An elite entry forward for the inaugural Aberdeen-Angus Fever sale at Carlisle, met a huge demand, with prices peaking at 29,000gns for a maiden heifer and another two attracting five-figure bids.
The sale of 20 select lots from 13 of the UK’s leading breeders was topped by Jamie Rettie’s Retties Lady Ruth W15, a 15-month-old heifer from Craigend, Methven, Perth.
Read more: Retties Lady Ruth tops Carlisle Angus Fever sale at 29,000gns
Backed by the best of genetics and a show career to match, this youngster is a daughter of Rawburn Tranformer and out of Wall Lady Ruth E397, a cow that has not only bred several bulls in pedigree herds but also Rettie Lady Ruth N228, the champion at the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire Shows, in 2016.
Reserve at the Winter National Show, and the result of an embryo, gifted to Jamie by Richard and Carol Rettie, Lady Ruth W15 was knocked down to Richard Hassell and Rachel Wylie, of Brailes Livestock, Moreton-in-Marsh.
Earlier, an in-calf heifer with an exclusive pedigree from the trustees of the late Gordon Brooke’s Gordon herd, managed by John Elliot, made 13,000gns. Gordon Rosebud V457, a 27-month-old from Upper Huntlywood, Earlston, is the sole heifer registered in the UK by Musgrave Sky High and bred from Cudlobe Rosebud 99W.
Gordon Rosebud V457 made 13,000gns from the late Gordon Brooke
Adding to her potential is the fact that she sold due in April to the AI sire, Nichols Expectation from which only a handful of straws has been sold in the UK. Re-establishing breeder, Jim Logan and his son also Jim, Pirntaton, Galashiels, were the final bidders.
Read more: Blackbird from HW makes 9500gns at Carlisle Matron sale
Minutes earlier, Rawburn Elegy V876, from Mr Elliot’s own herd at Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, made 11,000gns, to Gordon and David Gray for their Ettrick herd from Lindean, Selkirk. A daughter of Nichols Expectation, this March, 2019-born entry in the top 1% of the breed for all growth rates, is bred from Rawburn Elegy, a Netherallan Peter Pershore-sired cow and the dam of the new stock sire, Rawburn Ernan. She sold due at the end of January, to Rawburn Jumbo Eric.
John Elliot's Rawburn Elegy V876 made 11,000gns
The first female in the catalogue, Netherton Blackbird N779, an eight-year-old from Mrs Catherine McLaren, Blackford, Auchterarder, got the sale off to a flying start, selling for 9000gns to Herefordshire breeder, Peter Vaughan, Kingsland. A daughter of the 1999 NZ national champion bull, Ranui W Impact, she is out of Netherton Blackbird K544 – the only female to have won the summer and winter A-A female titles earlier this year. Flushed for export with remaining embryos retained for herd use, she sold due to HW Evander.
Her May-born bull calf by the high feed efficiency Rawburn Bannockburn, Netherton Rain X970 then made 6500gns selling to Genus ABS, Cheshire.
Glasgow-based breeders, Messrs Mitchell, also went to 9000gns for Alasdair and Graeme Fraser’s Idvies Pinky Petal V866, a March, 2019-born heifer by the 15,000gns Thrunton Panther, from Newton of Idvies, Forfar. She is out of Idvies Pinky Poppy, by Rawburn Rommel, and sold served to Idvies Ferrari, the overall champion at Stirling in 2018, whose maternal brothers have sold to £22,000.
Read more: Ghost heifer tops Carlisle at 2700gns
New breeder, David Alexander, Brotherton Estate, Johnshaven, Aberdeen, also splashed the cash, giving 8000gns and 6000gns for heifers.
This new herd which also bought females at last month’s Tonley and Blelack sales at Stirling, went to 8000gns for the late Gordon Brooke’s Gordon Polestar W500, a 19-month-old by Rawburn Joe Eric. She is bred from the Rawburn Black Hawk daughter, Linton Gilbertines Pole Star and sold due to Nichols Expedition.
Herd manager, Cara Thomson, went to 6000gns for Rulesmains Jan Erica W329, a 21-month-old heifer from Andrew Hodge and his daughter Emma, Rulesmains, Duns.
One of a pair of twin-born heifers offered at the sale, she is by Rawburn Braw Lad, a bull that bred sons to 11,500gns and 11,000gns at Stirling in February and out of the Blelack Lord Herbert-sired cow, Rulesmains Jan Erica. The service sire this time was Rulesmains Black Royce.
averages: 19 females, £7806.75.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington in association with Dowbiggin Marketing.
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