A cracking trade for Simmentals at United Auctions' second round of bull sales at Stirling, saw a top price of 26,000gns, a further five lots at five-figure prices and averages up by almost £1500 on the year to level at £6482.

Clearance rates were an impressive 82%, with the 64 bulls rising £1443 per head on the year, albeit for 22 fewer sold, with a good number having been sold privately before the event due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

For the first time in a good number of years, it was a Welsh bull that topped the trade, with Pistyll Kingsman, from Aneirin and Heulwen Francis, selling to Richard McCulloch, buying for the Over Hillhouse herd from Armadale.

The bull, from Pistyll Uchaf, Abergorlech, Carmarthen, brought out by Perthshire-based free-lance stockmen, Richard and Carol Rettie, boasts Scottish and Irish genetics too, with the sire being the AI bull, Woodhall Ferrari, a Raceview All-Star son, onto Woodhall Evangeline, an Omorga Volvo daughter bought at the Woodhall dispersal.

Second top price was 15,000gns paid for Reece and Andrew Simmers' Backmuir Kraken, from Backmuir, Keith. The first son sold by the 7000gns Islavale Hamilton, he is bred from the Kilbride Farm Duke-sired Starline Kreole. New breeder, Alex Bulmer, Coultas, Great Habton, North Yorkshire, was the final bidder.

A string of top quality bulls from the Stronach family's Islavale herd from Berryleys, Keith, also sold well and to a top of 11,500gns for Islavale Kacy, a son of Corskie Highlander which bred the lead priced bulls here in October 2020 and October 2019, onto Islavale Fantasia. He heads back up to Aberdeenshire with C and G Thomson, Wester Tulloch, Midmar.

Also heading up the same road to Portlethen, with S and K Smith, Bankhead, at 11,000gns was Drumsleed Kingsman, from Gerald and Morag Smith and son Dougie's 200-cow herd from Drumsleed, Laurencekirk. Another with a first class pedigree behind him, Kingsman is the first son sold by the Haystar Cracker-sired Drumsleed Hivy, that was retained for breeding, onto the top show cow, Drumsleed Farina 14.

Two bulls came under the hammer for 10,000gns to include Knockreagh Kilroy, an ET bred from Omorga Dorcas and sired by Dermotstown Delboy, from Northern Ireland breeders, Val and Conrad Fegan, Newry, purchased by William Barnetson, Lynegar, Watten, Caithness.

Matching that was Blackford Kirk, from Billy and Anne Macpherson, Blackford, Croy. He is by the show winning bull, Blackford Galaxy, out of Silver Wells Belle and was knocked down to D Sapsed, High Heath Farm, Hitchin, Herts.

For full report and pictures see next week's Scottish Farmer

Auctioneers: United Auctions