Top prices of 9500gns, 7500gns and 7200gns were achieved for a small but select entry of Salers, which averaged £4856.25 for 12 with an 86% clearance – the highest equal of all seven breed sales at United Auctions' Stirling Bull Sales.

Averages improved on the year too, with the 12 bulls sold showing an increase of £26.25 on the year, albeit like every other breed, for fewer sold as a result of Covid. Last year 17 were cashed at the same event.

Sale leader this time was Neil Blyth's Marwood Orlando, a rising two-year-old from the 10-cow herd which runs alongside 80 pedigree Charolais females at Middleton House, Elwick.

Orlando is a Seawell Gambler son out of the Whitebog Convener daughter Marwood Jellybaby, which in turn was bred from the foundation female, Rigel Luciana. He sold down to Ayrshire at 9500gns to James Shennan and Sons, Knockgerran, Girvan.

Local breeders, Gill and Malcolm Pye's 120-cow Rednock herd from Port of Menteith, Stirling, had a good day with sales at 7500gns and 5200gns.

 Rednock Oregon from Gill and Malcolm Pye made 7500gns Ref:RH280221446 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Rednock Oregon from Gill and Malcolm Pye made 7500gns Ref:RH280221446 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Their pen leader, Rednock Oregon, an August 2019-born bull, is a son of the 12,000gns Drumaglea Kes, out of the Rigel Byron-sired Rigel Diva. Oregon goes out to work at Crudie Farm, Arbroath, Angus.

Earlier, the couple received 5200gns for the 23-month-old Rednock Odin, a Rigel Officer son out of the Rigel Othello daughter, Rigel Cinders, from Andrew Young, Girvan Mains, Girvan.

Selling down to Duns with John Mitchell and Co, Rumbletonrig, Greenlaw, at 7200gns was Patrick Boyd's Drumaglea Outstanding, a 22-month-old bull all the way from the Isle of Tiree.

Drumaglea Outstanding from Patrick Boyd sold for 7200gns Ref:RH280221447 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Drumaglea Outstanding from Patrick Boyd sold for 7200gns Ref:RH280221447 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

He is got by semen from the French sire, Django and is out of Drumaglea Blusher, a Variegeois daughter and half sister to the dam of the 12,000gns Drumaglea Kingpin 2.