In-calf heifer tops HW Angus production sale at 6500gns OTHERLEADING

A 23-month-old in-calf Blackbird topped the HW production sale of AberdeenAngus cattle from Blackford, Auchterarder, selling for 6500gns.

The cattle, managed by William McLaren, and sold at Carlisle, were topped by Blackbird W248, a daughter of the SAV Harvestor ET stockbull, HW Evander. She is bred from the Rawburn Double Oseven daughter, Blackbird R501 which in turn is out of Kitewood Blackbird J108. The heifer sold in calf to HW Equlibrium, a son of the Australian sire, Te Mania Emperor, out of Netherton Miss Effie, to Messrs Lowes and Sons, Barningham, Richmond.

The Lowes were one of the biggest buyers and also went to 6200gns for the 14-monthold ET, HW Annie X557, the result of a flush from the Netherton Mr Radarsired donor cow, HW Annie R538 which is a full sister to the Genus bull, Netherton Americano. The heifer is also one of the first sold in the UK by Millah Murrah Nugget, a bull cashed in 2018 for an all breeds record price for a yearling bull of $54,000.

Also travelling down to Barningham with the Lowes at 4800gns was the fouryear-old cow, HW Erica Floss and her heifer calf by HW Evander. Floss is by the Netherton Freedom-sired bull, Fabulous and out of a home-bred cow by Cardona Everest. Erica Floss changed hands back in calf to Evander.

Three cows sold for 5000gns with the first being the six-year-old HW Blackcap May, an ET bred from American cow, SAV Blackcap May and sired by the $285,000 SAV Harvester which produced daughters to 7000gns at last year’s sale here. Flushed, with two embryos retained, she sold due to HW Abacus V500, a Rawburn Boss Hogg son, to Messrs Tunney, Cuddington, Northwich.

Minutes later, Seonaid McLaren’s five-year-old cow, Netherton Blackbird T875, made the same money, selling to Messrs Atkinson, Newland, Ulverston. A daughter of Rawburn Boss, she is out of the TLA Northern Samuraisired Netherton Blackbird L602. She sold due to Evander, another Americanbred sire by SAV Harvestor but bred from SAV Elba.

Later, the February 2021born heifer, HW Kandy X272, matched the 5000gns sale when purchased by Welsh producers, Messrs Rowbotham, Igaid Ystrad, Meurig. Her pedigree features Rawburn Bannockburn, onto the Fordel Minnesota Prime daughter, HW Kandy U649, with the service sire being HW Main Event, a Millah Murrah Klooney-sired bull bred from Netherton Miss Effie.

Another two lots sold for 4800gns with Irish breeders, Messrs Mckiernan, Ballinagh, Cavan, buying the first. This was the March-born heifer calf, HW Precious Pollot, an Abacus daughter out of a previous home-bred Pollot by Rawburn Boss Hogg.

Robin Orr, Dunfermline, bought the second, HW Fleur V704, an April 2019-born cow, by Rawburn Boss Hogg, out of previous home-bred Fleur by Netherton Boston. She sold due with her third calf to Abacus. 4200gns