Photos: Top sellers from Stirling and Carlisle bull sales

Trade at Carlisle and Stirling bull sales surpassed all expectations this week.

Despite the difficult market conditions, bulls sold to top prices of £167,000 and £50,000 at the two events.

Here’s a round-up of the big hitters from each breed.

Trueman Jagger

The supreme champion Trueman Jagger, from Irish breeders Henry Savage and Sons, Newry, Co Down, set pulses races at Carlisle on the weekend (17 October) when he smashed the Limousin world breed record, selling for £147,000.

See also: Get all the latest news from Carlisle and Stirling bull sales

This April 2014-born youngster was a hotly tipped favourite ahead of the sale, having won the male, reserve overall and junior interbreed championships at Balmoral Show earlier this year, and he did not disappoint, attracting an opening bid of 50,000gns.

An embryo calf, Trueman Jagger is one of the first calves born to Ampertaine Gigolo and is out of the noted Trueman Grazia, a Haltcliffe Vermount daughter.

He has grown at a phenomenal 2.47kg/day since Balmoral.

Purchasing the bull for the new UK and European all-breeds record was a five-way syndicate made up of Michael and Melanie Alford, Foxhillfarm; Paul Dawes, Dinmore herd; Messrs Jenkinson, Whinfellpark herd at Penrith; Gareth Lee, Calogale herd in Carmarthenshire, and Kedzlie Farm, Swalesmoor herd, Lauderdale.

He set the pace for the rest of the week ahead at Stirling.

Although prices failed to surpass the £100,000 mark, Charolais stole the show on the closing day of Stirling bull sales, when Balthayock Justice, from Major David Walter, Perth, made £50,000.

Sired by Balthayock Ferdinand, he is out of Balthayock Emerald and carries figures within the top 1% of the breed.

Balthayock Justice

Topping Simmental trade at 18,000gns was the junior champion Blackford Findhorn 14 from WG Macpherson’s Blackford herd, Inverness.

This 2014-born bull is no stranger to the show scene having secured junior champion and reserve interbreed champion at this year’s Royal Highland Show.

By Hockenhull Waterloo and out of Silver Wells Bonnie Findhorn, he was the pick of Gary Van Der Gucht, Gloucestershire.

Blackford Findhorn 14

Aberdeen Angus bulls followed when James Porter, Lisburn, County Antrim, paid 20,000gns for the pre-sale senior champion Haughton Levi P105 from Whittaker Farms, Spurstow.

This Hallington Evo L333 son is out of the successful show cow Haughton Laura L026, herself a Rawburn Elysium F547 daughter.

Haughton Levi P105

Limousin bulls sold to 13,500gns for the Ampertaine Foreman son Goldies Jogger, from Bruce Goldie, Dumfries.

Buyer was Peter Kirton, Bewdley, Shropshire.

Goldies Jogger

Beef Shorthorn bulls peaked at 5,500gns for Podehole Gilroy TI +18, SRI +19, a two-year-old roan Chapelton Clansman son consigned by Sarah Wilkins, Jarvis Brook, Crowborough. Buyer was Pitgaveny Farms, Elgin.

Podehole Gilroy

For the full reports, visit our Taking Stock blog