Growing demand for ready-to-work bulls with shape, muscle, and style, met a flying trade at the Limousin Cattle Society’s sale at Carlisle where a top price of 52,000gns was achieved and a further 21 sold at or above the 10,000gns bracket.
Such was the trade that averages held up well against last year’s record-breaking event when a new world high of 180,000gns was paid for the Limousin bull, Graiggoch Rambo, from well-known Welsh stockman, Gerwyn Jones.
It was however, the luck of the Irish that continued following the previous weekend’s record sale at Ballymena, (see page 25) with such breeders producing the lead and third top prices at 52,000gns and 27,000gns.
Star of the show and sale was the intermediate and overall champion, Craigatoke Seanog, from Martin Conway, and son Shane’s 30-cow herd from Plumbridge, Co Tyrone.
Going one better than their previous reserve overall here – although they have bred a supreme here for another breeder – was a natural, October 2021-born son of the 26,000gns Foxhillfarm Ourbest that bred sons to 25,000gns for Ampertaine.
The dam, Craigatoke Nicola, is by the Ampertaine Elgin son, Craigatoke Johnny. Seanog was selected supreme champion by judge Arwel Owens, Wales, and was knocked down at 52,000gns selling to Harry Wood, buying his first stock bull for the 16-cow Deerhouse herd from Preston established in 2020. The bull was sold with F94L/NT821 myostatin genes.
James McKay’s Ampertaine herd from Upperlands, Maghera, Co Derry, always attracts the big bucks and this sale was no exception, when his sole entry, Ampertaine Superstition, made 27,000gns to repeat customers, brothers James and Chris Neill of the Nealford herd from Cornwall, Devon.
Senior champion at the pre-sale show, Superstition is a son of the 40,000gns Ampertaine Opportunity, a bull purchased by the Goldies, Newhouse, and Spittalton herds, that has bred sons to 30,000gns and heifers to 14,000gns. The dam, Ampertaine Neve, a Plumtree Fantastic daughter also boasts an impressive pedigree, being out of Ampertaine Jill and bred from the same line as the 16,000gns Ampertaine Revolver, and 15,000gns Spark and Director which made the same money. Superstition sold with a myostatin F94L/Q204X.
Welsh breeders, Dylan and Elen Davies, who are better known for their show calves from Drefach, Llanbydder, produced their best to date too, selling Blaencwm Sam for 32,000gns.
Fifth in his class, this December 2021-born entry is the result of a flush from the foundation female, Pabo Nickiminaj, bought privately from Llyr Hughes’ Pabo herd and a daughter of his top breeding cow, Pabo Icemaiden that has bred several five-figure priced bulls.
Sam which was brought out by free-lance stockwoman, Jennifer Hyslop, is by Derrygullinane Kingbull – the male champion at the International Limousin Congress in Ireland and was knocked down to Clive Rowland, farm manager of Garrowby Farm, York. He sold with a double NT821 myostatin gene.
On the other side of the equation, the Garrowby herd – founded in 2020 from 50 cows bought privately from the Handley's Gunnerfleet unit – had a great day with sales at 22,000gns and 14,000gns. Tops here was Garrowby Shipley, an ET calf bred from the Foxhillfarm Manhattan daughter, Gunnerfleet Peloche, that has bred several quality heifers retained at Garrowby. Another by Kingbull, Shipley which stood third in his class, was purchased by Thomas Bell of the Wanthwaite herd, Keswick.
Flying the flag for Scotland, Ian and Moyra Nimmo and son Andrew, Wishaw, sold bulls at 18,000gns and 12,000gns. Pen leader here was Maraiscote Sooty, a third prize winner purchased by Welsh breeder, Ian Lewis of the Einon herd, Llanwenog, Llanbydder. Sooty, an August 2021-born entry from their 150-cow herd, is the first son of the Irish purchase, Ernevalley Nigel – a Ronick Hawk son bought at Roscrea – out of the Virginia Andy-sired show heifer, Maraiscote Moody.
Hitting the 12,000gns mark was Maraiscote Tiktok, another son of the 50,000gns successful herd sire, Bassingfield Machoman out of a Goldies Comet daughter, Maraiscote Hazel. Tiktok goes out to work in the Duncrahill herd of Messrs Cadzow and Co, Tranent, East Lothian.
Bruce Goldie, Mouswald, Dumfries, was another in the money with sales at 15,000gns and 14,000gns. Dearest, purchased by A Kennedy, Seggarsdean, Haddington, was the second prize winner, Goldies Salvador – a full brother to the 12,000gns Goldies Saint, sold at Stirling earlier in the week, and to 10,000gns and 9000gns here in February. All have been sons of the 40,000gns Ampertaine Opportunity, bred from the Ampertaine Foreman daughter, Goldies Joyeuse.
Selling at 14,000gns from the 60-cow pedigree herd was Goldies Santa, a son of the 30,000gns Goldies Positive of which a share was kept, out of the Wilodge LJ daughter, Goldies Olive that bred the 11,000gns Goldies Sophie at last year’s Red Ladies sale. Santa, a red ticket holder, boasts a double F94L myostatin gene and heads to Lockerbie with Messrs Ewart and Son, Dalton.
The junior champion, Thorninghurst Truegent, from Doncaster-based Steve Gilleard, Thorne, also made 15,000gns, when purchased by Andrew Ewing of the Fairywater herd, Annan. This January 2022-born bull is by 13,500gns Glenrock Nemo, an Ampertaine Gigolo/Glenrock Spangle son out of Homebyres Moricity, a Westpit Highlander daughter.
Top commercial breeding cattle producers, Craig and Teen Malone, Cardenden, Fife, forked out 14,000gns for Paul, Barry, and Neil Blenkhorn’s Elderberry Shakespeare, an August 2021-born son of the imported French sire, Jac, from Goole, East Yorkshire. Shakespeare boasts a double copy of the F94L easy calving gene and is out of the Sympa daughter, Elderberry Juliette.
Another two bulls realised 14,000gns to include James Cooper’s Tomschoice Samba from Dacre, N Yorkshire, brought out by Jennifer Hyslop. Another carrying a double copy of the F94L gene, this second prize intermediate by Goldies Nicholas, out of Mereside Leo-bred Tomschoice Polka, was knocked down to the Malthouse herd of DWL Roberts, Lisvane, Cardiff.
Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe, Wigton, also took 14,000gns for the first prize junior, Haltcliffe Topgun, a son of the privately purchased Westpit Omaha which has bred progeny to 32,000gns, out of Haltcliffe Orchid, an Ampertaine Elgin daughter. John Carruthers, Silloans, Rochester, Newcastle upon Tyne, was the final bidder.
Heading up to Grantown on Spey, with J McConachie and Son of the Lethendry herd, was Whinfellpark Sebastien from Messrs Jenkinson, Whinfellpark, Penrith. His pedigree features Foxhillfarm Jasper and the Whinfellpark Lomu-sired daughter, Whinfellpark Oolala.
Stephen and Thomas Illingworth, Howgillside, Lockerbie, had a great day with two bulls at 12,000gns, another at 11,000gns, and one at 9000gns.
First to hit 12,000gns was Glenrock Scorpionking, an intermediate son of Goldies Oxo – full brother to 30,000gns bulls Goldies Olympia and Owain – out of the Rathconville Eugene-sired, Glenrock Jacaranda. He headed home with JC Johnson of the Almande herd, Trimdon Station, Co Durham.
Matching that price tag was the junior, Glenrock Tigerroll, a red ticket holder by Glenrock Humdinger, a Sympa/Glenrock Spangle son out of the Irish-bred cow, Hurricane Kayla, by Ampertaine Foreman. He sold locally to D and MA Wilson, Workington.
Goldies Oxo was also behind the Illingworth’s 11,000gns bull sale when Glenrock Slimshady, out of the Lodge Hamlet daughter, Glenrock Nostalgic, was purchased by WL and JA Forrester, of the Twemlows herd from Whitchurch.
Breed chairman, Jonathan Watson, Bowsden, Berwick upon Tweed, sold his best, Tweeddale Starburst, a son of Gallaway Kemp, a bull bought in Southern Ireland, out of a home-bred Goldies Fandango daughter, for 11,500gns to Messrs Sawyer and Son, Goodmanham, York.
Other Leading Prices
Bulls – 10,500gns – Haltcliffe’s Haltcliffe Tequila, by Ironstone Brandy, to Messrs Batty, Maryport, Cumbria.
10,000gns – RM Jones’ Brenmich Supreme, by Loosebeare Fantastic, to Messrs Sharman and Son, Colmworth, Bedford; EW Quick and Sons’ Loosebeare Saka, by Ampertaine Jeronimo, to Messrs Simpson and Sons, Quebec, Durham, Co Durham; Garrowby Farm’s reserve senior champion, Garrowby Solomon, by Ampertaine Foreman, to Messrs Graham, Blairdrummond, Stirling; A Orr’s Lomond Sergio, by Ampertaine Magnum, to Messrs Johnson, Shap, Penrith.
9000gns – EW Quick and Sons' Loosebeare Surrey, by Ampertaine Jeronimo.
Averages: Bulls – 38 senior, £8274.27; 26 intermediates, £11,069.42; 16 juniors, £8255.62. Overall, 80, £9178.97 (-£1472.28) for four less)
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
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