October 23, 2019 Junior Charolais Bulls Command the Top Prices at the Stirling Bull Sales

Charolais claimed the highest average, top price and largest clearance rate of all the breeds selling at the Autumn round of the Stirling bull sales on Tuesday 22 October. A packed ring witnessed 69 bulls selling to average £5,609 and a clearance rate of 73% with the Charolais lots topping at 23,000gns.

Society CEO Peter Phythian said “Despite the difficult trade in the beef sector Charolais came out top with a tremendous high price and most importantly the largest clearance rate, which shows that farmers are looking to the breed which has proven to produce the fastest growing and most efficient cattle”.

 

Heading up the sale at 23,000gns was the 16 month-old class winner Goldies Oasis from Hamish Goldie, Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire. Sired by the 15,000gns Gretnahouse Heman, his dam Goldies Icequeen is a daughter of Goldies Formidable whose sons have sold to 26,000gns. He goes on to work in Insch, Aberdeenshire, with winning bidders R and N Barclay.

Next in the trade stakes and the first of two to be knocked down at 12,000gns was the reserve supreme and reserve junior champion Coolnaslee Oreo. Purchased by John and Raymond Irvine, Ballindalloch, Banffshire, and offered for sale by Jonathan Crawford, Maghera, Co Derry, the May 2018-born Oreo, is sired by the South East Charolais calf show bull calf champion Mortimers Hurricane. His dam Balbithan Gilly, a daughter of the 10,000gns Stirling senior champion Chunal Dougie, was purchased with her bull calf at foot at the Balbithan dispersal sale in 2017 for 14,200gns, while pregnant with Oreo.

Matching the 12,000gns price tag was the 17 month-old Balthayock Octavian, who had been tapped out as the supreme and junior champion on Monday by show judge Allen Drysdale. Octavian who was also awarded reserve male champion at the Alyth and Perth show earlier in the year, is by the Kirrimuir show champion Balthayock Ferdinand who has proved to be the herds most successful sire to date, with sons Balthayock Justice and Balthayock Minstral selling for 50,000gns and 46,000gns respectively. His dam is the Balthayock Valentie-sired Balthayock Emily and the successful bidders were John Wight and Sons, Biggar, Lanarkshire. He was the highest price lot from Major David And Nick Walter, Balthayock, Perthshire, who sold a total of six bulls to average £6,965.

Their next highest priced at 6,800gns was Balthayock Optimist, a May 2018-born son of Balthayock Ferdinand and Balthayock India who goes back to the 11,000gns Balthayock Adonis and was bought by G and J Davie, Denny, Stirlingshire.

The Walters other two top lots both secured bids of 6,500gns, the first being the blue ticket winner Balthayock Northwind. First lot through the ring the 22 month-old Northwind who was purchased by MG and A Shearer, Thurso, Caithness-shire, is out of the Balthayock Aesop-sired Balthayock Hannah and by the Perth Show male and junior interbreed champion Balthayock Impression whose sons have sold to 15,000gns.

Also cashing in at 6,500gns was the Walter’s yellow ticket winner and June 2018-born Balthayock Oberon. The first son to be offered for sale from the 11,000gns Gretnahouse Lunar, he is out of Balthayock Jeanette, a Balthayock Ferdinand daughter and goes on to work in Orkney for purchasers Masquire Farms.

JM Cant and Partners, Arbroath, Angus, were the next to snap up one of the sought after lots, this time offered for sale by Bill Bruce, Meigle, Perthshire. Balmyle Oscar who secured a bid of 9,500gns and was tapped out as the intermediate champion, is 17 month-old out of Balmyle Heather who goes back to the 9,500gns Maerdy Egret and is the first to be offered for sale by the 16,000gns Stirling class winner Ovill Lennon.

With another three bulls selling to new homes, the Balmyle herd enjoyed a good trade and sold the four to average £6,300. Mr Bruce’s other top lot was the blue ticket winner Balmyle Outlaw. Also sired by Ovill Lennon but this time out of the 22,000gns Balthayock Diplomat-sired Balmyle Larkspur, the May 2018-born Outlaw was knocked down sold for 6,500gns to JH Anderson, Fortrose, Ross-shire.

Alasdair Houston, Gretna Green, Dumfriesshire, also sold four bulls to average £6,300 and his 9,000gns top lot was the March 2018-born Gretnahouse Orangutan. His sire is Westcarse Jimmy and he is out of Gretnahouse Faradise who goes back to the 25,000gns Perth senior champion Thrunton Camelot. He was awarded a blue ticket at the pre-sale show where he caught the eye of new owner Edward Scott, Glamis, Forfar.

Another to sell for 9,000gns was the Cumberland show champion Tophill Olly, who was bred and exhibited by Andrew Stott, Canonbie, Dumfriesshire. Sired by the 17,000gns Cumberland show champion of champions Sandelford Harrison, his dam the 17,800gns Edenhurst Georgette who was the top priced female at the Edenhurst dispersal sale and in turn is sired by the 30,000gns Dingle Hofmeister. The 16 month-old Olly who was purchased by Ross Farms and Co, Gorebridge, Midlothian, was also awarded with a second placed spot at the pre-sale show.

The reserve senior champion was the next highest price lot at 8,000gns. Wissington Olaf, this year’s Highland show and National show male champion, also secured the breed championship and junior interbreed championship at the Royal Welsh in July. John Sutherland of Thurso, Caithness, was the successful bidder on this 21 month-old son of the 11,000gns Stirling supreme champion Edenhurst Leader, who is out of the Gretnahouse Ferdinand-sired Wissington Imogen and was consigned by breeders Jenny and John Rix, Nayland, Essex.

John Wight’s Lanarkshire-born Midshield Oslo also secured a bid of 8,000gns when he was snapped up by Williams Partners, Blackmill, Mid Glamorgan. The April 2018-born Oslo is out of the Maerdy Domino daughter and Biggar show champion Midshield Gwen and sired by the 17,000gns Elrick Highlander.

7,500gns was the price paid for the senior champion Harestone Otterman from R and N Barclay, Insch, Aberdeenshire, who went on to purchase the days highest priced lot. A 19 month-old son of the 11,000gns Balthayock Adonis and Harestone Foxglove, a Hollymount Bigboy daughter, he was acquired by Easter Tulloch Ltd, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire.

Just behind at 7,200gns was another lot from the aforementioned Hamish Goldie whose seven bulls sold averaged £7,800gns. Selling to GT and S Coghill, Bursay, Orkney, Goldies Oliver is a June 2018-born son of Goldies Formidable and the Gretnahouse Heman daughter Goldies Joslyn.

The most bids of the day went the way of the Northumberland breeders Jonathan Watson and Co, who sold a cracking string of eight bulls averaging £4265 backed up a top price of 6,500gns. AJ Provan, Douglas, Lanarkshire, was the purchaser of their top lot, a June 2018-born, Blelack Blackberet son. The blue ticket winning Tweeddale Owesome is out of Tweeddale Icemaiden, a Blelack Digger daughter.

Another breeder with multiple sales was Michael Massie, Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire, who averaged £6055 for his three bulls. His highest priced at 6,500gns was Elrick Obama, who stood second in class at the previous day’s show. Sired by Maerdy Gouverneur and out of Elrick Louis, who goes back to the 16,000gns Stirling supreme champion Thrunton Fearless, this 18 month-old was bought by R McNee, Armadale, West Lothian.

Elrick Othello from the same home was one of four who were knocked down at 6,000gns. Caylers Limerick is the sire here and his dam is Elrick Jodie, another Thrunton Fearless daughter. The April 2018-born Othello caught the eye of the above-mentioned Easter Tulloch Ltd.

Commanding a 6,200gns bid from S Shell and Sons, Alnwick, Northumberland, was the yellow ticket winner Burradon Olympian. Bred and exhibited by Chris Curry, Thropton, Northumberland, the March 2018-born Olympian is the first son offered for sale by Clenagh Lyle, who was purchased for £13,000 in Ireland after being unbeaten in his show career. His dam Burradon Fern goes back to the 12,000gns Royal Welsh reserve junior bull champion Gwenog Banjo.

A March 2018-born bull from the aforementioned Alasdair Houston was the next to secure a 6,000gns bid. Gretnahouse Oman, a 12,000gns Wesley Equinox son out of the 17,000gns Balthayock Gladiator-sired Gretnahouse Jaisy, was the pick of Laggan Farms, Kilmichael, Lochgilphead.

Two more bulls then came under the hammer for 6,000gns with the first being the January 2018-born Glenericht Oscar. His dam Glenericht Jen goes back to the 12,000gns Caylers Gladiator while his sire is Carwood Lochness. Bred and exhibited by W K and P Drysdale, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, he went home with JO and R Struthers, Cobbinshaw, West Calder.

Also hitting the 6,000gns price tag was Esmor Evans’ Maerdy Northpolebear from Mold, Flintshire. The breeding here includes the 13,000gns Stirling junior champion Simpsons Gregg on to the home-bred Maerdy Example who goes back to Maerdy Alcazar. The successful bidders taking home this 22 month-old lad were GM Barclay and Sons, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire.

The only female sold in main the sale was the 23 month-old Thrunton Nefertiti who made 2,800gns when she was purchased by H and H Heron, Newtonwards, Co Down. Bred from top breeding female, Thrunton Flamenco, a the 22,000gns Newhouse Bigal daughter, she is sired by the 28,000gns Maerdy Jerusalem.

An added feature of the sale was the dispersal of the Lesliepark herd of George Russell, Denny, Stirlingshire. Topping his cow and calf outfits at 4,000gns was the five year-old Ballathie Iwasstuck and her nine month-old daughter Lesliepark Peggy who is sired by Thrunton Lachlan. The pair weres purchased by A and JJ Forrest, Biggar, Lanarkshire and Iwasstuck is sired by Balthayock Empire and her dam Moyness Bianca goes back to Fairway Vandieman.

In addition, Rachel Archer who kindly donated nine grade one embryos to sell, the proceeds of which were to be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. They were sold in two lots, the first five were sired by Doonally Souverain and Coningsby Snowflake was the dam, they made 180gns each. The second batch of four embryos had the same dam, were sired by Balmyle Bollinger and sold for 250gns a piece. In total the sales raised a £1,900 for this worthy charity.

Averages: Averages: 69 bulls £5,609.13; 1 heifer £2,520; Lesliepark Dispersal: Nine cow and calves £2846.67; Two in-calf heifers £1,733.00; Two bulls £1,522.50