June 2013

June 24, 2013 Charolais reign supreme at Royal Highland Show

Royal Highland Show Website

Interbreed team and individual in the main ring

Charolais judging in the main ring

Charolais breeders enjoyed one of their most successful Royal Highland Shows ever; lifting five titles at this year’s show staged at Ingliston, Edinburgh. British Charolais Cattle Society chairman Alasdair Houston said: “My congratulations go to all of our exhibitors, who put on one of the finest exhibitions of British Charolais cattle seen at the Royal Highland Show in recent years.”

 

 

 

On Saturday, the supreme beef interbreed championship judge James Gammie, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, tapped out the six year old Elgin Catherine, a homebred cow by Gower Versace, with her four month old heifer calf by Goldies Banker at foot as champion. Exhibited by breeders R A Milne, Elgin, Morayshire, this was Catherine’s first appearance on the show circuit after claiming the junior heifer championship at the same event in 2009.

Elgin Catherine also represented the breed in the Asda Beef Cattle Pairs competition alongside the reserve breed champion Maerdy Grenadier, a two year old Maerdy Dynamite son exhibited by Major Walter, Balthayock, Perthshire, and D Muirhead, Arbroath, Angus, and bred by D E Evans, Mold, Flintshire, where they scooped the top spot under the eye of judge John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso. Grenadier sold for a joint bid of 20,000gns at Stirling in February following a successful 2012 show season culminating in the supreme breed and junior interbreed champion titles as well as champion performance recorded bull at the Royal Welsh Show.

The pair continued their success in the beef interbreed team competition, where they were joined by two year old heifers Glenericht Gem, by Clyth Diplomat from W K and P Drysdale, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, and Inverlochy Gloria from J Irvine and Son, Ballindalloch, Banffshire, a Lochend Apache daughter – to complete a hat-trick of interbreed accolades. Glenericht Gem had two weeks earlier taken the reserve interbreed honours at Angus Show.

Maerdy Grenadier went on to take the continental title in the Marks and Spencer Beefbreeder and Breedplan championship for performance recorded bulls. Taking into account visual appearance as well as estimated breeding value (EBV) data, this one was judged by Ewan Brewis, Lempitaw, Kelso, with Elgin Highroller, a 17 month old Elgin Davinci son from the Milnes standing in reserve.

Charolais cross cattle dominated the McIntosh Donald Steak Competition, where a panel awarded the £1,000 prize to a steak from a 341.2kg carcase, graded R4L, from R Green, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire. The top four steaks were all Charolais sired and topped an entry of 150 sirloins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall Champion

Elgin Catherine, Mr R A Milne & Sons

Reserve Champion

Maerdy Grenadier, Mr D H Muirhead & Major DFWH & N Walter

Best Bull

Maerdy Grenadier, Mr D H Muirhead & Major DFWH & N Walter

Reserve Best Bull

Elgin Highroller, Mr R A Milne & Sons

Overall Junior Champion

Elgin Highroller, Mr R A Milne & Sons

Reserve Junior Champion

Blackford Gina, A MacPherson

Best Junior Bull

Maerdy Grenadier, Mr D H Muirhead & Major DFWH & N Walter

Reserve Junior Bull

Olrig Highwayman, Mr J Morris

Female Champion

1st Elgin Catherine, RA Milne 2nd Blackford Gina, A MacPherson

Junior Female Champion

1st Blackford Gine, A MacPherson 2nd Carwood Holly, Mr & Mrs Wight

Best animal of opposite sex to Champion

Maerdy Grenadier

Best Animal bred by exhibitor

Elgin Catherine

Best animal bred by exhibitor who must be a member of the Scottish Region

Elgin Catherine

PAIRS

1st Elgin 2nd Allanfauld

Class 245 Female born on or between 1st April and 31st July 2012

1st Carwood Holly, Mrs & Mrs C Wight 2nd Harviestoun Heidi, Saxstead Livestock Ltd 3rd Lagavaich Hermine, A & A Wight

Class 246 Female born on or between 1st January and 31st March 2012

1st Carscreugh Hattie, Mr A K Brooke Ltd 2nd Lesliepark Hilary, Nr R Russell 3rd Carscreugh Hernando, Mr A K Brooke

Class 247 Female born on or between 24th June and 31st December 2011

1st Blackford Gine, Anne MacPherson 2nd Vexour Galina, Mr J Boomaars 3rd Lesliepark Grandeur, Mr G Russell

Class 248 Female born on or between 1st January and 23rd June 2011

1st Glenericht Gem, W K & P Drysdale 2nd Inverlochy Gloria, Mr J Irvine & Son 3rd Balthayock Grace, Major DFWH & N Wakter

Class 249 Female born on or between 1st January and 31st December 2010

1st Balthayock Fortune, DFWH & N Walter

Class 250 Female, in milk or in calf, born on or before 31st December 2009

1st Elgin Catherine, Mr R A Milne & Sons 2nd Ugie Erin, Mr D H Muirhead 3rd Holtstead Emdeholly, Whittaker & Con Farms

Class 251 Bull born on or between 1st April and 30th June 2012

1st Allanfauld Hustler, A MacGregor (Allanfauld) Ltd 2nd Vexour Harlow, Mr J Boomaars 3rd Elgin Highlander, Mr R A Milne & Sons

Class 252 Bull born on or between 1st January and 31st March 2012

1st Elgin Highroller, Mr R A Milne & Sons 2nd Olrig Highwayman, Mr J Morris 3rd Carscreugh Hernando, Mr A K Brooke

Class 253 Bull born on or between 1st January and 23rd June 2011

1st Maerdy Grenadier, Mr D H Muirhead & Major DFWH & N Walter 2nd Blelack Giggsey, Mr J Irvine & Son

June 20, 2013 Blelack Charolais cow and twin calf outfit peaks at £18,795

Charolais females met a strong demand from buyers from throughout the UK and Ireland, selling to a top of 17,900gns for a cow and her twin heifers when Neil and Graeme Massie, Dinnett, Aboyne offered the entire autumn calving portion of matrons from their Blelack herd in Stirling on Wednesday 19 June.

Sale leader at 10,000gns was Blelack Babe TI +54, SRI+53, a seven year old by the 25,000gns Perth champion, Thrunton Socrates and out of a homebred dam going back to Balthayock Lombardo. She sold to Gilbert Crawford, Maghera, County Down who also bid 5,000gns for her heifer, the eight month old Blelack Harmony by the 8,000gns Balmyle Dingle. Harmony’s twin sister, Blelack Honesty made 2,900gns to Andrew Ewing, Annan, Dumfries.

 

Mr Ewing went on to take four more lots including the four year old Blelack Effie TI +46, SRI +42, another Socrates daughter and out of a Ralph sired homebred dam at 4,000gns and her 10 month old Dingle sired bull, Blelack Horace at 3,500gns.

Mr Ewing also paid 2,100gns for Blelack Hotspot, a six month old Dingle sired heifer, while her dam, Blelack Championne TI +51, SRI +44, a six year old was knocked down sold for 3,500gns to WG Troup, Sauchen, Aberdeen.

The next leading cow and twin calf outfit grossing at 11,100gns was Blelack Charade TI +56, SRI +61, a six year old by the 26,000gns Balbithan Vespasian and out a Thrunton Damien sired dam. Selling for 5,000gns to Messrs McKenna, Northern Ireland, Charade was offered with her eight month old twin heifers by the 15,000gns Goldies Dynamite. Blelack Henrietta made 3,200gns to HP Whittaker, Sourstow, Tarporley, while Blelack Haricot sold for 2,900gns to JH Paton, Kinross.

Minutes later Mr Whittaker paid 5,000gns for Blelack Honeydew, a 10 month old heifer by the 11,000gns Maerdy Dublin, while her dam, Blelack Brigitte TI +33, SRI +36, a seven year old Bassingbourn Ralph daughter commanded a 4,000gns bid from K Mallarkey, Hatton, Peterhead.

Heading in calf cow trade at 6,200gns was Galcantray Abbey TI +53, SRI +55, an eight year old by Blelack Montgomery, out of the Maerdy Neptune sired Blelack Rachel, dam of Blelack Digger, and sold in calf to Balmyle Dingle. Abbey was knocked down sold to Jannoch and Sons, Forfar.

The next entry offered in calf to Dingle was Blelack Diamond TI +32, SRI +27, a five year old by the 12,000gns Perth champion, Cargriff Victorious and out of a Thrunton Damien sired homebred dam. She was secured for 6,000gns by W Oag, Forss, Thurso.

Blelack Cerise TI +48, SRI +51, a six year old sold in calf to Maerdy Dublin commanded a 5,800gns bid from Barclay Finagan, Dungannon. Cerise was by Balbithan Vespaian and out of a homebred dam by Damien.

The day’s second cow and calf outfit to gross 5,600gns was the seven year old Bassingbourn Ralph sired Blelack Bonnie TI +37, SRI +33 making 3,400gns to A Clark and Son, Leswalt, Stranraer, while R Lane, Edgmond, Newport paid 2,200gns for her 10 month old Maerdy Dublin sired heifer, Blelack Hotlips.

Three entries sold to 5,500gns. Price setter was the first lot in the ring, Blelack Edith TI +42, SRI +35, a four year old by the 8,000gns Solitude Amazing and out of a homebred dam by the 15,000gns Maerdy Oxo. She was knocked down sold with Blelack Headgirl, her nine month old Balmyle Dingle sired heifer at foot to Neil Caul, Tealing, Dundee.

Next at 5,500gns was Blelack Bluebell TI +41, SRI +42, a seven year old Ralph daughter and out of a Damien sired homebred dam. She was sold in calf to Balmyle Dingle to OR Jones, Tywyn, Gwynedd.

The final 5,500gns call was made by M McCarthy, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare for Blelack Candy TI +48, SRI +39 offered in calf to Maerdy Dublin. A Thrunton Socrates daughter, she was out of a homebred dam by Thrunton Damien.

Last entry in the ring, Blelack Briteness TI +31, SRI +36, was bid to 5,000gns by Will Owen, Criccieth, Gwyndd. This seven year old Bassingbourn Ralph daughter was out of a homebred dam by Blelack Roger.

Averages: 15 cows with calves £6,321, 24 cows in calf £3,828

Auctioneers: United Auctions