Scottish cattle lead Carlisle spring sale at £15,000

Such was the quality of the 117 open cattle and breeding heifers forward for the judges that the event, attracted no fewer than 25 bids at or above the £5000 bracket which included four at five-figure prices.

Sale leader at £15,000 was a blue roan Limousin heifer from Zoe Hall and Mark Batty, Horsley Hill, Hawick. Second in her class to the reserve champion, she is by the 9500gns Limousin stock bull Impulsive Phoenix, and sold to Michael and Melanie Alford, Devon.

The champion, a Limousin cross heifer from Brian Harper, Greenwells, Falkirk, made £10,000, selling to Andy Ireland, Darvel and JCB Commercials, Northern Ireland. Already a noted show winner, this red heifer by the 180,000gns Graiggoch Rambo took the championship honours at the Borderway Babes Calf Show last year.

Another Limousin cross heifer, this time from John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, was reserve and made £12,000 selling to Messrs Small, Wilkinson and Sedgewick. This black heifer is sired by the 14,500gns stock bull Carnew Milreef, which has produced numerous top show and sale winners for the family.

Allan and Susan Campbell, Crawlaw, Galston, bought the first prize British Blue heifer from John Smith-Jackson, Lipwood, Northumberland, at £14,000. She is the first calf to be sold by the new blue stock sire Maes Supernova, a bull purchased for 12,000gns

Mr Smith-Jackon also claimed the bullock championship with the first prize haltered Limousin, which is unbeaten in his class and already boasts two championships under his belt. He is sired by home-bred stock bull Hightown Ron and topped the bullock prices selling at £8000 to Blair Duffton, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Reserve bullock was another Limousin, this time shown by EW Pennie and Sons, Montgomery. It is sired by Trueman Idol and made £6000 to Craig Bentley, Thirsk.

The introduction of breeding heifer classes proved popular, with the championship presented to another Limousin cross heifer from John and Craig Robertson. Their entry, by the stock bull Liscon Thierry, was knocked down at £6000 to Wilson Peters, Crieff.

Despite the massive entry, a phenomenal trade throughout saw overall averages soar to almost £2500.

Heifers levelled at £2709.07, up £334.91 on last year’s event, with bullocks cashing in at £2252.66, which represents a rise of £180.17.

By the end of the day, 95 cattle had sold for more than £3000. The overall average was £2495.94 (+£276.91).

Champion heifer and supreme overall from Brian Harper sold for £10,000 (Image: Tara O Brien)

LEADING herd averages

Farm (No) Average (£)

Lipwood (5) 6236.00

Cracrop (10) 4280.00

Osborne (8) 4187.50

Horsleyhill (7) 4185.71

Tynllyn (4) 3837.50

How Hall (4) 3700.00

Sheltwood (20) 3614.50

Woodend Ardgour (3) 3533.33

Auchanairney (3) 3520.00

Greenhill (9) 3477.78

Greenwells (7) 3352.86

The Close (3) 3183.33

Newton Logierait (43) 3144.19

John and Craig Robertson's reserve champion from Newton of Logierait sold for £12,000 (Image: Tara O Brien)

LEADING awards

Haltered heifers – Lim 1a – 1, Messrs Harper, Greenwells £10,000; 2, Messrs Robertson, Newton Logierait £5500; 3, Messrs Jarman, Browtop £5000. Lim 1b – Newton Logierait £12,000; 2 Messrs Hall, Horsleyhill £15,000; 3 Messrs Smith-Jackson, Lipwood £3500. Lim 1c – 1, Messrs William, Tynllyn £6000; 2, Messrs May, Sheltwood £7800; 3, Newton Logierait £8000. Unhaltered Lim – 1, Newton Logierait £5000; 2, Messrs Hardisty, How Hall £4000; 3, Messrs Miller, Crookdake Mill £2800.

Haltered BB – 1 and 2, Lipwood £14,000 and £3000; 3, Messrs Jarman, Lipwood £4000. Unhaltered BB – 1, Messrs Mackay, Auchenairney £4000; 2, Crookdake Mill £4000; 3, East Anglian Trailers £3800. AOB cont – 1, Messrs Wright, Ardgour (Char) £3500; 2, Kilnstown Farm (Gall) £4000; 3 Messrs Jackson, Woodyett (BS) £1700. Baby beef (born on or after Aug 1, 2025) – 1, Hall and Batty, Westerhouses £4000; 2, Messrs Jones, Maes Tyddyn £3000; 3, Lipwood £3000.

Steers – Haltered Lim – 1, Lipwood £8000; 2, Newton of Logierait £3500; 3, Messrs Slack, Plumtree House £2500. Lim b – 1, Messrs Pennie, Gwern Y Chain £6000; 2, Greenwells £2800; 3, Messrs Williams, Tynllyn £4500. Lim c – 1, Newton Logierait £4000; 2 and 3, Greenwells £2000 and £1800.

BB – 1, Ardgour £4000; 2, Greenwells £2020; 3, Messrs Jarman, Browntop £1900. Unhaltered BB – 1, Maes Tyddyn £2200; 2 and 3, East Anglian Trailers £2180 and £2180. AOB cont – 1, Crookdake Mill (Char) £3200; 2 and 3, Kilnstown (Gall) £2600 and £2600. Baby beef (born on or after Aug 1, 2025) – 1, Tynllyn £1850; 2, Maes Tyddyn £1980; 3, Newton Logierait £2300.

Haltered breeding heifers – 1, Newton Logierait £6000; 2, Browtop £4000; 3, Messrs Priestley, Cracrop £6500.

Unhaltered breeding heifers – 1, Messrs Barnett, Brinns £5000; 2, Cracrop £6000; 3, Osborne £3800.

Newton of Logierait also won the breeding heifer championship with this Limousin cross that sold for £6000 (Image: Tara O Brien)

LEADING prices

Heifers – Lim – £15,000, Horsleyhill Farm Cottage; £12,000, £8000 (x2), £6000, £5500, £5000 (x2), Newton Of Logierait; £10,000, Greenwells; £7800, £7500, £6800, £6000, £5200, £5000, Sheltwood; £6000, £4500, Grange Hall; £6000 Tynllyn; £5000, £4000, Brow Top Farm; £4500, Cracrop; £4300, Osborne Farm; £4000 Kiln Close; £4000, 3 Westerhouses Cottage; £4000 (x2), How Hall; £4000 Allanfauld. BB –£14,000, Lipwood;£6500, £6000, £4500, £4200, £4000 Cracrop; £5500 Greenhill; £5000 Brinns Farm; £4800 (x2), £4500 (x2) Osborne Farm; £4800, £4000 Auchanairney; £4000 How Hall; £4000 Brow Top; £4000 Gateside; £4000 Maes Tyddyn; £4000 Crookdake Mill. Gall – £4000 Kilnstown. Char – £3500 Woodend.

Steers – Lim – £8000, Lipwood; £6000 Gwern Yr Ychain; £4500Tynllyn; £4000 (x2), £3500, £2600 Newton Of Logierait; £3000, £2950, £2880, £2740 (x5), £2680, £2600 (x4) South Side; £2950 Sunnyside; £2920, £2850, £2780, £2750 (x2), £2650, Gateside; £2800 How Hall; £2800, Greenwells; £2700, £2680, Sheltwood; £2680, Midlock; £2650, Lairdlaugh; £2620, Grange Hall. BB – £4000,Woodend; £2900, Kirklands. Char – £3200 Crookdake Mill; £2760 25South Side. Gall – £2600 Kilnstown.