A 15-month-old heifer backed by the best of Australian and American genetics attracted the lead price of 18,000gns at the fourth production sale of Aberdeen Angus from Highland Wagyu.

The on-farm sale at Netherton, Auchterarder, under manager William McLaren, saw cattle sold in their pens with online bidding available through MartEye.

The sale was topped by HW Blacklass Z995 – an embryo-bred heifer and the first calf born in Europe by the $225,000 Texas Iceman which sold in Australia in 2021.

A new UK record for a red Aberdeen Angus was paid when HW Red Russian sold for 10,000gnsA new UK record for a red Aberdeen Angus was paid when HW Red Russian sold for 10,000gns Equally impressive, the dam, HW Blacklass W233 ET – one of only two daughters in the UK from the high performance American sire Sydgen Enhance and bred from the $17,000 Cudlobe Blacklass 103B ET – is the No2 in the UK for Intra-Muscular Fat (IMF).

The heifer, which scanned 8.2 for marbling at 10 months, also boasts 13 traits in the top 30% of the breed. She sold to Angus House Farm, Romania, and will remain at Netherton with embryos being exported from her.

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A new record price for a red Aberdeen Angus bull was also paid when the same buyers forked out 10,000gns for the 14-month-old ET, HW Red Russian Z001. He is bred from the Canadian Red Rush Lilie ET and sired by the lead Australian performance bull, Milwillah Marble Bar.

Such was the demand for more moderate framed, deeper fleshed cattle that can be produced from forages that the cattle sold to eight countries, with another two being under bidders. Averages also improved by £800 on last year’s third production sale and with an impressive 100% clearance.

Second top price was 12,000gns paid for the first lot in the catalogue, HW Madame Pride V509, a five-year-old Rawburn Boss Hogg daughter. She is bred from HW Madame Pride S153, an SAV Harvestor daughter and sold due in March to HW Mr Equilibrium W202. The buyers were EA and MC Jones, Paulsland, Cullompton, Devon.

The second bull, HW Black Label Z998, a 14-month-old sired by HW Mr Equilibrium W202 ET, was another that will remain on farm with semen exported to his buyers in France. A maternal brother to the sale leader, being out of HW Blacklass W233, he was knocked down at 10,000gns to Spinnewyn Brissac Angus, Chemin De La Roirie, France.

HW Madame Pride V509 sold for 12,000gnsHW Madame Pride V509 sold for 12,000gns Heading down to Gloucestershire with Melview Farming, Crowfield Lane, Dymock, at 7000gns was the February 2021-born HW Prauline X264. A daughter of Rawburn Bannockburn out of a previous home-bred Prauline by Rawburn Boss, she sold carrying her third calf to HW Blackbuddy Y722.

Just behind on 6500gns, Highgate Farm Partnership, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, bought the six-year-old cow, HW Duchess Windsor U450, an ET bred from Rawburn Duchess Windsor and sired by Fordel Minnesota Prime. She changed hands carrying her fifth calf to HW MR Equilibrium W202.

Matching that 6500gns price tag, Orkney breeders Messrs Copland, Harray, bought her four-year-old flush sister, HW Duchess Windsor W239 ET, which sold due with her third calf to Equilibrium in March.

Another remaining at Netherton to have embryos exported was the four-year-old in-calf cow, HW Blackbird W229, which made 6000gns to Latvian breeders, Messrs Bruzilasav SIA, Saldus, Novads. A successful donor cow with 16 traits in the top 30% of the breed, embryos have already been sold to Latvia, Romania, Holland and N Ireland from this granddaughter of Netherton Kracker, out of Netherton Australian-sired daughter HW Blackbird S182.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Averages:27 females, £5323.89. Overall, 29 head, £5157.