Wonderboy true to his name at Carlisle fixture

Northern Ireland breeders scooped both major titles at the Border Belgian Blue club’s Carlisle fixture and one earned the day’s top price of 9000gns.

The trade for bulls was patchy, but the best sires fared well and ringsiders agreed with judge Graham Brindley over his championship winner.

Mr Brindley, who runs the successful Bringlee herd in Shropshire, gave the top ticket to Co Antrim breeder Zara Chestnutt’s Clougher Wonderboy.

Sired by Affute Du Ry Ossogne, Wonderboy was champion at the Ballymena Show and reserve interbreed champion in the Signet Recorded section at the Royal Ulster Show.

He is out of a 1200kg show-winning dam by Navire De Septon and has a carcase yield index of 13 – well above breed average.

He goes for commercial work to Page Bros of Northampton.

Black bulls are still in vogue and when they’re big, they sell well. Kelowna Viscount was the heaviest bull in the yard by 130kg, weighing 1070kg at 21 months.

He realised 4000gns.

Consigned by local breeders Steve and Claire Pattinson, Viscount is out of a home-bred, all-black dam by Twyning Ash Nimrod and by Ridge Dean Physical.

Buyer was Gloucestershire breeder Ernie Hemmings.

North Yorks breeders Stephen and Gill Potter’s Brookfield Walton – a summer show winner by Brookfield Thurso – realised 3600gns to P Jones of Knighton, Powys, while another Affute son, the ET-bred Welton Valuable Asset, made 3500gns.

This blue bull is out of a Totem De Chocquenee dam and was consigned by Carlisle breeder Ian Henderson. He stays locally with D Milburn at Brampton.

Leading the females at 2950gns was Woodview Universe, taken by Lancs breeders Alan and Deirdre Wilkinson to join their Springfield herd.

Mel and Diane Lucas’s Lukeroyal Wee Beauty, another entry from Co Antrim and a daughter of Derum d’Anloy, stood female champion and sold after the sale for 2900gns.

The five-month-old E-bred bull calf Norbreck Arnie made 1700gns for Norbreck Genetics, Lancaster.

He is the first son of Dafydd O’Chain to be offered and is out of a daughter of the successful bull Tamhorn Sumo. Buyers were Halifax-based N Wheelwright.

Averages: 20 bulls 2543 and seven unserved heifers 1875. (Harrinson & Hetherington).