the situation that resides in the beef industry. I don’t think it has necessarily been a bad sale but more to do with what is happening in the political field,” he said.

“Averages were down amongst the bulls but we still had a 66% clearance and the increased number of females forward for an October sale sold extremely well. We saw big prices at the dispersal sales and stock selling to new breeders.

“The message I’m getting is that farmers are still looking for quality animals and that the drop in carcase weights demanded by the processors is making people look at their systems,” said Mr Turner.

Sale leader at 12,000gns was the junior champion, Brailes Fabulous, a 17-month-old from Oxfordshire breeders, Richard Hassell and Rachel Wyllie of Brailes Livestock, brought out by Richard and Carol Rettie, Methven.

Their best is the result of the in-calf heifer purchase, Gretnahouse Fleur, a Haymount Precursor-sired female bought privately from Alasdair Houston. A son of Gretnahouse Blacksmith, he sold to pedigree breeder, Daniel Whiteford, buying for his Borewell herd from Scremerston, Berwick upon Tweed.

"As soon as I saw him in the show ring I knew he was the bull for us," said Mr Whiteford who owns 150 cows. "He has so few faults and has tremendous width, tops and head."

The Retties also brought out Brailes Livestock’s Schivas Methlick Boy, which not only went on to lift the reserve championship but also the third top price at 8000gns when selling to AM Shepherd, Orbliston, Fochabers, Morayshire.

Breed champion at Stirling, reserve male at the Highland and junior male at the breed’s Summer National and the Royal Welsh, this 19-month-old was bought alongside his dam, Schivas Miss Betty for 16,000gns at last year’s herd dispersal. A son of Gretnahouse Exocet bred, he is out of the Schivas Evolution Tommy-sired Schivas Miss Betty – one of only a dozen pedigree Aberdeen Angus that run along side a similar number of pedigree Charolais.

Second top price was 8200gns paid for the reserve junior, McCornick Denzel, a 17-month-old bull from Martin McCornick and daughters Gemma and Kate, Boreland, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart. Denzel is the first son sold by the 6500gns Skaill Dino which also bred the overall champion at the Highland in June, McCornick Keira, a 14-month-old heifer. The dam, McCornick Duchess is by Wedderlie Even Bonus. Denzel goes out to work at Dunscroft, Huntly, having been purchased by James Innes

The intermediate champion from Neil and Mark Wattie’s 100-cow herd from Mains of Tonley, Alford, followed in the price rankings, selling at 7200gns to Balavil Estate, Kingussie. Junior inter-breed champion at Turriff, champion of champions at Grantown Show and breed champion and Scottish native champion at Keith Show, this March 2018-born bull is interestingly, the result of a raffle prize on Facebook. Bred from the Tonley Jose Enrique-sired heifer, Tonley Ester, he is by the winning raffle prize, frozen semen from Daniel Whiteford’s stockbull, Nightingale Perry.

James Porter had a busy day judging the Beef Shorthorn on the Sunday and also bought the champion Aberdeen Angus at 7000gns for his Old Glenort herd from Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

This was Blelack Dakota, from Neil and Graeme Massie’s 90-cow Blelack herd from Dinnet, Aberdeenshire. An ET from a flush from the Dalrene Cruz daughter, Oakchurch Darlene which is a full sister to the 10,000gns Oakchurch Dominator, he is by Netherallan Peter Pershore.

The Massies also received 6200gns for their second prize winner, Blelack Prince Cody. He is by Blelack Banjo Man, whose first crop of calves sold to 16,000gns and bred from the Warrenho Emperor daughter, Blelack Princess Caroline that was second at the Black Beauty Bonanza. He goes out to work at Titaboutie, Coull, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, having been purchased by GJ and A Robertson.

The reserve junior male champion from the Highland, Rulesmains Kentucky from Andrew Hodge and his daughter Emma, Rulesmains, Duns, made 6800gns selling to neighbouring commercial breeder, Andrew Rodgers, Stobswood. The breeding behind this rising two-year-old includes the 15,000gns Duncanziemere Judge onto the Duncanziemere Edwin daughter, Rulesmains Kim which is a daughter of Halbeath Kim.

Three bulls sold for 6500gns including Murray Lyle’s Logan Bar Emperor, from Mid Cambushinie, Dunblane, purchased by David Walker, Galcantray, Cawdor, Nairn. This ET bull is the result of a flush from the Ballathie Malibu daughter, Logan Bar Evora, and sired by Rawburn Boss Hogg.

Caroline Orr’s Keirsbeath Black Bonanza, a second prize March 2018-born son of Balmachie Lord Jock, from Keirsbeath, Dunfermline, made the same money selling to Aberdeenshire breeders, IR and E Watt, West Cullerlie, Echt. He is the first calf born from the 12,000gns purchase Cheeklaw Black Belle, a Cardona Proud Punch daughter bought at the Cheeklaw dispersal.

The last of the 6800gns sales came for Bonar Bridge butchers, David and Sandy Watt, who were also selling for the first time at Stirling. Their bull, Swordale Ewok, an April 2018-born bull all the way from Sutherland, sold to Texel sheep breeder, Robert Laird, Cambwell, Skirling, Biggar. The first son sold by Blelack Topper which goes back to the 11,000gns Blelack Toplass, Ewok is bred from the JAC Touchdown daughter, Swordale Eyebright.

Two bulls sold for 6000gns, with Alex and Philippa Davie, selling their Perkhill Black Knight from Perkhill, Lumphanan, Banchory, at this money to JD Steele, Goddens, Pitroddie, Perth. Backed by home-bred genetics on both sides, he is by the Netherallan Peter Pershore son, Perkhill Peter, and out of Perkhill Blackbird, by Lakewood Prince Maverick.

Matching that bid was the best from the Trustees of the Late Gordon Brooke Estate’s Gordon herd from Upper Huntleywood, Earlston. Their first prize junior, Gordon Jasper Eric, purchased by Andrew Mylius and Partners, St Fort, Tayport, is by Rawburn Fast Ball, while the dam is Rawburn Joy Erica, a Rawburn Elmer daughter bred from the 26,000gns Rawburn Joy Erica.