Denver Colorado is known as the mile high city standing at well over 5000 feet, but it is also home of one of the greatest livestock shows in the world, the National Western Stock Show, which takes place every year over 16 days in mid-January.

This year it was the turn of the Highland breed to take centre stage not only in the show ring – with the highest entry of any beef breed 200 in total – but also in the 34th sale organised by the American Highland Cattle Association,held the day after the show.

A catalogue entry of 50 bulls and heifers saw Highland breeders from across the US having to pay top dollar for some of the best genetics in the breed, many of which were the result of recent imports of genetics from Scotland.

Topping what was a record braking sale at $19,000 was an outstanding yearling heifer T-Ross Summit Ranch Lilas, sired by the A I sire, Scott of Craycombe, whose pedigree traces back to the outstanding triple Royal Show champion, Philip of Strathallan, with the Capleadh 15 of Cladich also featuring.

Scott of Craycombe, along with Jock of Glengorm, featured in the second top price of $16,500 this was for the in-calf heifer, WL Jumping Bean. The much fancied dun yearling heifer with Angus 8 of Dunvegan and Lachlan 2 of Achnacraig breeding left the ring with a $13,000 price tag.

Balmoral breeding was to the fore in the April-born heifer, SFF Quintessential Yonder, which fetched $8500 – the grand sire being, Rioghail of Balmoral. That helped the female section to a record breaking average of $12,250 (£9876).

Leading the bull section was the rising three-year-old, STR Encore. He had been placed overall male champion the previous day and this grandson of the 1992 Oban sale champion, the 18,000gns Rushmore Bracken, sold for $16,000.

The sale of semen and embryos sold to $9000 for five straws from the 1982 imported Ben Eniglair of Scone Palace, a bull which has left his stamp in the US, and a lot of three heifer sex-sorted grade 1 embryos sired by Orison of Culfoich, fetched $6000.

Black breeding was also in demand when six straws from Cloud 9 of Highland Heritage sold for $6250. His sire was Uallach Dubh 6 of Pollok, which also featured in the $6000 sale of six straws of female sexed semen from the 2022 National Show Champion bull, Highland Spice Hickory.

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A former Oban sale champion, Leodhas of Douneside, was the sire of the Canadian bred, GOF Lapland and five straws from that bull made $5500.

"This sale more than highlights the unprecedented growth in popularity of the Highland breed in the United States and goes some way to explain the presence of American Highland breeders at recent Oban events," said breed stalwart, Angus Mackay.

"The demand was for moderate well-structured cattle with width and depth. Tall, poorly fleshed cattle, lacking depth of rib and substance, are now a thing of the past," he added.