averages: 125 straws of semen, £91.60; 44 embryos, £570.45; four flushes, £2950; 15 heifers, £5873; 16 live lots, £6359.06.
HEREFORD cattle met a flying trade at both the inaugural DGS Goes Global sale and the Designer Genes sale at Shrewsbury, last weekend, where huge crowds witnessed a record price of 13,000gns paid for a Poll Hereford bull at auction in the UK and saw two European records broken for Hereford genetics.
While the Goes Global Sale grossed £48,350 and met a complete clearance, the Designer Genes sale held the following day, grossed £101,745 – the first time it has broken the six-figure barrier – and met a 94% clearance. This contributed to the highest averaging Hereford sale in UK history when 16 lots sold to average £6359, up £1297 for three less sold at last year's sale.
Setting that 13,000gns record was Coley 1 Pilot, the 2018 UK Hereford Bull of the Year from Yorkshire breeder, Heather Whittaker, Coley Walks, Halifax, which minutes before being sold, was crowned 2018 Hereford Champion of Europe. This 23-month-old bull is by Coley 1 Maverick, bred from Romany 1 Ishbel, and has two male, three breed and two inter-breed championships to his name. He was knocked down to G and MC Shepherd of Moorside Polled Herefords, Lancashire.
Females set another UK record average of £5873 and topped at 8000gns on three occasions. First at this money was the September, 2017-born heifer, Moralee Kylie KS R1 from Tom and Di Harrison, Mickley. Reserve junior female champion at the National Poll Show in 2018 and unbeaten throughout the summer, she is by SMH King Size, bred from Moralee 1 Kylie. She sold to L and L Bowen of the Bowendu herd at Treharris, Mid Glamorgan.
The Norman Farming Partnership paid the same money for Pulham Dowager 4 from PRJ and LR Vincent of the Pulham herd, Norfolk. This 15-month-old daughter of Haven Hotspur is bred from Haven Dowager.
Last to hit 8000gns was the supreme champion from the Agri-Expo, Sky High 1 Luscious Lucy from Boomer Birch and Graeme Brindley's 10-cow Sky High herd in Staffordshire. This stylish October, 2017-born heifer is a maternal sister to the record price Hereford female of 11,000gns achieved at Shrewsbury, last December. Bred from Romany 1 Lucy, she is an AI daughter of the Cogent bull, SMH King Size 87K and stood second in her class at the breed's national show and at two local shows. The duo sold a half share of Luscious Lucy to the Grifford herd.
Heifers from Heather Whittaker also proved popular when she sold a half share of her 14-month-old heifer, Coley 1 Clara 418 for 7500gns to Rebecca Robinson of the Whittle herd at Bury, Lancashire. She is one of the first daughters of Solpoll 1 Kentucky Kid to be sold and bred from the renowned female, Coley 1 Clara 286 which is a former Royal Welsh champion.
Philip Martindale, Bolton, Lancashire, forked out 5200gns and 4000gns for a further two females from the Coley herd. The dearest, Coley 1 Model 415, a 16-month-old heifer is the first daughter of Romany 1 Mecca to be sold, while the 10-month-old Coley 1 Ibena 429 is backed by Danish genetics.
Next best at 7300gns was the 11-month-old heifer, Auckvale 1 Curly 1725R from W and R Kemp and Sons' Auckvale herd based at Wigdon Walls Farm, near Bishop Auckland. The first polled female and daughter of Dendor 1 Mutley to be sold, she is bred from Auckvale Curly and was knocked down to L and L Bowen. The same buyers paid 6000gns for a pick of heifer calf from the Solpoll herd.
Scottish breeder, Robert Wilson of the Romany herd at Cowbog, Kelso, also enjoyed a good day with sales at 4800gns, 4000gns and 3800gns for daughters of Barwise 1 Lancer. Selling for 4800gns to George Morgan of Fardre Herefords, North Wales, was the January, 2018-born female, Romany 1 Lucy BL R47 bred from a well-known female line that has been dominating the Hereford headlines in recent years.
Romany Lily BL R40, a thirteen-month-old heifer then made 4000gns to James Ludgate, Rempstone Herefords, Oxfordshire, while L and L Bowen, paid 3800gns for the September, 2017-born Lily BL R23.
The oldest female in the sale, Moorside 1 Jane 8 from G and MC Shepherd of the Moorside herd sold in-calf to the to $95000 Australian bull Minlacowie Jubilant J123 for 4000gns. This March, 2016-born female is by Lawbreaker Jane 8 and sold to Ewan Burgess.
Jimmy Speirs of the Pepperstock herd sold the 11-month-old Pepperstock 1 Jade R454 for 3500gns to S Taylor, Lancashire. She is the first daughter of Barwise 1 Mach.
On the previous day, 20 straws of the Hereford Champion of the World Moeskaer Compass 1487 from Moeskaer Herefords, Denmark, set a Hereford semen record when they sold for £460 per straw to Monte Lowderman of Lowderman Cattle Company, USA.
The embryo section saw more records broken, topping at £6000 for a package of three embryos from the Gouldingpoll herd in Ireland, while a pick of the cow herd flush from Cabana Las Anitas in Uruguay sold for £5000 to MJT Herefords, Alberta, Canada.
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