Caledonian Marts show calves to £3200

Top price in the show and sale of show-potential calves at Caledonian Mart on Saturday was £3200 paid by Nigel and Liz Bunkum, Tregarrick, Cornwall, for the champion, Bonnie Wee Jeanie.

This 11-month-old 395kg Limousin cross heifer, by Silex, sire of last year’s Smithfield champion, and out of a Limousin x British Blue cow sired by Ronick Hawk, was bred by Hugh and Lyn Dunlop, of Holehouse, Ochiltree.

Thomas Laird, Sunnyside, Cumnock, received £2000 for Hot Cheeks, placed second in the heavyweight heifers and brought out by his daughter, Shona Stevenson.

Hot Cheeks, an 18-month-old 530kg Limousin cross, is by Hudscales Argonaut and out of a British Blue cross.

Father and son Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, were reserve with Allanfauld Fizz, one of 12 they had entered in the show.

Fizz, a 395kg 11-month-old pure Charolais heifer, is by Elgin Davinci and out of Allanfauld Caroline, an Allanfauld Van Gogh daughter. She sold to the judge Donald MacPherson for £1700.

Best in the Young Farmers’ cattle was £2000 for the reserve champion, Miss Dynamite, an 11-month-old 415kg (914lb) Limousin cross heifer, by Allanfauld Cracker, from Carrick YFC member Jennifer Hyslop, Barhill, Girvan.

This one had previously been reserve baby beef champion at Agri-Expo, Carlisle and sold to Alan Turnbull, of Meadowend, Clackmannan.

The champion was Limited Edition, a 515kg Limousin cross bullock from Stirling YFC member Graeme Stirling, 29, of Burnbank Farm, Throsk. Limited Edition, by Tweedside Upstanding and out of a British Blue cross cow, sold to Gareth Scott, of Little Ittington, Saltcoats, for £1600.

Averages; Open sale, 14 bullocks £1057, 17 heifers £1227. Young Farmers, 15 bullocks £969, 20 heifers £947 (Caledonian Marts).