Pedigree sale highlights of 2009

The ongoing economic perils facing much of the UK and the wider world could have seen 2009 become a relatively dull year lacking in highlights for pedigree sales. But the enthusiasm of UK breeders to own and produce some of the best stock in the world has seen the year surpass expectations on many fronts.

Without a doubt there has been one major talking point of the pedigree scene in 2009, the new world record price paid for a sheep. The 220,000gns sale of Texel ram lamb Deveronvale Perfection at Lanark in September was an unprecedented show of faith in the future of the UK sheep industry from one of the pedigree sheep world’s best known breeders.

Paying this record price, which captured the headlines in newspapers and on websites the world over, was Jimmy Douglas of Turriff, Aberdeenshire, buying for his Cairness flock. Mr Douglas, one of farming’s less vocal figures, later said he felt the ram was the best he’d seen in the breed and he would have stopped at nothing to secure him.

There was, as always, intense speculation about the sale, with breeder Graham Morrison admitting to turning down a very strong offer for the lamb sired by 16,000gns Kelso Oxygen and out of a dam by Knock Magnum before the sale. “No one could ever have expected this price, this lamb just got better and better every time I looked at him.”

Other breeds to achieve notable prices included the perenial high-priced breed, the Suffolks. And Jimmy Douglas had a hand in this one too, being the seller of the breed’s top-priced sheep of the year at 60,000gns. This ram lamb is by Cairness Just the Best out of a Whitestone ewe which is dam to Mr Douglas’ stock sire Whitestone Warrior.

He is an ET brother to Mr Douglas’ 20,000gns sale topper at the breed’s Shrewsbury sale just a week earlier and sold to Iain and Judith Barbour for their Solwaybank and Ewebank flocks, respectively.

And the hill breeds weren’t exempt from the big money sales either with both the Blackface and Swaledale sales drawing the bids. Topping the Blackie sales was Alastair MacArthur, of Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, with a ram lamb, when he achieved a personal best of £60,000 for a son of a £20,000 Midlock out of a ewe by a £49,000 Glenrath.

He was shared three ways by Willie Dunlop and sons, Quintin and William, of Elmscleugh, Dunbar; John Campbell and sons, Ian and Colin, of Glenrath, Peebles, and Allan Wight and son, Allan, of Midlock, Crawford, Biggar.

Top call of the year for the Swaledales was a £47,000 bid for a shearling tup from the Nelson family’s Bull and Cave flock. This one is a grandson of Aygill Viceroy and a half share sold to Tom Robinson, Catlow, Clitheroe.

The big news in the pedigree beef world was the relocation of the world-famous Perth Bull sales to United Auctions’ new home at Stirling. But, despite gleaming new surroundings in central Scotland greeting the October sales, the biggest price of the year was reserved for the last main sale at Perth in February which saw a 55,000gns bid for Charolais bull Sportsman Columbo from Messrs Boden and Davies.

Columbo, by the 55,000gns Thrunton Voldermort out of the Ugie Legend daughter Sportsman Regal matched his father’s price when selling to Gilbert Crawford, Coolnaslee, and Joe Wilson, Ballinlare, both Nothern Ireland.

However, the Limousin breed once again dominated the sales scene for much of the year with sales across the country, but largely at the breed’s main sale centre of Carlisle, drawing both old and new breeders to the ringside.

And it was continued demand for quality females from both new and established breeders which saw the top prices paid in 2009. Top price of the year for the breed came at the very last sale of 2009, the Red Ladies Derby at Carlisle, when the day’s champion Trueman Duet from Henry Savage, Newry, Northern Ireland, sold for 38,000gns.

This September 2008-born heifer combined some of the breed’s best geneitcs, being by Sympa and out of Trueman Acoustics, a Nenuphar daughter. A frantic bidding battle ensued between breeders eager to secure this stunning female, with the hammer eventually falling to the Ironstone herd of Smiths of Bloxham, Banbury.

Topping the year for Limousin males was a 30,000gns sale for one of the most talked about bulls in recent years, Wilodge Dallaglio.

Bred by Christine Williams and Paul Tippets, Dallaglio is by 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the 24,000gns Sarkley Bellola who is proving herself to be a fantastic breeder at Wilodge. Dallaglio sold for 30,000gns to pedigree and commercial breeders Keith Harryman, Keswick and the Richardson family, Cockermouth.

Top call of the year for the native breeds was a 24,000gns bid at Perth in February for Aberdeen-Angus bull Lockerley Legolas when selling to join Alistair Fraser’s Idvies and John Elliot’s Rawburn herds. This one is by Idvies Euris and out of Lockerley Laura, an Idvies Jester Eric daughter.

As always, the black-and-white Holstein breed dominated the proceedings at sale rings across the UK in 2009 and, with the year also marking the centenary of black-and-white breeding in the country. there were a number of special sales offering some of the finest genetics in the breed.

Leading the breed was an 18,500gns bid at the Holstein Sale for the Century at Beeston in September. This money was paid for Sterndale Ashlyns Gold, this October 2007-born heifer from Peak Holsteins by Braedale Goldwyn and out of Smiddiehill Durm Ashlyn is due to calf next March to Sterndale Mercury Red. She was bought by Richard Thomas.

Another of the celebration sales, the Centenary Holstein Sale held at Stoneleigh in conjunction with the National Holstein Show saw trade reach 14,000gns twice. The first came for eight-month-old calf, Sahara Talent Licorice from Sahara Holsteins. By Talent and out of Savage-Leigh Licorice, an Ex 92-rated dam, it sold to Tom and Arfon Philips’ Pedran herd, west Wales.

Also at this money was a guaranteed heifer calf from a flush of Redliner and Advent Maureen. This one from David Robinson, Cumbria, sold to Hefin George, Pembrokeshire.

In the other dairy breeds it was the year for major dispersals in the Ayrshires, with both the Barr and Knockenjig herds coming under the hammer at Carlisle. Topping the Barr sale in October was a 7200gns sale. This sum was given for Barr Sandy Rose 48. This Morwick Sand Ranger daughter is out of Barr Sandy Rose 11 and calved on the 11 October. She has a sound show record behind her and gave 7455 litres in her first. She sold to G R Thomas, Llanelli.

The Knockenjig sale was topped at 7000gns, paid for Knockenjig Moonshine 23 a Woodland View Partner who gave 7910 litres in her first lactation and calved with her second in January. This one sold to Messrs Logan, Glasgow.