New world record price for Limousin heifer at 125,000gns

A new Limousin world record price of 125,000gns (£131,250) was set when the Illingworth family’s maiden heifer Glenrock Illusion went under the hammer at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, last week.

The family took the decision to disperse herd, with the exception of the herd’s matriarch Glenrock Spangle, to help fund the purchase their tenanted farm, Eaglesfield, Dumfries. Overall the sale grossed £537,000 for 62 animals sold.

The record-breaker was purchased in a two-way split by Michael and Melanie Alford, Cullompton, Devon and Danny Sawrij from Kedzlie Farms, Lauderdale, Galashields. Born in January 2013 this ET-bred heifer is sired by the 23,000gns Goldies Comet and is out of Spangle.

Glenrock Illusion FINAL

She was Junior champion at the Royal Highland, the Great Yorkshire Show this year and won the Scottish Grand Prix 2014 and Stars of the Future in 2013.

Illusion now holds the All-Breeds UK and European record price for a bovine animal, beating the previous 120,000gns record set by Dolcorsllwyn Fabio in 2012.

Commenting after the sale Stephen Illingworth said the sale of Illusion was “way beyond his wildest expectations.

“From the day she was born Illusion was something special. She has so much style and presence, size and length, width along the back and is full of character and femininity.”

He added: “It is very much the icing on the cake for what was a great sale throughout.

Two lots made the second best price of 24,000gns. First of these was Illusion’s full sister Glenrock Impulse, born in January 2013. She was bought in a half share between S Barclay, Insch, Aberdeenshire, and Kedzlie Farms, Lauderdale.

Second at the same money, was the third calver Glenrock Diamante, by Objat, and sold with her nine-month-old heifer calf Glenrock Imp at foot, sired by Glenrock Spartacus. She sold back in calf to Glenrock Highwayman and was snapped up by Proctors Farm, Clitheroe, Lancs.

Also selling to Proctors Farm for 16,000gns was the April 2007-born Glenrock Campari, sired by the noted Cloughhead Lord and out of the herd’s foundation cow Spangle. She sold with her third calf, Glenrock Jackie by Goldies Comet, at foot and back in calf to Dinmore Goldcrest.

Just shy of this at 15,000gns and leading bull trade was the November 2012-born stock bull Glenrock Humdinger, an ET-bred bull sired by Sympa and out of Spangle. He won Best Young Bull in the North West herd competition last year and was bought by CR Raines and Sons, Barnard Castle, Co Durham.

DG Greens and Sons, Co Antrim, NI, paid 14,000gns for the November 2013-born maiden heifer Glenrock Inclusive. This ET-bred heifer is also out of Spangle and by the Nenuphar son Bremore Artist.

Averages: 32 cows served and/or suckling, £6,811.87; six ET calves, £6,685; four in-calf heifers, £3,386.25; 15 maiden and yearling heifers, £15,155; and five bulls, £7,812.

(Harrison and Hetherington).