Here's a selection of photos and top prices from Saturday's sale of show potential calves at Ruthin. I've not got the full report yet, so don't the buyers of these top priced lots, but will update you once I've got the right information.
Top price was a £4600 call for a Limousin cross steer from Messrs Bowen.
Second to make this money was the overall champion from the pre-sale show, a Limousin sired heifer from David Brute.
And then at £2900 was the reserve champion on the day, a Limousin steer from J M and A M Lewis. 
Selling for £2800 was a Limousin steer from M L I Howatson and Son. 
Great to see the commercials continuing their excellent trade. The champion heifer looks like an outstanding show beast. fantastic head.
Lloyds steer at 4100 looks a clinker to. Super body to him. Was there any charolais making big money?
What is "commercial" about a £4,600 steer? The "fantastic head" will be the first thing to go into the skip!
Curious, you obviously dont know what your talking about. These are SHOW cattle, the head is massively important. Breeders spend as much time and money breeding these commercial show cattle as pedigree breeders do, so the 1 or 2 that make these big prices are well entitled to it. If you are curious and trying to learn, be quiet, watch and learn before you come off with nonsense about the head going into the skip. there are a great many shows to be fought out and try to win before the head ends up in the skip.
According to another source TM & EE Williams, Llanidloes had a BB x Lim Steer which made £4100. I suggest this maybe the steer in the second picture!
looks like a mighty show of calves I agree with you fatstockni the champ heifer looks like something special super sweet and stylish pity she wasn't black also like the top prices the bullock at £4100 looks very muscley.As for the buyers I would guess that Mr Alford will feature somewhere along the lines.
Veitchy, you're out of line, Curious is quite right about the head, its the first in the ring and the first in bin! How's about worrying about the length and depth of loin and minimal waste around the front end before bothering with the head! These show cattle boys need to start doing the sums before they bid, not after.....
Thanks for that Capsule, the report is due to be with me first thing tomorrow, in the meantime I'm inclined to trust the info from the TS photographer who took the pics on the day.
Veitchy I couldn't have put it better myself commercial show cattle are about a lot more than just a carcass as the prices suggest .Do you change your name often ? (Allams fan).
id have to agree id take the heifer and the steer from bodens two cracking calves... dont fancy the price tag though!!!!
Oh we're back to the good old sore point of just what makes a commercial animal - I think it's a balancing act between all the points raised - as much as the head shouldn't matter (it is the first in the ring and first in the bin), it is however, the first thing a judge sees and can stay in his/herd mind. It's also that good old term "style" that should be the deciding point between a champion and a reserve or a second and a first. It shouldn't perhaps be the first thing you consider but all too often it is! First pic looks awesome on here - good length, balanced and a great top got a great look to it and agree very stylish. The last pic looks like a great carcass animal it's stood stretched so not doing it any favours but looks good on its plates. Also anyone questioning these beasts - it is a hobby for those that buy not a commercial practice - even though I could no more hand over £4600 for a steer in a month of Sundays!! But hey - if you've got it flaunt it!! Who judged JL?
does the name not give him away a bit!!!
Not sure on judge AD, didn't get there myself and as I said report isn't due until tomorrow - no sign of a catalogue here at TS HQ either I'm afraid. As for the head debate, well I have to say from my point of view it is one of the last things I look at in a prime beast. Of course you don't want a massive wasteful head, but equally if the body of beef isn't good enough it doesn't matter how good the head is on a beast. But hey each to their own, I too won't be rushing to pay £4600 for a steer though!
Capsule you are correct! The steer in the second picture is lot no.46, and a BB X Lim, not a Lim X, he was ours! (TM + EE Williams, Nantygeifr)
The name is obvious but the same client has used a different name in another blog!
AD The Judge was Gilbert Brook.
Great Pics TS!
On the subject of Commercial Show Calves, there is now a selection of photographs online for the Aberdeen Spring Show to be held on 24th Feb - www.goanm.co.uk.
Thanks for that Mr.Williams. A cracking animal! The photographer got it wrong Mr. Long!
It seems he did Capsule, there is after all a first time for everything! Apologies to all concerned, the report is now corrected.
As for the head debate, for me if an fatstock animal had a real body of beef, but didnt have good legs, no style, was a bad colour or a bad head I wouldnt want him. Of course the animal needs to be a good carcase and have good covering, however if it came down to a tight decision between two animals in the ring with very little difference between the carcase of the two, I would picking the best show beast with style.
Agree fatstockfan on the red, its always hard to look past a real good fancy black.
That's pretty much where I was coming from FatstockerNI, when I suggested looking at the head last, once everything else is right I'll go for the finer points of the beast, particularly as you say when splitting two good beasts with little other difference.
Sorry to T M & EE Williams I did get it wrong ! Looking at lot 46 and captioned it with details of lot 45, I blame the drink or the wife or the dog anybody but me !!!
The reserve champion of the day sold for £2900 not £1900! Also is a pedigree limousin steer.
Apologies Dafydd, not sure who the TS snapper will blame this time round, but caption is now corrected with the right price!
No prob scrivphoto.. haha better not blame the wife!!
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE A SHOW BEAST GO AND LOOK AT THE ONE WHICH WON AT ABERDEEN 24/02/10.
just been told millington have had one full brother and six full sisters to davina born last week and another batch due in march ,also gigolo and objat matings to option due in march ,exciting times for mr weatherill !
OOOOOOH, how exciting for Mr Weatherill?!! Honestly are we supposed to be impressed by this latest batch of ET bred stuff off the same cow? It's hardly a new breeding line that's going to set the world on fire now is it and surely you'd be better off waiting a while to see them develop before shouting about them? Mind you, at least we know the birth dates of these so they'll be easy checked against the sale catalogues - one for you there Limster. Mind you, according to the database nothing registered off Option since May 2008, makes you wonder....
Now now back to black, you'll get me going again!!!! Anyway I heard theyt JL does not like Millington cattle.
I guess it would be easy to miss a new born calf hiding between the dairy cow and the creepfeeder for six weeks.
I read somewhere that Vermount and DJ were born on the same date, I just hope it was different years.. LOL
don,t worry back to black i,m told they,ll never see a sale ring ,progeny from them ,highly likely,as all embryo transfer,s are registered you can hardly use afalse date now can you?as for option not setting the world on fire,well where shall i begin,bred royal show junior interbreed champ ,not once not twice but three times,royal show last ever limousin and senior reserve interbreed champ,yorkshire junior interbreed champ twice ,to date progeny sold up to £120,000,oh and its hard to register calves when she,s regularly flushing up to eight grade a eggs all safely frozen ,so basicaly she has nothing to prove ,bet i,m not alone wishing i had acow like that,don,t wonder to far you might get lost !
limster,did,nt think the irish new what acreep feeder was!heard duet was called that cause she had two passports one for home and one for shows and sales!
Bak to black, now you are verry funny.option has done well for millington.but you are right people should not brag about their stuff. It backfired in carlissle with that urish bull. Limster you are past beung funni now I would say that you are a bit jelys of others doing well.
Now now juinor lim, think you need to stop bragging, nobody likes that kind of thing,. It will bite you in bum. Think that last royal champ was worst for years, go back thru hear to see that. Also note that last royals judge is not on judges panel eni more after the mess he made. Wish people would stop using this site to Bragg it's gettin a bit boring, junior lim you've probably got an interest in thing. You need to grow up.
Any ideas who does the et stuff for millington?
Lim
I am not trying to be funny, I am 100% serious.
I am not "jelys" I dont need to be, but I do know a few honest men who would be better of if others did not make "mistakes"
Like that one about duet Junior Lim, had not heard that one!!!!
Stepping out of line a bit here guys aren't you? All this registering business and calves in the bushes and not to mention all the Millington hype - settle down a bit yeh! I think one or two of us are getting sick to death of it all - can we change the subject and talk about something else?!
Any guesses on top price at Roscrea and where Aubergine will land up? Is Mr Smith going to be "on the phone"?
been reading comments on this blog ,as you can clearly see comments on millington cattle are coming from athird party and we would appreciate who ever it is keeping their thoughts to themselves particularly as several of the facts are incorrect.we cannot stop people and indeed welcome opinions on our cattle,but we NEVER have and NEVER will register on ablog,my apologies to any one these unathourised comments may have offended and we distance our selves from any future comments on millington cattle.
Thanks for that clarification MS, if as you say the other party has no connection to Millington then they would be well served keeping their thoughts to themselves or at least checking their facts first. In the meantime, as BL said earlier it is may time for everybody to simmer down a little and let the cattle do the talking for themselves when the time is right. Also Junior Lim I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from comments such as those about Duet which are bordering on libellous in their nature. With regard to people talking up their own stock on here, as has been proved a couple of times in the last 12 months or so it comes home to roost eventually, so my advice would be to think twice before typing. Right guys, I'm going to be away from my desk for a few days now lambing at home, so please behave in my absence!!
calm down... its a commercial ! Honestly some of the comments on this thread are from an episode of loose women !!
Didn't realise there was such cattiness in the limousin bread , suggest those making dodgy comments take a look at themselves and concentrate on the job in hand ...ie breeding the best animals we can. Its a long race sometimes your ahead, sometimes behind!
no problems JL,Mr Weatherill and my self like to keep millingtons buisness at home,indeed the only show/sale i like to go to is red ladies,nothing better than quality females and last years line up was certainly that,i have worked hard at home to to gain respect for millington through our cattle so we can certainly do without ridiculous comments like that,also not getting out to sales/shows i rely on blogs and reports such as yours for good honest reports on events keep up the good work!
Junior Lim I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making comments about our cattle. All of our lims are registered on the day they are born and you are welcome to come and see our lims at any time. Duet from the day she was born was away head of everything else. This years calf is the same and would be on a power with two heifers born end of june start of July even though shes september. The cow is just breeding them like that. We have worked hard building our herd up and do not appreciate comments from yourself accusing us of lying.
Some serious bit of jealousy going on. Duet was a fantastic heifer and people should not be making outrageous claims regarding age and trying to tarnish a name. Its all very easy for people to post ridiculous claims behind anonymous names. If people feel so strongly on issues, reveal yourself and your evidence to back up such claims.
Anyone got any word on anything special at Roscrea. No doubt Aubergine will be a strong price.
Mr Trueman,just read your comments to junior lim ,thankyou for that,i can only reiterate that this persons comments have no connection to millington whatsoever.i don,t suppose junior lim will take you up on your offer,but i should very much like to visit your herd in the future.
To junior lim,perhaps your original comments were well intended but lets leave it that now ,think carefully before commenting on other people,s herds please!
LMNI - Am waiting to hear from Roscrea - we have a spy out there today who will hopefully be texting me some highlights so watch this space. JL off this week lambing at home so you've got me to keep TS up to date this week.
Great job Chrissie, should be a good sale, a lot interest in some of the females. Be interesting to see where aubergine ends up. Im thinking across the water.
Great job Chrissie, should be a good sale, a lot interest in some of the females. Be interesting to see where aubergine ends up. Im thinking across the water.
id say she will go to uk alright, she is a great beast, her altea calf is a cracker too. some other great animals in catalogue, couldn't make it today but might hear some news soon, best of luck to all the breeders today..
Some prices up now for you.......no word on Aubergine but the minute I know you will! have to say one spie did say she wasn't looking as well as they thought she would.......watch this space!!
Well said Mr Savage and Millinngton Stockman.
Perhaps if these folks spent as much time on breeding cattle as they do bitching about others, they to.... could breed a heifer as good as "Duet" the line up of females at red ladies was outstanding and were a CREDIT TO EACH AND EVERY BREEDER.