Five-figure bid for champion Simmental bull
Five-figure bid for champion Simmental bull
SIMMENTAL breeders caught the brunt of the beef industrys problems when only six of the first 40 bulls through the Perth ring found buyers.
Auctioneer David Leggats stoic rostrum duties steadied nerves until the younger end of the entry stimulated bidding. A total of 61 bulls were sold to average £2431.
And it was the Simmental champion that produced the first of the weeks five figure bids when Balmanno Farms Balmanno Hitman sold for 13,000gns.
Judge Hector MacAskill described his champion as "just what the breed wants – a powerful bull with tremendous hindquarters". Perthshire-based Balmanno Farms runs just 15 pedigree cows along with 300 Simmental-cross suckler cows.
Hitman is by Kilbride Farm Eniskillen, a bull bought at Perth for 10,000gns and which stood male champion at this years Royal Highland Show. He will join the Kent herd of London businessman and farmer Tony Dukes.
Breed society vice-president John Thornhill, Wellington, Shropshire paid 8200gns for Whitemire Heidelberg, a son of Woodhall Dynamite from British Cereal Exports chairman, Duns farmer Barclay Forrest.
Northern Ireland breeder Adrian Richardson sold his Carnkern Titan son Cleenagh Harry at 4500gns to Billy MacPherson, Croy. *