| 2017-02-24 |    |
Lord Leads the Charolais Trade at Stirling
Charolais bulls met a solid commercial trade in Stirling on Tuesday 21 February at the breed’s official spring sale. Bidding peaked at 25,000gns, nine lots traded at five figure sums and 111 lots sold to an average of £6121 - £161 up on the year with an 13% increase in clearance rate to 82%.
Society Chairman Andrew Hornall commented that there was “no shortage of commercial traders in the market for a Charolais bull and no wonder with Charolais sired suckler calves topping the markets on weight for age. Everyone has tightened their budgets this year and want a breed that will deliver the weights that the supermarkets demand in the shortest time”.
Gretnahouse Lord
The 111 lots were topped at 25,000gns by the reserve supreme and reserve senior champion Gretnahouse Lord, bred and exhibited by Alasdair Houston, Gretna Green, Dumfries-shire. Lord, a 21-month-old son of the 17,000gns Balthayock Gladiator, heads over the water to Eire to work in Co Sligo for Brendan Feeney.
Following on at 22,000gns was the 18-month-old Newhouse Lonestar. This son of the 30,000gns Dingle Hofmeister and home-bred dam Newhouse Flora going back to the 18,000gns Sackville Claudius, was bred and exhibited by R M Adam and Son, Forfar, Angus and took the fancy of David, Marjorie and Paul Stobart, Scotby, Cumbria.
Two bulls were knocked down at 16,000gns a piece, the first coming from David and Nick Walter, Balthayock, Perthshire with their July-2015 born yellow ticket winner Balthayock Lineup. Purchased by the Blyth family, Hartlepool, Cleveland, the breeding here includes sire Ugie Echo and dam Highland Show class winner Balthayock Fortune, sired by the 26,000gns Balbithan Vespasian.
Matching the 16,000gns price tag and snapped up by Jan Boomaars, Woldingham, Surrey, was Woodpark Longbow, one of the youngest lots of the sale at just 15-months. Longbow is sired by Deeside Gulliver and out of a home-bred dam going back to the 19,000gns Corrie Alan and was bred and exhibited by Will Short, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Next and the first of two red-ticket winners to sell at 12,000gns, was Inverlochy Landmark from John Irvine and Son, Ballindalloch, Banffshire. W and CS Robb, Mauchline, Ayrshire were the last bidders standing on this 20-month-old son of Inverlochy Hercules and Inverlochy Heiress, daughter of the Black Isle Show champion Lochend Apache.
Another class winner to bring 12,000gns when chapped down to J and W Kellas, Keith, Aberdeenshire, was the Stars of the Future senior male champion Carwood Leo. The 14,000gns Ugie Goldcup son and August-2015-born Leo was consigned by Colin and Fiona Wight, Biggar, Lanarkshire.
The supreme and senior champion was the next to sell for a five-figure sum. 11,000gns was the price that secured the 21-month-old Edenhurst Leader from exhibitor’s A and JJ Forrest, Biggar, Lanarkshire, who had purchased him at breeder’s Peter and Vanessa Vasey’s dispersal sale in October 2015. Leader is a son of the 17,000gns Cumberland Show champion of champions Sandelford Harrison ET and is no stranger to the show ring himself, previously being awarded reserve championships at the Peebles, Moffat and Biggar Shows. Jenny and John Rix, Colchester Essex were the purchasers and Judge Chris Curry commented that his choice for champion “is the sort of bull that ticks all the boxes for the modern beef market. A good allrounder with smooth shoulders for easy calving, good length and very correct in his locomotion. He is easy fleshing and will breed progeny that can be finished at any stage”.
Another to secure a price tag of 11,000gns was Bartley Finnegan’s intermediate champion Battleford Laser ET, who caught the eye of fellow Northern Ireland breeder’s Stuart and David Bothwell of Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh. This July-2015-born bull is a son of Lochend Apache and the 25,000gns Perth supreme champion Thrunton Socrates daughter, Blelack Usp.
Selling at 10,000gns was an entry from Harold Stubbs and his grandson Alan Burleigh, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh. Derryharney Lionheart who was crowned Minsups intermediate bull champion last year, is sired by the proven high performing short gestation and easy calving Blelack Digger and out of Derryharney Ace who goes back to the 12,000gns Hillviewfarm Perfect. The 18-month-old Lionheart goes on to work in Abergavenny, Gwent for OTW Chandler and Co.
Three bulls then achieved 9,000gns apiece; the first was an entry from the MacGregor family of Allanfauld, Kilsyth, Glasgow. Allanfauld Lord a 20-month-old 11,000gns Woodpark Elgin son was purchased by A Paton and Co, Maybole, Ayrshire.
Next, W Dunlop and Sons, Dunbar, East Lothian bid the same price for the September-2015 born Teiglum Legend. Legend who was awarded reserve senior male champion at last year’s Stars of the Future show, is sired by the 12,000gns Ugie Goldnuget and was consigned by Clark Farms, Carluke, Lanarkshire.
The final lot to bring 9,000gns was the first of two bulls to sell for Hamish Goldie, Ruthwell, Dumfries-shire. Goldies Leslie, a 15-month-old son of home-bred pair Goldies Formidable and the 14,000gns Goldies Banker sired Goldies Dew, was knocked down to TA Jones and Son, Dryslwyn, Carmarthenshire.
Earlier in the day Mr Goldie exhibited the August-2015-born Goldies Lancelot sired by the 15,000gns Gretnahouse Heman, who was purchased by R Donnan, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, for 7,000gns.
David and Nick Walter were in the money again with an entry selling for 8,500gns also sired by Ugie Echo, this time selling to Bruce MacKie and Son, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, was the 21-month-old blue-ticket winner Balthayock Lookout.
The reserve intermediate champion from RA Milne and sons, Elgin, Morayshire, matched the 8,500gns selling price. Elgin Lampard who is a full brother to the 2015 reserve senior Stirling champion and is sired by the 12,000gns Caylers Gladiator, found a new home with Ian Bell, Hallbankgate, Brampton, Cumbria.
Later in the sale the Milne family offered the 16-month-old Elgin Lightning. AJ Maclean, Heylipol, Isle of Tiree, liked the look of this one sired by the 14,000gns Westcarse Houdini and out of Elgin Floella who goes back to the 30,000gns Balmyle Bollinger, and snapped him up for 8,000gns.
J and R Mitchell, Auchterarder, Perthshire were the next to purchase an entry from WK and P Drysdale, Blairgowrie, Perthshire. 7,500gns was the price paid for the July-2015-born Glenericht Luckygirls, a son of Dingle Hofmeister and the 55,000gns Thrunton Voldemort daughter, Maerdy Eula.
Four more entries secured 7,000gns and Alasdair Houston was the first to benefit when his 19-month-old 12,000gns Wesley Equinox son, Gretnahouse Lucas was snapped up by GR and DM Thorp, Bakewell, Derbyshire.
Newhouse Legend was the next to sell for the same price this time to W Young and Sons, Ochiltree, Ayrshire. R M Adam and Son were the exhibitors of this July-2015-born blue-ticket winner, sired by Oakchurch Icarus.
Shortly after JM Anderson, Banff, Aberdeenshire purchased the first of two to secure 7,000gns for Neil R Barclay, Insch, Aberdeenshire - Harestone Lagan an 18-month-old by Harestone Hercules.
Also in the money for Mr Barclay was the September-2015-born Harestone Legend, who twenty-four hours earlier had been tapped out first in his class. This son of the 25,000gns Stirling intermediate champion Inverlochy Ferdie, caught the eye of Greystoke Castle Farms, Penrith, Cumbria.
Leading the bids for the females at 6,800gns was the first of four top priced heifers offered by Hamish Goldie. The 20-month-old Goldies Leona sired by the 12,000gns Goldies Elation and out of the 16,000gns Maerdy Naser daughter Goldies Veil, was purchased by H&H Heron, Newtownards, Co Down, who liked Mr Goldies heifers so much they went on to purchase two more.
Added to their tally were the female and reserve female champions Goldies Lena and Goldies Lassie, who are both June-2015-born Blelack Digger daughters and were secured for 4,000gns and 3,000gns respectively.
Also in the money Mr Goldie was the 19-month-old Goldies Leah. Bred from the 15,000gns Gretnahouse Heman and Ugie Goldengirl, a daughter of the 14,000gns Goldies Banker, she found a new home with N and S Caul, Kirkton of Auchterhouse, Angus.
Averages: 111 bulls £6,121; 12 heifers £3,220.
