Local Limousin breeders and enthusiasts Dougie McBeath and Sarah-Jane Jessop, had a field day at Stirling, selling their intermediate champion and reserve overall for the lead price of 10,000gns.

The couple who run just a handful of pedigree females at Lower Greenyards, Bannockburn, topped the trade with Ironstone Oliver, a March 2018-born bull bought at the Ironstone dispersal alongside his dam, Brockhurst Batik, a Grahams Samson daughter and former breed champion and reserve overall beef winner at the Royal Highland Show.

Oliver is by the Wilodge Vantastic son, Ironstone Gandi, and headed home with Paul and Christine Tippetts, buying back some of their own genetics for their Wilodge herd based at Shifnal, Shropshire.

The 10,000gns bull was very much the cream of a difficult sale in which 45 Limousin bulls sold to average just short of £4500 at £4482 – down £700 on the year and for four fewer sold. Furthermore, only 65% of the bulls forward changed hands, with even the champion, Anside Orton from Stephen and Denise Irvine and family, Keith, failing to find a new home.

While the sale leader sold for pedigree use, the second top priced lot at 9000gns headed home to the commercial unit at Mill of Fowlis, Muir of Fowlis, Alford, farmed by Messrs Glass and Smith. Their purchase, Burnbank Ollymurs from local breeders, Dougie and Lynda Graham and sons John and James, who are also in the process of setting up a 120-cow dairy unit at Mains of Burnbank, Blairdrummond, is by the Jacot show bull, Mereside Lorenzo. Senior champion at the pre-sale show, this February 2018-born entry is bred from Burnbank Grace – a former show heifer and daughter of the French sire, Lino – one of 100 pedigree Limousins in the herd.

Following next in line was the reserve senior from Richard and Kathleen Davidson, Corsairtly, Keith. Their Corsairtly Oswald, a 21-month-old which boasts no fewer than six breed championships on the North-east show circuit and two reserve inter-breeds, is by Ronick Inspector. Robert Simpson and Son, Mains of Creuchies, Alyth, forked out the cash for this entry bred from the Goldies Dictator-sired Corsairtly Janelle.

While the Irvines from Anside failed to sell their champion, they did receive 7500gns and 6500gns for sons of Powerful Irish, a bull that has bred sons to 13,000gns to average £7100.

Dearest from this 68-strong cow herd was Anside Olaf, a third prize winner at the pre-sale show, bred from the Frewstown Breakdance daughter, Anside Gia. Commercial producer, Walter Dandie, Learielaw, Broxburn, was the last man in on this 18-month-old bull.

Anside Odin, the second prize winner in the same class made 6500gns to Stuart MacMillan, Ardbeg, Port Ellen, Islay. He is out of Anside Jaffa, by Derriaghy Enfield.

Andrew Burnett's Spittalton herd from Blairdrummond, also had a better than most day, with two at 6200gns and another at 5200gns. In all, he sold six bulls from the 90-cow Spittalton herd, brought out with assistance of stockman Tim Russell, to average £5162.

First to make 6200gns was Spittalton Outlaw, a red ticket holder by the 6500gns Burnbank Judge, a bull that has bred several bulls at 6000gns and above. The dam, Spittalton Corrie, an Ormeb daughter, has also more than paid her way having bred sons to 8000gns. Outlaw, a 19-month-old bull was knocked down to Morayshire producers, A Sime and Son, Bruceland, Elgin.

Matching that 6200gns sale was Spittalton Oxo, purchased by the Crofters Commission for their Bull Stud at Inverness, which went home with five bulls from the sale.

Reserve intermediate champion at the pre-sale show, Oxo is another backed by the best of bloodlines being a son of the 16,000gns Dinmore Jeanpierre, whose first two sons sold at 14,000gns and 16,000gns at Carlisle. The dam, Spittalton Loreen, goes back to Spittalton Bracken, dam of the 65,000gns Aultside Meanmachine.

Later, Spittalton Osborn the reserve junior champion, also by Jeanpierre but out of the Haltcliffe Vermount daughter Spittalton Lapple made 5200gns to JM Fraser, Easter Clune of Lethen, Nairn.

The red rosette-winning Elrick Osprey from Mike Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, Ellon, was another chapped down at 6200gns, when selling to Robert and Hazel McNee, Over Finlarg, Tealing, Dundee. This 18-month-old ET boasts Wilodge genetics on both sides being sired by the Wilodge Cerberus son, Rahoney Geoffrey, and out of Elrick Fandango, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter.

A strong team of bulls from Ian and Andrew Nimmo, Bogside, Newmains, Wishaw, peaked at 5800gns for Maraiscote Ozone, by the Queenshead Altea son, Rutland Jetset and out of Maraiscote Jewel. He headed home across the water to Islay when purchased by commercial producers, G and M Porter, Carrabus, Bridgend.