November 20, 2023 GRETNAHOUSE DISPERSAL – 18 NOVEMBER 2023

Gretnahouse Tequila slams female breed record at Gretnahouse Dispersal

Gretnahouse Tequila at 50,000gns, slammed the female breed record price of 27,000gns held by Decrespigny Debutante since 1989 and set a new Charolais centre record at Carlisle. The atmosphere at the Gretnahouse herd dispersal sale held at Harrison and Hetherington at Carlisle on Saturday 18 November 2023 was electric, as a packed ringside watched this November-2022 born Lochend Nighthawk daughter out of homebred Gretnahouse Orangina claim the female breed record title, a fitting tribute to a life time’s work, dedication and breeding achievements of the late Alasdair Houston and his family Lucy, Tara and Rafe who concluded this Charolais journey in the same vein and passion in which it was started.

On Sunday, Gretnahouse Tequila’s sunrise will be in Stockport, Cheshire, as she arrives home with pedigree breeder Boden & Davies Ltd, Sportsmans Pedigree Livestock. They also paid 10,000gns and 14,000gns respectively for two Westcarse Jimmy bulling heifers, the first Gretnahouse Tigresse, an April-2022 born, Gretnahouse Iugesse daughter and full sister to the 20,000gns Gretnahouse Primate who sold to the Goldies herd and then Gretnahouse Tara, out of Gretnahouse Peauty by the 17,000gns Balthayock Gladiator who was born in October-2022.

Twenty-two bulling heifers averaged £7159.09 and other leading bulling heifer prices included 7,000gns for Gretnahouse Tusilla an April-2022 born Gretnahouse Iusilla daughter who accompanied Gretnahouse Tiree at 4,500gns to the home of J. W. Miller, Port of Monteith, Stirling.

Messrs J. S. Fraser, Tore Mains, Muir-of-Ord picked up a Lochend Nighthawk sired August-2022 born daughter, Gretnahouse Tallahassee for 6,000gns and November-2022 Gretnahouse Tosiris for 3,000gns whilst the youngest animal in the yard November-2022 Gretnahouse Tinkabell a Westcarse Jimmy daughter was purchased for 5,000gns by Farmstock Genetics, Over Whitlaw, Selkirk alongside September-2022, Wesley Equinox sired Gretnahouse Tootsie for 4,000gns.

Demand was hot for six year old stock bull, Lochend Nighthawk who had sired sons to 16,000gns, and many of the sought after lots on the day, with the promise that 1200 retained straws of semen would not be used for at least five years, R S Hopper, Penstock Cornwall, bid to 28,000gns to secure this proven stock getter whilst also investing in a Lochend Nighthawk son, securing Gretnahouse Utopia for 16,000gns, an April-2023 born, F94L double carrier out of Gretnahouse Iusilla by Blelack Digger who herself sold for 5,000gns to E Vaughan, Partridge Nest Farm, Newcastle-Under-Lyme.  

25 spring calving cows with calves at foot exceeded five figures at an average of £10,516.80, topping at a whopping 23,000gns for a mother and daughter outfit. J. B. & E. Peilie Ltd, Penrith, Cumbria paid 12,000gns for the heifer calf at foot Gretnahouse Unpopular out of the famous Paradise family which was responsible for the 25,000gns Ubeauty, this heifer calf was sired by Lochend Nighthawk and born in April-2023, whilst C. Smeaton & Sons, Forfar, Angus selected the popular 17,000gns Balthayock Gladiator sired, March-2019 dam at 11,000gns, Gretnahouse Popular sold back in calf to Lochend Nighthawk.

At 13,000gns was Gretnahouse Raradise scanned backed in calf again to Lochend Nighthawk, this March-2020 West Carse Jimmy daughter was purchased by D Coppinger, Shrewsbury, Shropshire and her heifer calf at foot, April-2023 born Gretnahouse Uradise was snapped up for 5,000gns by J. Wight & Sons, Midlock, Biggar, Lanarkshire.

Strathisla Farms, Blairgowrie, Perthshire purchased dam Gretnahouse Ogaradise a March-2018 Westcarse Jimmy daughter for 7,000gns and Strathisla stock man Mr A. G. Borthwick purchased Lochend Nighthawk daughter at foot, April-2023 born Gretnahouse Ugaradise for 3,500gns. W. & C. S. Robb, Mauchline, Ayrshire paid 7,500gns for a March-2023 bull calf Gretnahouse Ultra whose full brother sold for 9.500gns while the dam Gretnahouse Okra was added to E Vaughan’s, Partridge Nest Farm, Newcastle Under Lyme, purchases at 5,800gns.

12 autumn calving cows with calves at foot averaged £5512.50. Northern Ireland Breeders C. Todd Lisburn Downpatrick paid 10,000gns for March-2019, Gretnahouse Peauty out of Gretnahouse Beauty (ET), the mother of the 15,000gns Gretnahouse Henman, she was sold with her September-2023 bull calf at foot Gretnahouse Uproar.

Next in the leading autumn calving prices was 7,200gns for Gretnahouse Obaywatch the last daughter of the influential Gretnahouse Baywatch by Blelack Fabulous with her October-2023 bull calf at foot, Gretnahouse Urchin, this pair sold to C Ferris, Millisle, County Down and W Mundell & Son, Clovenfords, Galashiels paid 5,500gns for the March-2017 Balthayock Gladiator sired, Gretnahouse Nana with her Lochend Nighthawk sired September-2023 sired heifer calf at foot, Gretnahouse Uana. At the same money 5,500gns, G. Harvard, Brecon, Powys added Gretnahouse Onnabel, a Blelack Digger daughter with her twin bull calves at foot, to his Charolais herd in Mid Wales.

Three in-calf cows averaged £5005 and 11 in-calf heifers averaged £5937.27. The autumn calving heifers averaged 8,000gns a piece for Gretnahouse Sweety, born in March-2021, AI’d to Glenericht Mecca and Moncur General sold to E Vaughan,Partridge Nest Farm, Newcastle-Under-Lyme and K Watret, Annan, Dumfriesshire, secured Gretnahouse Saradise, a Gretnahouse Ultimate daughter sold in-calf to Welsey Equinox. Leading the spring calving heifers was Gretnahouse Shanel, a March-2021 born Nighthawk daughter scanned in-calf to Gretnahouse Thanos and due in March-2024 she was purchased by Northern Ireland breeder W. J. Bradley, Magherafelt, County Londonderry, who bid to 9,200gns. T Patchett, Holtby, Northallerton purchased, May-2021 born Gretnahouse Snowdrop from the famous flower line, in-calf to the 20,000gns Glenericht Superb, for 6,500gns and J & J Craig, Strathaven, Lanarkshire took home Gretnahouse Scarlet at 5,800gns, a Wesley Equinox daughter out of Gretnahouse Purple scanned in-calf to Gretnahouse Thanos.

The leading prices were a testament to the quality of stock on offer and the dedication devoted by the Houston family.

• Gretnahouse Tequila 50,000gns
• Lochend Nighthawk 28,000gns
• Gretnahouse Utopia 16,000gns
• Gretnahouse Tara 14,000gns
• Gretnahouse Raradise 13,000gns

The average sale prices hit unprecedented levels.

• 25 spring calving cows with calves at foot @ £10,516.80
• 12 autumn calving cows with calves at foot @ £5512.50
• 3 in-calf cows @ £5005
• 11 in-calf heifers @ £5937.27
• 22 bulling heifers @ £7159.09
• 1 stock bull @ £29,400

The Society would thank the Houston family and acknowledge the work of Joe Speak and Richard Rettie and his team.

SALE PRICES