Charolais top Stirling Bull Sales' averages league – Ballinlare Phantom leads at 16,000gns

With 66 bulls out of the 93 forward for sale finding new homes, this represented a 71% clearance. However, like all other breeds, there were fewer sold due to the on-going Covid-19 restrictions.

What was more impressive is the fact that averages were up on the year without any extreme prices and for six fewer five-figure transactions.

Last year, there were two top sales of 25,000gns and a further 13 at or above the 10,000gns mark, where as this year, prices peaked at a mere 16,000gns and saw just eight others at five figures.

Sale leader at 16,000gns was Joe Wilson's Ballinlare Phantom, a June 2019-born bull all the way from Doranshill, Newry, Northern Ireland.

Producing a personal best for this 40-cow herd which runs alongside a further 60 pedigree Simmentals was one of the first sons by Major Walter's Balthayock Justice, the 50,000gns bull sold here in 2018 to the Ballinlare and Coolnaslee herds.

The second calf bred from Ballinlare Isis, which is a daughter of Coolnaslee's Goldies Carnival used on loan, Phantom was purchased in a two-way split by Bob and Kay Adam and sons Andrew and James, Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar and Graeme and Lisa Massie, Mains of Elrick, Ellon, Aberdeenshire.

More than financing that transaction, the Massies enjoyed a cracking trade with two at 12,000gns and another at 6000gns for sons of Maerdy Gouverneur, the French-bred bull that has sired bulls to 25,000gns and also bred last year's first prize team of three.

The Massie family sold Elrick Patriot 12,000gns Ref:RH280221463 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

First to hit 12,000gns was Elrick Patriot, another June 2019-born entry bred from the Thrunton Fearless daughter, Elrick Lass, one of 40 pedigree Charolais which runs alongside a similar number of pedigree Limousins. Patriot heads back up to Aberdeenshire with J and W Kellas, Raws, Dufftown, Keith.

Later, Elrick Poldark, an August 2019-born bull made the same money selling to Messrs Glass and Smith, Mill of Fowlis, Alford. Backed by the best of genetics on the female side, Poldark is out of the Maerdy Dublin-sired Elrick Florida, which makes him a full brother to the 25,000gns Elrick Outlaw sold last year and a half brother to the October 2018 overall champion, Elrick Malt that made 8500gns.

Elrick Poldark from the Massie family sold for 12,000gns Ref:RH280221465 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Second top price was 14,000gns for a junior from Dumfriesshire duo, Iain and Dot Goldie's 30-cow herd from Greenfield, Annan. Superceding their previous best of 11,000gns was Solwayfirth Peterpan, a 17-month-old from one of the most popular lines in the breed at present.

His sire, Glenericht Majestic was bought for 11,500gns and has since bred sons to a top of 10,000gns with his first four sons averaging in excess of £5500 for Solwayfirth.

Solwayfirth Peterpan from I and D Goldie sold for 14,000gns Ref:RH280221464 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Majestic's dam – Peter and Allen Drysdale's Glenericht Gem – a show winning cow has also made her mark breeding several five-figure priced bulls to include the 25,000gns Glenericht Oasis, the 11,500gns Glenericht Majestic and most recently Glenericht Pogba which sold for £10,000.

Peterpan's dam, Solwayfirth Charity, by Maerdy Restful, is also a top performer, having produced no fewer than 11 calves that have sold to 8000gns and still going strong at 14 years of age. He sold to Gareth Jones, buying for the 30-cow Esgob pedigree herd based at Hafod Yr Esgob Uchaf, Bala, in Wales, who was most impressed by the bull's backend, character and figures, with Peterpan boasting a +7.7 calving ease figure.

Another selling at 12,000gns was the Milne family's Elgin Pele, a 22-month-old bull from Kennies Hillock, Lhanbryde, Elgin, brought out by Matthew Milne. This big fella is by the 14,000gns Westcarse Houdini, a bull owned in partnership with Mornity Farms, that has already bred sons to 12,000gns.

The Milnes sold Elgin Pele for 12,000gns Ref:RH280221451 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Equally well bred on the dam side, Pele is out of the Harestone Tyrol daughter, Elgin Electra which is a full sister to the 20,000gns Elgin DaVinci. Maternal brother to the 2019 Balmoral champion, Elgin Nancy, he sold to James Moir, buying for his 100-cow Simmental cross herd at Auchorties, Keith.

Four bulls hit the magical 10,000gns mark with the first being Thrunton Plato from Ian Campbell and sons Bruce and Andrew, Thrunton, Alnwick. Their 22-month-old is a son of the 28,000gns Maerdy Jerusalem out of the Burradon Garibaldi daughter, Thrunton Jessie J. He was knocked down to W Pringle and Son, Yorkston, Temple, Gorebridge.

The Campbells sold Thrunton Plato for 10,000gns Ref:RH280221462 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

A cracking team of bulls from the Campbells resulting in a herd average of £7530 for seven, with their second top price of 8000gns coming for another Jerusalem son bred from the Thrunton Gladiator-sired Thrunton Jubilant. Thrunton Pegasus, a 21-month-old entry heads up to Leys Estate, Leys Castle, Inverness.

Garry Patterson also came up with the goods when Aultmore Phantom made 10,000gns selling down to Wales with RO Chandler and Co, Skirrid, Crucorney, Abergavenny. Mr Patterson, who runs just two Charolais cows alongside select numbers of pedigree British Blues, Limousins and Simmentals, at Upper Forgie, Aultmore, Keith, received this money for a similarly aged son of the AI sire, Westcarse Houdini.

Aultmore Phantom from W Patterson & Son sold for 10,000gns Ref:RH280221453 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

The dam, Aultmore Lassie, an ET is the result of a flush from Thrunton Campion, and sired by the Blelack Blackberry son, Aultmore Gladiator. Phantom sold with calving ease figures of +4.8.

Mr Patterson's second entry, Aultmore Powerhouse, another May 2019-born bull made 7500gns and sold up to Orkney with Liam Muir, Upper Onston, Stenness. This ET is bred from the 2018 Scottish champion of champions, Battleford Lola, by Lochend Apache, and sired by breed's old favourite, Dingle Hofmeister.

Two lots later, Falleninch Paco from local breeder Andrew Hornall, made 10,000gns. He is by the French-bred sire, Falleninch Memo – a son of Jinggle, bred from Hera – owned in partnership with Murray Lyle. Paco is bred from the Dereskit Fernando-sired Falleninch Libby, a former show heifer at the Royal Highland, and was purchased by E and M Fairhurst and Son, Bankend, Lawkland, Austwick, Lancs.

Andrew Hornall sold Falleninch Paco for 10,000gns Ref:RH280221454 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

A string of good bulls from Hamish Goldie, Mouswald, Dumfries, sold to 10,000gns and 8000gns twice to average £8269 for four. Tops was the 18-month-old Goldies Paul, a son of Balthayock Marquis, which sold with a calving ease of +17.6 to JS Fraser, Tore Mains, Tore, Muir of Ord, Inverness. His dam, Goldies Jo, is a daughter of the easy-calving sire, Blelack Digger, and is bred from the same line as the 10,000gns Goldies Nadine.

Goldies Paul from Hamish Goldie sold for 10,000gns Ref:RH280221466 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Later, Jack and Sheila Kay, Hartside, Lammermuir, went to 8000gns for Goldies Pioneer, a September 2019-born son of the 10,500gns Tweeddale Matador. A twin-born calf, he is bred from the Gretnahouse Heman daughter, Goldies Lottie.

The similarly aged Goldies Powerhouse, made the same money when selling to Archie John MacLean and son Alasdair, Heylipol, Tiree. This ET calf is the result of a flush from the Goldies Uppermost daughter, Goldies Fabulous of which a half share sold to Jeremy Price, Oakchurch, for £10,000, and sired by the 10,000gns Blelack Fabulous.

Top price for Colin and Fiona Wight's 40-cow Carwood herd from Biggar, was 9000gns for the June 2019-born Carwood Pioneer, one of the first calves born by the 12,000gns Maerdy Magestic. His dam, Carwood Hilda, is a daughter of Elgin Emperor, which has bred sons to 13,000gns for the herd. Pioneer sold down to Dumfriesshire with D Hyslop, Hyslop Farms, Wamphray, Moffat.

Carwood Pioneer from the Wight family sold for 9000gns Ref:RH280221458 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Keeping it in the family, Colin's brother, Jack and Elma Wight, Rowangreen, Crawford, took 8500gns for Midshield Paul, a 22-month-old bull by the Kelton Trident son, Midlock John, from F and G Young, Balnowlart, Ballantrae, Girvan. He is out of the Maerdy Domino-sired, Midshield Jazmin.

John Jeffrey's 80-cow Charolais herd and stockman Jim Cowan, from Kersknowe, Kelso, produced two 8000gns bulls, with the first coming for the March 2019-born Kersknowe Patriot. He is by the retained stockbull, Kersknowe McGregor, by Inverlochy Fencer and out of the Lagavaich Fernando daughter, Kersknowe Iris. Duncan McVicar, Middle Ballat Farm, Balfron Station, was the last man in.

Kirkcudbrightshire producers, A and J Craig, Craigton, Castle Douglas, bought the second bull at 8000gns in the shape of Kersknowe Provost, a direct son of the 20,000gns Inverlochy Fencer. The dam, Kersknowe Icicle is by Lagavaich Fernando.

Another three bulls made 8000gns with the first being Raymond Irvine and FG Lawson's Ballindalloch Pilot, all the way from Mains of Inverourie, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch. Their 22-month-old son of the 10,000gns Goldies Icon, is out of the Lochend Apache-sired Ballindalloch Hilda, and sold to R MacDonald and Son, Drumgask, Laggan, Newtonmore, Inverness.

Esmor Evans' Maerdy herd from Mold, Wales, sold to the same money for Maerdy Passion, a June 2019-born son of the French-bred sire, Maerdy Figaro, by T-Unisson. Bruce Mackie and Son, Milton of Noth, Huntly, forked out the cash for this entry bred from the Maerdy Dynamite daughter, Maerdy Jiffy.

The last of the 8000gns bids was given for the Barclay family's Harestone Powerhouse, an ET bred from the Harestone Uruguy daughter, Harestone Denise and sired by Blelack Fabulous. The bull from the family's mixed pedigree enterprise based at Insch, Aberdeenshire, was knocked down to A McCornick and Co, Barnackle, Lochfoot, Dumfries.

Major Walter's Perth-based Balthayock herd, managed by Tracey and Davie Nicholl, sold their best at 7500gns to the Scottish Government's Bull Stud at Inverness. This was Balthayock Politician, a June 2019-born son of the 11,000gns Gretnahouse Lunar bull bought at Carlisle and out of the Blelack Forester-sired Balthayock Insignia.

Tophill Roxanne from AJ Stott sold for 4800gns Ref:RH280221467 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...

Lead priced female at 4800gns was Andrew Stott's Tophill Roxanne, an 11-month-old heifer by Hackleton Largerlout, from Longrow Cottage, Canonbie. She is out of the Mulroog Alpine-sired Hackleton Hetty and sold to Messrs Atkinson.

The four heifers forward met a 100% clearance and averaged £4410.

Auctioneers: United Auctions