More than £650,000 changed hands with a 100% clearance for the 153 cattle forward at the dispersal of the award winning Shadwell Aberdeen-Angus herd from Thetford, Norfolk.
The sale, staged at Skipton Auction Mart, saw a top price of 28,000gns for a cow and calf outfit and a standalone high of 22,000gns for a maiden heifer, with record breed averages recorded for both in-calf and maiden heifers at £9400 and £10,500, respectively.
The herd which was established in 1997 and has been managed by Robert Clarke for the past 12 years, was topped by Shadwell Lady Heather P738, an eight-year-old daughter of Te Mania Berkley B1. She is out of the Netherallan Peter Pershore-bred, Blelack Lady Heather M572, which is a full sister to the 25,000gns Blelack Lord Hildalgo and the 16,000gns Blelack Lady Heather G769.
She sold with her four-month-old heifer calf, Lady Heather Y292, by Shadwell Evolution T003, at foot to John Steele, buying for the West Drums herd based at Chirnside, Duns.
Two of her daughters also make their mark, with Shadwell Lady Heather W176 making 11,000gns and Shadwell Lady Heather X250 selling for 22,000gns
The former, a January, 2020-born daughter of Haymount War Smith sold in calf to Evolution, to online bidder Joe O’Mahoney, in Kilpatrick, Co Westmeath, Ireland – a prolific buyer with 21 purchases for Tillingdale ULC, home of the Gigginstown herd of A-A cattle, which he manages.
Selling at 22,000gns, was Shadwell Lady Heather X250, a maiden heifer by Evolution, purchased by Michael and Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Devon.
Another renowned female line saw Shadwell Blackbird R797, soar to 10,000gns. This seven-year-old is one of the few daughters by the £40,000 Rawburn Black Hawk L261, out of a home-bred Peter Pershore dam. Scanned in calf to Evolution, she sold to Andrew and James Adam, Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar.
Her bull calf son, Shadwell Black Magic X281, by Evolution was one of the picks of the 2021 autumn calf crop, and made 14,000gns selling to Neil and Mark Wattie of the Tonley herd from Alford, Aberdeenshire.
Another mother and son outfit, this time from the Evora family, sold jointly for 20,000gns. The dam, Shadwell Evora UO55, a four-year-old by Rawburn Fast Ball, out of Evora J443, by Muirhall Total Deal, made 15,000gns to the Isherwood family's locally-based Airedale herd from Kildwick, when scanned in calf to Evolution. Her maternal sister, Evora M618, was National Show champion in 2014.
Her second calf, Shadwell Earthquake X288, by Evolution, made 5000gns to W and R Dunlop, Carnwath, Lanarkshire.
Outfits from the Blue Belle line also proved popular. Hitting 9000gns was the rising six-year-old Idvies Eland daughter, S934, bred from a Peter Pershore dam. In calf to Evolution, she joined Porter Farms in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, while her October, 2021, son, Shadwell Bravado, again by Evolution, made 8000gns, to M Irwin, of Omagh, Co Tyron.
Another Blue Belle mother and daughter outfit, sold separately, but jointly commanded 14,000gns. The four-year-old U039, by Weeton Diamond Mine – the record price 14,000gns calf at the Weeton dispersal sale – out of a Nightingale El Paso PAS0-sired dam, made 7500gns to AJ and M Taylor, Blackburn when in calf to Evolution.
Her September, 2021 calf, X280, by Carruthers Grenadier R797, was knocked down for 6500gns to Calderdale’s Andrew Hughes in Halifax.
Shadwell Pam T941, the female champion at the Great Yorkshire Show as a yearling heifer in 2018, made 14,000gns when selling with her January-born Evolution son, Shadwell Power House, to Messrs Mawer and Benge, Woodhall Spa, Lincs. This five-year-old cow by Idvies Eland, is bred from another Peter Pershore daughter and sold having run with Stouphill Master Prince.
Two-year-old Shadwell heifers were also extremely popular, selling to 15,000gns – twice.
First up was Shadwell Evora W173, by Haymount War Smith, bred out of a Peter Pershore dam and a maternal sister to Evolution. Scanned in calf to Carrington Park Time On B7, she was another purchased by Joe O’Mahoney.
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Also making 15,000gns was Shadwell Evora W211, by Idvies Eric, out of a Shadwell Ebenezer dam. She changed hands in calf to Rawburn Transformer, selling to Porter Farms.
Another Evora, W190, again by Idvies Eric, out of a Black Hawk daughter, made 12,000gns. Another at the same price was the Evolution daughter, Lady Heather W237, bred out of a Rawburn Rommel E423-sired cow. Both sold to Mr O’Mahoney.
Maiden, yearling heifers were topped at 18,000gns by the March, 2021-born, Shadwell Blue Belle X267, an Evolution daughter, bred out of a Nightingale El Paso dam. Final bidders were Glympton Farms in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
Another Evora, the January 2021-born Shadwell Evora X251, by Carruthers Grenadier, out of a Muirhall Total Teal E009-sired dam, made 13,000gns selling to PC Stovvold and Son, Godalming, Surrey.
The final lot in to the ring, the September, 2020-born stock bull, Stouphill Master Prince W346, by Logie Defiance, made 7000gns again to Mr O’Mahoney.
Auctioneers: CCM and United Auctions
Averages: Cows in calf £6021; heifers in calf £9400; heifer stirks £4830; maiden heifers £10,500; cows and calves £6253; bull stirks/calves £5378; stock/senior bulls, £7350; intermediate bulls £2100.
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