Buyers compete for Foulrice Charollais

One of Holland’s leading Charollais breeders had to compete with several UK buyers setting up new flocks when Charles and Valerie Marwood held a production sale from their Foulrice flock at Whenby, North Yorks.

This was the first of the season’s sales of in-lamb ewes with the Foulrice gimmers due to start lambing in early December.

Although Dutchman Harry Vliegher had previously bought UK genetics through semen and embryos, this was his first stock purchase.

He took four gimmer shearlings to average 550gns paying most for a daughter of Cairnhill Cavalier that was carrying twins.

The service sire was Ash Charollais Filibuster, the top-priced ram lamb at the breed society’s Worcester sale last year and bought for 2000gns.

And the Foulrice sale’s highest priced gimmer – a Westonvale Jubilee daughter – was also in lamb to Filibuster.

This Group 1 gimmer made 1050gns and was one of five lots bought by well known Devon primestock exhibitors Mike and Melanie Alford.

They took five gimmers to start a new flock, to average 604gns.

The Tindall family from Wetherby, North Yorks, added to their new flock taking five gimmers to average 632gns.

But they paid up to 800gns for a gimmer by a sire reference ram from the Lowerye flock.

Ewe lambs reached 700gns paid by breed society chairman Herbie Kennedy, Dumfries, for a show-winning Cavalier daughter.

Averages: Gimmer shearlings 488 and ewe lambs 343. (Lawrie & Symington)