Charolais cow tops £4,200 at multi-breed sale
Auctioneers Greenslade Taylor Hunt had forward 143 cattle at their spring Multi-Breed Sale at Sedgemoor last week, with an 80% clearance topped by a bid of £4,200.
Commenting on the trade, auctioneer Robert Venner described it as being like the “curate’s egg, good in parts. Very good cattle sold well. Those not up to standard met strong commercial prices”.
Top of the sale was the Charolais cow Balbithan Tulip from Mr and Mrs A White, Swanage. Homebred Tulip, born 2002, was sold PD+ve to a September service by Chunal Dougie and with her heifer calf Balbithan Gladioli, born August 2011 at foot. She was secured at £4,200 by Mr Beaty of Trowbridge.
Mr and Mrs White also sold a 2008 cow Balbithan Dallas, due September to homebred Eria and with an Eria August 2011 born heifer calf at foot. She met a final call of £3,675 from Mrs N A McInerney of Exeter. Mrs McInerney also bid last for the served heifer Balbithan Fudge. Served 3rd April by Wesley Furnish, she is by Newhouse Benson out of the homebred Balbithan Sherbert. She sold for £3,202.50. Mr and Mrs White grossed £11,077.50 for the five lives sold.
The Charolais breed also took the top honours in the bull lines, when D R Stacey of St Austell sold Balbithan Felix, a 24 month proven easy calver for £3,675. Felix was snapped up by Mr Viner of Oxford. Next best was a very shapely 22 month British Blue bull from Messrs M D and K E Lanfear of Pilning, the Bluegrass Cyclone sired Woodston Fabio. This bull bred by ET really caught the eye and after sustained bidding was secured at £3,150 by P Rood of Compton Dundon.
Heading the Limousin breed was Loosebeare Festin, June 2010 born by Rainbow Simon out of Honiton bred Hugginshayes Primrose. Festin has an EBV in the top 10% of the breed and was purchased at £2,835 by Mr M J Pidsley, also of Honiton.
Other continental bulls sold at £2,625 twice for the British Blonde Megray Dell from Messrs S M and D Skinner of Beaworthy and a black Salers bull Rigel Hammond from Rigel Pedigree of Yarm, North Yorkshire.
Native bulls rose to £2,677.50 for a very smart 24 months Aberdeen Angus, from Mr N J Harris of Dartmouth. Hoodown Black Baron is by Gear Beezer and was bought by Messrs E J and S Kennen, Wiveliscombe.
2,625 was bid for another Aberdeen Angus bull. 22 month Nealford Proud Eric from Messrs J H Neale and Sons of Launceston, by Warrenho Just Eric and out of an Alan Robin bred Lanson Prunella.
The same price was also achieved by Messrs H B Allman and Son of Sutton St Nicholas, Hereford, who brought possibly the best Hereford bull seen at Sedgemoor to date. Greenyards I Hubble (P) is 17 months and is by home bred Euripides out of homebred Jubilee 2nd.
The top end of the pedigree females continued with maiden Limousin heifers from Messrs J J and B D Comer of Swindon, with Moonleaze Fioness, Flojo and Faith. All by Bernish Alfy with high EBV’s and muscle traits, they sold for £2,362.50, £2,310 and £2,250 respectively. Other classy maiden Limousin heifers, this time from Patrick Greed of Columbjohn Farm Exeter, sold well at £2,257.50 and £2,125.50 twice.
Some best quality young pedigree cattle on offer, showing real potential for the future. An 11 month Limousin bull Rosecroft Grant from Mr and Mrs D K Wheeler of Cullompton achieved £1,701. By Rainbow Simon, he is out of the French bred cow Elite S-152, who has already produced many show animals.
A nine month British Blue heifer from Newpole British Blues hit all the right notes to level at £1,522.50. The dam of Newpole Goddess, Newpole Asset was female champion at Royal Cornwall in 2009. Goddess is an ET calf by Rosemount Milon and if shown is sure to do well.
“We are definitely heading in the right direction with this sale. The standard of quality is improving all the time and the top end this Spring was very good” added Robert Venner. “We are lucky that we have such a strong commercial base from which to build upon but we are cracking into the Pedigree Market, which is really encouraging”.
SPECIAL MONTHLY CATALOGUED SALE OF SUCKLER COWS
Held earlier on the same day, Greenslade Taylor Hunt saw a good entry of sucklers for the April Suckler cow sale, which met a full crowd around the ring and resulted in all 137 head finding new homes.
Top was £1,700 for a 2008 born Charolais, with a two month bull calf from Mr J Wylde of Woolavington. A strong Blue cross cow (2001) with a 3 month Limousin heifer calf from DH Creed Ltd of Martock hit £1,580. A Simmental cow (2007), with Limousin bull calf from Mr P Thrussell of North Curry rose to £1,620. The best of a run from Mr HT Davis of Chagford peaked at £1,420, being a Charolais cow (2006) with a 7 month Simmental heifer calf.