Lanarkshire producers, Jenny Devine and Martyn Hill, hit the jackpot at a British Blue sale at Carlisle, selling the first bull born from their one-cow herd to top the sale at 12,000gns.

The couple from Hill End Farm, Roberton, Biggar, who now also run a further three Blue heifers, bought their foundation female in 2015, in the shape of Tweeddale Inhance at the Tweeddale dispersal, and it was her second ET calf, Devine Optimist that topped the trade.

Inhance, a former show heifer by Tweeddale Ebony, bred from Tweeddale Enhance another well-known prize winner, was the lead priced in-calf heifer when sold at 8000gns.

Jenny, who is a free-lance stockperson working with beef cattle and milking dairy cows then flushed Inhance to Dafydd D’Ochain, which last year resulted in a heifer sale at 3000gns. Her full brother, Devine Optimist, a two-year-old almost all black bull sold this year for 12,000gns to Co Durham-based pedigree breeder, Richard Tiplady, Langleydale, Barnard Castle.

Hallfield Nixon from Stewart Gill also made 11,500gns

Hallfield Nixon from Stewart Gill also made 11,500gns

Two bulls came under the hammer for 11,500gns to include Stewart Gill’s Hallfield Nixon, a 25-month-old mostly black bull from Hallfield House, Dacre, Harrogate. Another ET-bred entry, Nixon is the result of a flush from the Almeley Ginola daughter, Greystone Lilia, and sired by Tenace De La Praule. He headed home with F Allinson and Son, West Briscoe, Barnard Castle.

North Yorkshire producer, Steven Porter, Low Row, Richmond, also went to 11,500gns for Henry Jewitt’s two-year-old ET, Sunnybank Orlando, a blue and white bull from Gracies Farm, Romaldkirk, Barnard Castle. Reserve overall champion at the Carlisle sale in October, 2019, and male champion at last year’s January sale, Orlando is bred from Meadowrig Ladana, a Tweeddale Hebony daughter bought privately after standing reserve junior at the Highland and champion at the Border Union. The sire is Bedgebury Kent, a bull that stood champion at the 2017 sale in May and sold for 15,000gns.

Henry Jewitts Sunnybank Orlando made 11,500gns

Henry Jewitt's Sunnybank Orlando made 11,500gns

In an all Scottish transaction, Robert and Maimie Paterson and son Robert, Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane, sold Auchenlay Outlaw, a 20-month-old dark blue roan for 9000gns. He is by Sandyvale Jagerbomb, a former champion winner at the Royal Highland Show, and bred from Auchenlay Ivy, a Tamhorn Ethan daughter. The buyer was JE Sinclair, Maesquoy, Harray, Orkney.

Just behind, on 8000gns, Worcs-based Paul Walker, Horsepool, Hunnington, sold Crackley Bank Orlando ET, a similarly aged dark blue roan, to Welsh producers, EH Pennie and Son, Gwern Yr Ychain, Llandyssil, Montgomery. He is bred from one of the best cows in the herd, with the dam, Crackley Bank Baroness, by Baron Du Bois Bauloye, still going strong at 15 years of age having bred bulls in AI studs. The sire was Bedgebury Kent.

The same Kent sire was behind Tom and Alison Cockburn’s Kingside Norseman ET, a 25-month-old white bull from Kingside, Leadburn, which made 6500gns. Norseman is the result of a flush from the Corrandulla Finton-sired Kingside Katie, and sold up to Morayshire with JA Cruickshank, Coleburn, Longmorn, Elgin.

The Cockburns also bought the lead priced heifer at 4000gns in the form of Brennand OMandy ET, a November 2019-born black and white heifer bred from the Tweeddale Ebony-sired Brennand Mandy. She is by Cromwell Fendt and was consigned by JC Walker and Son, Brennand Farm, Clitheroe.

It was a great day for Lanarkshire breeders, Kelly Blackwood and Duncan Davidson, Nether Abington, too when they sold Blackstane Outlaw for 6000gns to A and R Paton, Easter Greenhill, Avonbridge, Falkirk. This two-year-old blue and white is a son of Tamhorn Enterprising, and out of the Gitan Du Pti’T Mayeur-sired show heifer, Blackstane Jadore that is a former reserve junior champion at the Highland.

Littlebank Oreo, a similarly aged bull from HR and WJ Maudsley, Settle, was another to sell for 6000gns. He is by Farouk De St Amand, out of Littlebank Honey, which has bred six calves naturally, and sold down to Lancashire with Messrs Townsend, Laneshawbridge, Colne.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

averages: 23 bulls, £6021.53 (+£1015.13 for two less); five heifers, £3780 (-£1179.23 for eight fewer).