Limousin bulls met a strong demand at the first round of United Auctions' Stirling bull sales, where the breed welcomed a 93% clearance rate and top price of 15,000gns. 

With five bulls reaching five figures and 52 bulls selling to average £6689 – an increase of £940 on the corresponding year – entries from the Massie family’s Elrick herd from Ellon, Aberdeenshire proved the star attraction, with their best, Elrick Shogun, landing the pre-sale championship and top price of the day.

Taking home that 15,000gns price tag for Mike and Lisa and following on from their success of having the overall champion at the same sale, last year, Shogun is one of the first sons offered for sale from the herd's new stock bull, Whinfellpark Nobu, which was purchased for 7000gns at Carlisle. Out of the home-bred heifer, Elrick Olga, this April 2021-born victor was knocked down to AC Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld.

The pre-sale show judge, Llyr Hughes, Pabo Herd, Anglesey commented on his choice of champion: "A great show of well presented bulls were on show today, which is a credit to all the exhibitors. The champion is a tremendous bull with so much power behind him. He has length and is square, and I don't doubt he will leave some fantastic females and stock calves behind him."

Two further bulls from the Elrick pen went on to sell for 8000gns apiece, the first being Elrick Samson which stood forth in his class at the pre-sale show. An AI-bred son of the 30,000gns Goldies Olympia, he is out of the home-bred Elrick Nepal and headed home with MJ Agnew, Little Airies, Kirkcolm.
The pre-sale show reserve champion, Elrick Saxon, landed the second 8000gns price tag for the Massie's when selling to Peter Alexander, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie. Bred from the Wildoge Fastrac-sired Elrick Isla, he is an AI son of Mereside Lorenzo.

The reserve intermediate champion, Anside Samson, from the Irvine family's herd from Braehead, Drummuir, Keith went under the hammer for the day's second top price of 14,000gns. A heifers calf out of the Goldies Fortress daughter, Anside Odelia, he is sired by Anside Oden and is the same way bred as Anside Supra – which stood overall champion here in October, last year, and sold for 13,000gns. This boy was knocked down to M Meldrum, Shenval, Ballindalloch.

FOR THE FULL REPORT GRAB NEXT WEEK'S THE SCOTTISH FARMER (11TH FEBRUARY 2023)