The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Stirling bull raised by the
THE CHAROLAIS breed, as it often has before, lifted the Stirling October Bull Sale averages and provided a suitable finale for the three-day event.
By the end of yesterday’s sale 84 had sold through the ring to average £6,654.
This is an increase of £76 on last year’s sale when eight more sold. The clearance rate was 77%. British Charolais Cattle Society chief executive David Benson was delighted with the trade, pointing out that 10 bulls had sold at more than 10,000gns and 54 at more than 5,000gns.
“It is all to do with the fact that Charolais sired calves sell at a premium at the store sales,” Mr Benson said.
“It was noticeable also that the bulls with better calving figures sold well today.”
The top price of the day was the 22,000gns paid to Welsh vet and long-term breed stalwart Esmor Evans, Monfa, Mold, for his 19-month-old Maerdy Ignition.
A Blelack Fabulous son, Ignition is out of Maerdy Bardy which was also the dam of Maerdy Express, the 45,000gns Stirling junior champion in February 2011.
A third prize winner in the pre-sale show, Ignition was bought in a three-way consortium consisting of Archie MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, Hamish Goldie, South Bowerhouses, Dumfries, and Wallace Brown, Caprickhill, Kilmarnock.
The intermediate reserve from Alasdair Houston, Gretna House, Gretna, was next on the price list after being knocked down to pedigree breeder Peter Foulger, Flitchwood, West Sussex, for 18,000gns.
Gretnahouse Indian is an AI son of Lochend Apache and a maternal line granddaughter of Balmyle Paradise which Mr Houston rates as one of the best cows in his 50-strong herd.
Indian was male champion national show this year.
Bill Bruce, Balmyle, Meigle, saw Balmyle Impression, only the third son yet sold from Maerdy Egret make 12,500gns.
Of the others one made 9,000gns and the other, Balmyle Headline, sold for the top price of 22,000gns at Stirling last October.
Impression has good breeding on his dam’s side too with Balmyle Solitude also being the mother of stock bull Balmyle Eclipse.
The buyer yesterday was Welsh pedigree breeder Kevin Thomas, Llechwedd, Newcastle Emlyn .
Mr Bruce also sold at 10,000 gns to commercial producer Balbirnie Farms, Markinch.
Balmyle Inevitable is the first son sold from the 22,000gns Blelack Forester and is out of Balmyle Galaxy, which is reckoned to be one of the best breeding cows in the 40-strong Balmyle herd.
The intermediate champion from Michael Massie, Mains of Elrick, Ellon, justified the judge’s selection by selling at 12,000gns to J and W Kellas, Raws Farm, Dufftown.
Previously unshown, Elrick Iceman is by the 14,000gns Carlisle purchase, Maerdy Dublin.
John Jeffrey, Kersknowe, Kelso, sold the second prize bull Kersknowe Iron for 10,500gns.
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