Biggest Longhorn sale for a century
Longhorn cattle breeders from throughout the country gathered at Chelford agricultural centre last week as the biggest offering in a century went under the hammer.
A major portion of the old-established Bollin Valley herd – owned by the Bollin Valley Partnership – shared the ring with a guest consignment from the Lomber Hey herd of Stockport breeder Richard Hunt.
But it was the breeding on offer from the Bollin Valley cattle that squeezed the biggest prices from the ringside with the top call of 2100gns coming for the July 2004-bred bull Bollin Eugene.
He is by the successful sire Blackbrook Mayhem – who is being retained in the partnership’s smaller nucleus herd – and out of the show winning cow Bollin Uzma.
This young bull heads north to Berwick-on-Tweed to join leading breeders J Close & Son’s Fishwick herd.
Minutes earlier, Bollin Errol, a 2004-bred Linton Trojan son, made 1900gns to the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
Top priced female was the 1997-bred Uzma – dam of Eugene – who looked a snip at 2000gns suckling her May-born bull calf by Mayhem.
She was bought by Phil Robinson, a former Bollin Valley partner.
Bound for Wrexham, North Wales, was a 1998-bred cow by Marholm Nero suckling a heifer calf by Southfield Accord.
She realised 1550gns while the in-calf cows peaked at 950gns for a cow in-calf to Accord.
The 2005-bred heifers sold well.
An Accord daughter out of a Charnwood dam made 900gns to Phil Robinson.
The Lomber Hey herd dispersal produced a 600gns call for in-calf heifer and three entries from S Rumbelow’s herd at Northwich, Cheshire, sold to 1480gns for the stock bull Heyworth Daniel.
Buyer was R Fanshawe of Naseby, Northamptonshire.
Averages: 11 bulls £1049, 14 in-calf cows £644, 31 cows and heifers £874 and 18 yearling heifers £562. (Marshalls)