Outfits set record breed average at Balbithan dispersal
A centre record of 17,500gns and a record breed average were made at Sedgemoor on Thursday (12 October) as the Balbithan Charolais herd dispersed to all parts of the UK.
Cow-calf outfits levelled at £8,550.65 as Andrew and Beth White, Worth Matravers, Dorset, ended 30 years of breeding after starting with four females from the Warninglid and Cullum herd in 1987.
Leading the sale at 17,500gns was seven-year old show cow Balbithan Faith, who knocked down to Mark Switsun, Dunvant, Glamorgan, with her Goldies Eddy-sired bull calf Balbithan Nelson.
See also: Charolais dispersal hits 7,200gns at Welshpool
Faith is by the 12,000gns Newhouse Benson and out of Simpsons Gregg daughter Balbithan Una. Her calves include 2016-born son Mercedes, who made 7,500gns at Carlisle in May.
Next at 15,000gns was Balbithan Iona, who was sold with a five-month-old Goldies Eddy son Balbithan Nairn at foot, to an undisclosed Devon buyer, who snapped up six lots.
Iona is by the 10,000gns Stirling senior champion Chunal Dougie and out of Balbithan Dixie, an Inverlochy Topsire daughter.
Two outfits then made 14,200gns as split lots. First was Balbithan Gilly, a full sister to the 26,000gns Balbithan Vespasian and son Napoleon.
Gilly was bought at the top cow price of 9,000gns by Jonathan Crawford, Maghera, Co Derry, who now presides over the Coolnaslee herd. Her bull calf, a Balthayock Hamish son, was knocked down to Ben Trim, Throop, Dorset.
Matching this was mother and daughter pair Balbithan Georgia and Nebraska. Georgia is by Chunal Fougie and from a notable show-winning line of females and was bought for 5,400gns by JJ McGuigan, Maghera, Northern Ireland.
Her seven-month-old heifer calf secured a UK record price of 8,800gns with a bid from Thor Atkinson, Ulverston, Cumbria. She is by Davally Illusion.
Stock bulls to £5,103
Two sires shared joint honours, peaking at 6,000gns. A son of Goldies Lawson was first, which was bought at Carlisle in May, who was snapped up by David and Bernadette Stacey, St Austell, Cornwall.
He is by Goldies Formidable and out of Goldies Violin, who can be traced back to Thrunton Trademark.
Also at 6,000gns was home-bred Balbithan Mackenzie, sold to JH Davies, Citrea, Abergavenny. He is a February 2016-born son of 11,500gns Loganbar Goran, bred out of Newhouse Benson daughter Balbithan Hyacinth.
Averages: 23 cows and calves, £8,550.65; four in-calf cows, £4,121.25; six in-calf heifers, £6,790; 10 maiden heifers, £4,557; five bulls, £5,103.
(Greenslade Taylor Hunt)