The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Simmental female record broken not once but twice
Simmental bulls met a selective trade, while the breed’s female record was smashed twice on the closing day of the October Stirling sales.
Breed society chief executive Neil Shand said the sale highlight was the creation of a new female breed record during the dispersal sale of the Sterling herd of Boddington Estates, Cheltenham.
The previous top price record of 18,000gn for a female was broken twice in one day – first when a cow and calf outfit sold for 22,000gn and again less than an hour later when a maiden heifer sold for 28,000gn.
Three-year-old cow Sterling Celia’s Fifi, sold with her heifer calf Sterling Fifi’s Indigo, to Harte Peat Ltd, Leonards Island, Ireland. The pair stood cow and calf champion at the Highland.
The new breed record for the highest priced female was paid for March 2016born Sterling Bacardi’s Hawaii, by Annick Exocet. She sold to the Borlase herd in Hertfordshire.
Meanwhile, in the main Simmental bull sale a clearance rate of 52% was achieved when 61 bulls sold to average £5,720 – up £337.
Mr Shand said: “Bulls that were suitable were very easily sold. We don’t have a locomotion inspection, but you can quite clearly see that the guys do their own inspection.”
A top price of 22,000gn was paid for the last bull through the ring – July 2016born Manor Park Hansome from Clive Houldey, Kirtleton House, Waterbeck, Lockerbie. By Slievenagh Extra Special, he sold to G Behan, Cloneygowan, Ballyfin, Co Laoig, Ireland.
Next best at 18,000gn was Clive Houldey’s supreme champion – April 2016-born Manor Park Hayden, by the 20,000gn Blackford Worzel 2.
He sold to Allan Wright, West Lundie, Argaty.
Next best at 15,000gn was March 2016-born Islavale Hogan from the Stronach family at Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith. A successful show bull, he sold to K Eunson, Braebuster, Deerness, Orkney.
Other leading prices included 13,000gn for the reserve supreme champion – Rockytop Hurricane from Gary and Angela Christie, Birchfield, Glass, Huntly – selling to WJ Hollingsworth, Midhope Hall Farm, Sheffield.
Two lots sold for 11,000gn – first was Aultmore Hamlet from Keith breeder Garry Patterson selling to Jim Innes, Dunscroft Huntly. The second was Strathisla Hagrid from Adrian Ivory, Strathisla Farms, Meigle, selling to James Jeffrey, Kersknowe, Kelso.
Other prices included: 10,000gn for Innerwick Hotshot from Dorothy Moffat, Innerwick, Dunbar, sold to the Stouts at Whitehall, Stronsay, Orkney; 9,000gn for Corskie Harbro from the Greens at Corskie, Garmouth, selling to pre-sale show judge Brian Sutherland, Connachie, Kellas, Elgin.