Maraiscote Limousin bull tops Carlisle sale at 28,000gns

Lanarkshire breeders, Ian and Moyra Nimmo and son Andrew, came home in style from the Limousin Society bull sale at Carlisle, having secured not only the champion and reserve honours but also the top price of 28,000gns and the lead herd average of £13,913 for six.

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The family, who own the 140-cow Maraiscote herd from Wishaw and were selling their second champion winner at Borderway Mart, led a first class entry of bulls with Maraiscote Reagan.

Placed intermediate champion by the judge, society chairman, Harry Parker, and then supreme overall, this April 2020-born lad is a natural born son of the 50,000gns Bassingfield Machoman out of the Goldies Comet daughter, Maraiscote Gabby.

Best bull calf born in 2020 in the Scottish Limousin Club Herd’s competition, Reagan displayed F94L and Q204X myostatins and a beef value of LM49, placing him in the top 1% of the national herd. He caught the eye of the Colin Lewis, buying for the Garyvaughan herd from Welshpool, Mid Wales.

“We picked Reagan out in the pens before the show. He stood out for his great width and conformation and we hope he will take our herd to the next level,” said Mr Lewis.

The five entries from Nimmos were all natural born sons of Machoman, a stock bull that has already bred several five-figure priced bulls.

Next at 16,000gns was the reserve junior male champion, Maraiscote Ribbery, bred from another Goldies Comet daughter. This May 2020-born bull with myostatin status of F94L and Q204X also boasts a successful show career, having stood reserve male at the Royal Highland Showcase and overall junior and reserve junior inter-breed at the Great Yorkshire Show.

He is out of Maraiscote Firtree and headed home with Mike Massie buying for the Elrick herd from Ellon, Aberdeenshire.

The Nimmo’s junior champion and reserve overall, Maraiscote Rasputin, made 11,500gns selling to George Hamilton, Ramrig, Duns. He is bred from Maraiscote Intrigue, a Virginia Andy-sired cow and sold carrying two copies of the F94L easy calving gene. Rasputin is also a full brother to the 9000gns Maraiscote Politician and the 8000gns Maraiscote Olympus.

Just behind on 10,000gns, the family’s Maraiscote Rocky, another by Machoman out Maraiscote Diva, again by Virginia Andy, was purchased by Monzie Farms, Crieff, managed by Wilson Peters.

Strong demand for the top end of bulls ensured a buoyant trade throughout with no fewer than 19 five-figure sales, of which 14 exceeded the 12,000gns bracket.

Second top price was 21,000gns paid for Pabo Randy, a 17-month-old ET, from Welsh breeder, Llyr Hughes, Anglesey. A blue ticket holder from the last class, he is by the AI sire, Netherall Jackpot which has a French dominated pedigree, and is the result of a flush from the Pabo General-sired Pabo Icemaiden. He sold with two copies of the NT821 myostatin gene and a beef value of LM41, in a two-way split to John Smith Jackson, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, buying for his Hightown herd and J and J White, Barnard Castle, for his Rigg herd.

His full brother, Pabo Romeo which stood first in the same class, sold with myostatins of F94L and NT821. He made 12,000gns to WD Wright and Son buying for the Hunthills herd from Parkgate, Dumfries.

Allan Jenkinson’s Whinfellpark Rhapsody, from Penrith, stood third in a junior class and made 17,000gns selling down to Wales with C Jones of the Cletwr herd from Llanarth, Dyfed. This April 2020-born Gunnerfleet Lion son is bred from Whinfellpark Iva, a daughter of the 100,000gns Dolcorsllwyn Fabio and sold with a myostatin status of F94L and Q204X.

Michael and Fiona Burns’ Shaws herd based at Glenside Farm, Maybole, also had plenty to celebrate when their sole entry Shaws Rover, made 16,000gns selling to Doug Mash, buying for the Brockhurst herd from Buckinghamshire.

A blue ticket holder amongst the juniors, this June 2020-born entry is by Goldies Jackpot and bred from the Grahams Unbeatable daughter, Shaws Marabella.

One of the best bred bulls in the catalogue, Grahams Rebel from Robert and Jean Graham, Bridge of Allan, Stirling, made 14,000gns. A half brother to the 28,000gns Grahams Rooney, this May 2020-born entry is an ET calf bred from Grahams Melody, a former champion at the Royal Welsh and Great Yorkshire Shows, and sired by Gunnerfleet Lion.

A red ticket holder amongst the juniors, he caught the eye of Graham Morrison, buying for his Deveronvale herd from Inchbruich, Banffshire.

Bruce Goldie’s Goldies herd from Dumfries was again in the money too with sales at 13,000gns and 12,000gns twice. Dearest was Goldies Rocket, a March 2020-born son of Goldies Juggler bred from Goldies Joyeuse which was the dam of the 18,000gns Goldies Pamela sold at the Red Ladies sale in 2018.

First in his class at the pre-sale show and carrying myostatin of F94L and Q204X, Rocket was knocked down to Page Bros, buying for their Elkington herd from Northampton.

Just behind, on 12,000gns, was Goldies Rolo, an April 2020-born son of the 2018 Tullamore champion Carrickmore Maximus which made €38,000 at Roscrea that year. He is bred from Goldies Flair, which has bred progeny to 19,000gns and carries two copies of the F94L myostatin gene. Final bidders were IR and DE Jones, buying for their Corwen-based commercial herd, in North Wales.

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Matching that 12,000gns sale was Goldies Retail, a natural born son of Kaprico Monarch. This similarly aged bull is out of the Ampertaine Elgin daughter, Goldies Jemma which is bred from Goldies Fairytale – the dam of the stockbull, Goldies Juggler and the 21,000gns Goldies James. He sold with F94L and NT821 myostatins and was another heading south with Doug Mash, Brockhurst.

The Goldies sold five bulls to average £10,920.

Annan-based international livestock haulier, Andrew Ewing forked out 13,000gns for the best from the Quick brother’s Loosebeare herd from Devon. This was Loosebeare Reece, a red ticket holder by the 17,000gns Agadolgan Emperor out of Loosebeare Malina. He sold carrying two copies of the F94L myostatin gene.

Another three bulls came under the hammer for 12,000gns with the first being M McKeefry’s senior champion, Eniver Rocky, from Co Derry, Northern Ireland. A February 2020 natural born son of the AI sire, Plumtree Fantastic, he is bred from the Ampertaine Foreman-sired cow, Eviver Isabelle and sold with two copies of the Q204X myostatin gene to Messrs Morgan and Price buying for the Tyrosser herd, Builth Wells.

Aberdeenshire breeder, Aileen Ritchie buying for the Ritchies herd from Burnside, Whitecairns, went to the same money for the Wilodge Cerberus son, Woodmarsh Royalmint, an ET from the Goulds of Bowmere Heath, Shropshire. He is the result of a flush from the Grahams Lorenzo daughter, Wilodge Naturelle, purchased at the Red Ladies Derby sale for 12,000gns which a full sister to the 17,000gns Wilodge Princess sold earlier this year. First in his class, Royalmint also carries two copies of the F94L myostatin gene.

Jim and Sandy Hunter’s Wedderburn herd from Huntly, also achieved 12,000gns with the first prize winner, Wedderburn Robroy, a 20-month-old son of the privately purchased Westpit Ollie, out of the Newhouse Bannockburn daughter, Wedderburn Eliza. Robroy boasts two copies of the easy calving F94L gene and sold to A J Mason, Embsay, Skipton, North Yorkshire.

Just behind, on 11,000gns, the reserve senior champion, Broadhead Reggie from Turner Farms, Honley, Holmfirth, sold to Mark Nelson, Bull and Cave, Clapham, Lancashire. A January 2020-born son of the 16,000gns Huntershall Nutcracker, Reggie is the result of a flush from the Huntershall Isabella-sired Broadhead Isabella which has bred heifer calves to 8000gns and a five-figure priced bull. He sold with NT821 and Q204X genes.

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Top price for Michael Fieldson’s herd from Corringham, Lincs was 10,000gns for Fieldson Rake, a March 2020-born bull by the Huntershall Gladiator-sired Fieldson Jammy. Third in his class at the pre-sale show, he carries F94L and NT821 myostatin genes and sold across to Bishop Auckland, Co Durham with IM Maughan. His dam is the Fieldson Ultimate daughter, Fieldson Drake..

Matching that 10,000gns bid was Thorninghurst Rudimental, from S Gilleard, Doncaster. His May 2020-born son of Ampertaine Elgin is out of the Claragh Franco-sired Homebyres Linity and sold to JA Wood, Ratlinghope, Shrewsbury. A third prize winner, he sold with F94L and Q204X genes.

OTHERLEADING prices

Bulls – 9000gns – I Wilson and C Wood’s Lowflan Razor, by Tallyrock Nick, to G and W Halliday, Lockerbie; Drumhilla Farm’s Drumhilla Rambo, by Ampertaine Majestic, to P McKeag, Co Down; B Goldie’s Goldies Rocky, by Ampertaine Majestic, to M Cameron, Acharacle, Fort William; R and M Struthers’ Collielaw Rambo, by Whinfellpark Neilson, to WSL Muir, Orkney.

8500gns – CV Lewis’ Garyvaughan Ping, by Derrygulliane Kingbull to A and JN Story, Kirklinton, Carlisle.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.