Death of leading auctioneer and pioneer Limousin breeder
An on-farm accident has resulted in the death of David Thom lin son, of Scale by, Carlisle one of the country’ s top auctioneers. In addition to his status in the rostrum, he was also highly influential in promoting the Limousin breed in this country.
Fifty seven years ago, Thomlinson started as an office clerk with Harrison & Hetherington and quickly progressed through the ranks ending up as senior auctioneer at the Borderway market, Carlisle.
At a young age and with “limited funds ”, he saw that there was huge potential for the Limousin breed.
Managing to get the money together, he bought his first old cow and registered his first pedigree calf in 1979 – the first progeny for the famous Beeches herd.
With his pedigree auctioneer’ s hat on, Thom linson presided over many high-flying Limo us in sales, both pedigree and commercial, and in 2010 he became the first UK auctioneer to sell a bull at six figures when Haltcliffe Vermount went through the ring for the then world record of £105,000. Seven years earlier, he sold Loosebeare Imp , one of the top Texel rams, for a massive 120,000 guineas. .
Thom lin son served as honorary president of the British Limo us in Cattle Society chairman of the Livestock Auctioneers Association.
In 2011 he was awarded the Blamire medal of honour in recognition of his services to agriculture in the Cumbria region
Harrison & Hetherington said his hard work would live through the years. They also recalled the two issues he wanted passed on to the next generation; be honest and to always remember the little man.