June 5, 2020 Stirling Charolais Top at 7,200gns

Due to the lockdown and the restrictions in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, United Auctions’ Stirling bull sales in May were conducted via direct marketing rather than a live sale held at Stirling Agricultural Centre. The bulls were marketed via an online catalogue backed up by contact from the United Auctions sales team who liaised with prospective buyers.

Charolais bids peaked at 7,200gns and 17 bulls found new homes to average £5,406.47, the highest average of all the breeds represented.

Leading the Charolais bids at 7,200gns was Harestone Oblivion from the Barclay family’s Harestone herd at Banchory, Aberdeenshire. This outstanding bull is by the 12,000gns Carlisle reserve senior champion Wesley Equinox, is out of Harestone Mo, a homebred daughter of the 25,000gns Stirling intermediate champion Inverlochy Ferdie, and has been fully parentage verified. The 18 month-old Oblivion, who has one copy of the F94L myostatin gene, features in the top 10% of the breed for 200 day weight gain and his TI of +53 and SRI of +51 rank him in the top 15% and top 20% respectively. He goes on to work in Tarland, Aboyne, for A Smith.

Next, sold for 7,000gns, was Allanfauld Oscar from Archie & John MacGregor, Kilsyth, Glasgow. A June 2018-born bull, he was purchased by C Addison and Co, Ellon, Aberdeenshire. He is sire verified as by the homebred Allanfauld Lachie and his dam is Allanfauld Ice, who goes back to the 11,000gns Woodpark Elgin. Oscar, who has a myostatin status of F94L-1, Q204X-0, is a bull with impressive figures, featuring in the top 1% of the national herd for 200 day weight, he is ranked in the top 5% for his 400 and 600-day weight gain as well as for his Terminal Index (+73) and Self Replacing Index (+67) scores.

Selling for 6,700gns was the pen leader from the Campbell family’s Thrunton herd at Alnwick, Northumberland. Another with impressive performance figures, his TI of +70 and SRI of +64 place him in the top 5% of the breed. Thrunton Oban has gone to Kincraigie Farms, Lumphanan, and he’s a Q204X carrying, July 2018-born bull, who is fully parentage verified as by the 28,000gns Maerdy Jerusalem and out of the Thrunton Gladiator-sired Thrunton Jaquette.

Three more of the Campbell’s lots sold averaging £6,168.75 for the bunch. Their next highest priced, at 6,000gns, was Thrunton Oman, a 20 month-old bull with a myostatin status of F94L-0, Q204X-0. With top 10% Terminal Index and Self Replacing scores of +60 and + 57, he is sire verified to Thrunton Gladiator and his dam Thrunton Fanciful goes back to the 22,000gns Newhouse Bigal. He was purchased by Glenkiln Farms, Crocketford, Dumfiresshire.

Just behind at 5,800gns was the Campbell’s next lot, the September 2018-born Thrunton Ontario, a fully parentage verified bull who is out of the Thrunton Gladiator-sired Thrunton Layla and by the aforementioned Maerdy Jerusalem. Messrs Thomson, Midmar, Aberdeenshire, were the purchasers of this non-myostatin carrier, another to feature in the top 10% of the breed with his TI of +61 and in the top 5% with a SRI of +67, a 400 day weight gain score of +71 and a 600-day weight gain score of +81.

At 5,300gns Alsnow Oak was next in the trade stakes. He was consigned by Neil Wattie, Alford, Aberdeenshire, who had purchased him as a calf at foot from Alan Lawson’s dispersal sale in February last year. The 22 month-old Oak was this time purchased by C Tait, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and is sire verified as by the Irish-bred Cottage Devon. He has a myostatin status of F94L-0, Q204X-0 and his dam Alsnow Hanna, whose last bull calf sold for 8,000gns, is by the 16,000gns Stirling junior champion Clyth Diplomat.

Lochend Orient a 19 month-old entry from Iain and Rhona Millar, Port of Menteith, Stirlingshire, was the next top selling lot at 5,200gns. He is bred out of Lochend India who goes back to the 10,000gns Mortimers Echo. India, who is a twin, is also a full sister to the 22,000gns Lochend Hickory. Orient, a carrier of both the F94L and Q204X myostatin genes, who was snapped up by William Hendry, Dunbar, East Lothian, is sire verified as by the 9,000gns Carlisle class winner Nuthampstead Judas, whose first three Lochend sons have sold to average £6,685.

A trio of bulls sold for the next highest price of 5,000gns and the first was Westcarse Obe, a June 2018-born bull from John and Diane Christie, Stirling. Sired verified as by Nuthampstead Judas, whose sons have sold to 7,500gns, he is out of Westcarse Greta, a Kersknowe Clansman daughter. The 23 month-old Obe whose myostatin status is F94L-0, Q204X-0 sold to E and A Donald and sons, Turriff, Aberdeenshire.

Matching the 5,000gns price tag when he was purchased by Hamlet Cowans, Lochendhead, Dumfries-shire, from consigners J and J Graham, Blairdrummond, Stirlingshire, was the July 2018-born Burnbank Ollymurs, a non-myostatin carrier who was semen tested prior to sale. A bull who is sire verified as by the popular AI bull Blelack Digger, who has added over 200 progeny into the national herd, Ollymurs is bred out of Blackford Lucy, a daughter of the Royal Highland show reserve junior bull champion Elgin Davinci.

The final 5,000gns lot was the 21 month-old Thrunton Octavian, who was offered for sale by JHC Campbell and Son. With a Terminal Index of +54 and a Self Replacing Index of +52, this bull who does not carry any myostatin, is ranked in the top 1% of the breed for 200-day weight gain. Octavian is sire verified to Thrunton Gladiator, out of Thrunton Impala, a daughter of the 15,000gns Carlisle supreme champion Burradon Talisman, and was purchased by Leys Estate, Leys Castle, Inverness.

Averages: 17 bulls £5,406.47
Auctioneers: United Auctions