Aberdeen Angus help keep tills ringing at Stirling bull sales

Despite little in the way of upturn in finished beef prices, bulls upheld their values at yesterday’s Stirling bull sales.

And with the Aberdeenangus trade topping at 25,000gns, averages for the breed were back only slightly on the year with 82 bulls selling to average £5,820 – compared with £5,887 for 88 sold at last year’s February sale.

The sale leader at the United Auction’s event came from the trustees of the late Gordon R Brooke, Upper Huntlywood Farm, Earlston, and sold to Forfar breeders Alastair and Graham Fraser who run the Idvies herd.

Second top for the breed was a bid of 17,000gn coming from the Allen family at Humbleheugh, Alnwick, selling to Northern Ireland breeder Kevin Mcoscar for his Island Farm herd.

In the Beef Shorthorn ring, two bulls made the day’s top price of 20,000 gns – and averages were up by £104 on the year, averaging £4,780. The overall champion, from the Townsends at Coxhill Farm, Moffat, was first to sell at 20,000gns, going to the Thistledown Cowford Farm Ltd, Stanley, Perth.

Second at this price was the reserve intermediate champion from the Page Farms Partnership at Rookwith, North Yorkshire, this one selling to Thomas Staunton, Lough Curra, Co Galway.

Things, however, were less exciting in the Limousin ring where the breed topped out at 13,500gn for the reserve senior champion from the Macgregors at Dyke, Milton of Campsie, Glasgow. He sold to J & A Galloway Ltd, Lochlyoch Farm, Carmichael, Biggar.

Next best at 10,000gn was the reserve junior bull from the Adam family at Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar, selling to Cloquhat Farms, Bridge of Cally.