Records tumble at Welsh Winter Fair

Records were well and truly smashed at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair when a new centre record price of £36,000 was achieved for the reserve champion.

The annual event, which attracted entries from more than 700 exhibitors across the UK, has become one of the leading primestock shows and sales in the country.

Setting a new record was a pedigree Limousin heifer named Derg Sassy Girl from Allen and Emma Shortt, Castlederg, Co Tyrone, and James and Katrina Little, Wigton.

Having stood supreme champion at the Borderway Agri Expo, at Carlisle, in October, this May 2021-born heifer is an embryo by Trueman Idol, out of the Rockysired dam, Ashmara Classygirl.

She sold to Paul and Christine Tippetts, Wilodge, Shifnal, and Henry Jewitt, Sunnybank, Co Durham.

The champion, a Limousin heifer named Baby Guinness, from the Edward brothers, from Denbighshire, Wales, sold for £8,600 to Kathryn Jones, Castell Howell.

Aside from these top prices, Scottish breeders certainly made their presence felt in the show ring, with Blair Duffton from Huntly securing the reserve bullock title with an 18-month-old Limousin cross named Robbo, which stood second at LiveScot.

Purchased at the Royal Northern Spring Show for £1,300 from breeders John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait, he sold for £3,500 to Kitson Butchers, Yarm.

In the commercial calf section, Stewart and Lynsey Bett from Stirling, stood reserve with their champion from LiveScot. Purchased at the Thainstone Spectacular from Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Orkney, this heifer is by Redrive Powerful, out of a British Blue cross Limousin dam.

Ayrshire father and son team, Hugh and Stewart Dunlop, Holehouse, stood champion bullock calf with a Limousin cross by Johnstown Premier, which stood reserve junior bullock at Stars of the Future, and first at LiveScot.

He later sold for £2,800 to Laurencekirk, with Andrew Gammie, Drumforber.

Reserve bullock calf went to a Limousin cross from Messrs Anderson and Blair, Littleinch, Newport-on-Tay, which stood first at LiveScot, having been purchased at the Spectacular from Ian Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch.