Scottish Hereford cattle breeders produced the star performers at the breed’s spring show and sale at Shrewsbury, selling several of the lead priced lots including the top two females.
Father and daughter duo, George and Sophie Harvey, Balfron, Glasgow, enjoyed the best of the day’s trading in the show and the sale ring, landing their first female championship and top heifer price with Harveybros 1 Crocus Aurora which sold for 6400gns to Vaughan Farms, Hereford.
No stranger to the limelight, Aurora, a 14-month-old heifer racked up the ribbons last year, taking the junior female championship at Agri Expo as well as the overall junior champion and reserve native inter-breed title at Stars of the Future. Backed by the best of breeding from the Crocus line, she is out of Harveybros 1 Crocus Tiara and sired by Sky High 1 Take-a-Chance.
The duo also produced the reserve female with the second prize winner to the champion, Harveybros 1 Crocus Ariel which made 5300gns, selling to Bethan Hutchinson, Billingham, Cleveland. Another by Take-a-Chance, this 11-month-old heifer is bred from Harveybros 1 Crocus L5.
With another heifer, Harveybros 1 Crocus WooWoo at 3500gns, the Harveys who run 12 pedigree Hereford cows, produced the lead average selling three at £5320. Another from the Crocus Line, this 22-month-old in-calf entry is sired by the Australian AI sire, Wirruna Matty.
Adding to the Scottish celebrations, Robert Wilson, supported by daughter Lottie and son Henry, from Cowbog, Kelso, sold the second top priced bull at 6300gns.
Selling at this price was the 18-month-old Romany 1 Avatar FR A22, from the family’s Ishbel line. Avatar is sired by Fabb 1 Rocco and out of Romany 1 Ishbell H12 M33 which goes back to the former Highland Show champion, Romany 1 Heavyduty. Second in his class at the pre-sale show, he was knocked down to Highridge Farm Partners, Oxted, Surrey.
Another from the same stable and by the same sire, Romany 1 Ali-Price FR A41, made 4600gns when purchased by HA Colburn and Son from Crickley Barrow near Cheltenham. His dam is Romany 1 Julia.
Arbroath-based breeders, JM Cant and Partners of the Panmure herd, also made their presence felt, taking 5800gns for a heifer and 4900gns for a bull.
The entries brought out by Audrey and Neil Anderson and daughter Abbie, were topped by Panmure 1 Plum W9, a daughter of the former Royal Highland female and reserve overall champion, Panmure 1 Plum L7 in 2016. This two-year-old second prize winner is sired by Romany 1 Thor and headed down to Devon with Gerald Wood of FJ Wood and Sons.
Their lead male was the red ticket holder, Panmure 1 Apollo, a 16-month-old also by Thor and a grand-son of Panmure 1 Plum W9. He sold to Mrs R Williamson, Nantwich, Cheshire.
Top price overall was 8000gns paid for male champion and supreme overall, Rempstone 1 Woody S658, from M Ludgate of Thame, Oxford. Selected supreme by judge Sally Mitchell of Lanscombe Herefords, Woody is bred from Fisher 1 Cherry N431 and sired by Fisher 1 Socrates S509. He sold to new breeder Andrew Thomas, Ffynnon Luan Farm, Maes Y Bont, Llanelli.
The herd also bagged the reserve junior male honours with Rempstone 1 Alcatraz N685 which made 3900gns.
Relatively new breeder, Will Medforth who also owns rare breed horses and Suffolk sheep based at Llanrug, Gwynedd, received 5000gns for his first sale ring entry. This was Penryhyn 1 Watchman, a son of his 7000gns foundation female, Sky High 1 Miss Staffordshire, purchased by JH Morris and Son, Craven Arms.
Back amongst the females and R Hamilton and I Lammie, Cumnock, Ayrshire, went to 4000gns for the 18-month-old heifer, Studdolph 1 Angela 871 from new breeder Non Thorne, Pembrokeshire. She is out of Studdolph 1 Angela 623 and sired by Vexour 1 Palmer.
Auctioneers: Halls.
averages:
44 bulls, £3612.00 (-£690.24 for six more sold); 10 heifers, £3533.25 (+£133.25 for 11 less).
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