Love it or loathe it, social media is playing an increasingly important role in all sales, with Forfar-based Charolais breeders, Grant and Mark Smeaton, grateful a post on Facebook led to the private sale of their 21-month-old bull, Bombax Paddy, at 10,000gns.

“Covid 19 has certainly changed things,” says Mark. “We would normally have taken him to the UA Stirling Bull Sales, but with the restrictions decided to put some photos and a video on Facebook. We had quite a few enquiries and we were offered a price on farm that we really couldn’t turn down.”

The brothers, along with their father Tom, farm some 1200 mostly arable acres at Cotton of Ovenstone, Forfar, along with a 25-cow pedigree Charolais cows, assisted by freelance stocks person, Kim Brown.

Bomax is a son of Blelack Missouri and out of Derryharney Jane. Missouri, which goes back to the 30,000gns Oakchurch Igor bull, was bought as a calf at foot at the Blelack dispersal, while Jane, a Derryharney Outstanding daughter, was purchased as a bulling heifer. Paddy is her second calf.

The buyer, Ed McNeill, of Shennanton Livestock, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, looks to breed show quality calves.

“It is impossible to travel at the moment, and I really liked the look of Paddy from the pictures. I asked for a few more, and some videos, and decided to buy the bull. He’s a great moving bull, has good conformation and a sweet head, everything I’m looking for,” said Ed.