Llancillo Hall Herefords peak at 3600gns

There were plenty of new investors backing the future of Hereford cattle at the dispersal of the Llancillo Hall herd at Pandy in south Herefordshire last week where the strong family lines behind this herd were bought both as foundation stock and to enhance new herds on a day that took bidding to 3600gns.

 And buyers weren’t cherry picking. Nigel Hooper, relatively new to white-faced ranks, claimed eight lots for his Hooper Hereford herd at Suckley, Worcester paying up to 2200gns.

But it was the four-year-old cow Llancillo Hall Beatrice 3 – suckling her autumn-born heifer calf – that proved to be the most fancied lot. She topped the trade and heads for Oxfordshire with M Ludgate who runs the Rempstone herd at Thame.

He was a keen bidder determined to fill his wagon and bought another further four lots including the six-year-old cow Llancillo Hall Beatrice 11taken at 1600gns. She was carrying an ET-bred calf out of the sale topper.

Mr Ludgate’s shopping list included the eight-year-old cow Llancillo Hall Harmony at 1450gns and two yearling heifers from the Pansy and Curly families at 900gns and 850gns.

And there were some show stars up for grabs too. The breed’s 2005 Female of the Year – Llancillo Hall Beauty 11 – made 3400gns and the three-year-old in-calf heifer Llancillo Hall Hazel 20, who was Horned Female of the Year 2006, realised 3100gns. They will prove valuable additions to the herd of new breeder Andrew Hughes from Willand, Devon.

The most expensive among Nigel Hooper’s purchases was the seven-year-old cow Llancillo Hall Betty 11 who was suckling a six-month-old heifer calf and made 2200gns. The in-calf cow Llancillo Hall Hazel 15 – with twin bull calves at foot – sold for 2000gns while a cow from the Daisy family made 1900gns and one from the Rosalinda family made 1600gns.

Neighbouring farmers Viv Collins and his son Andrew are coming back to Herefords and took the seven-year-old cow Llancillo Hall Buttercup 3 at 2300gns. She had an October-born heifer calf at foot. They also secured a 10-year-old cow from the Belinda family at 1250gns.

In-calf heifers sold well with Llancillo Hall Buttercup 9 realising 2000gns to J and S Williams for their Honeyhill herd at Huntingdon, Hertfordshire.

Two yearling daughters of the 3400gns Beauty 11 made 2600gns and 1600gns. Both stay on home ground with James and Lucinda Lewis of the Boycefield herd at Leominster.

Rodbaston Agricultural College in Staffordshire is setting up a new herd for its students and bought four lots paying a top of 1850gns for the three-year-old cow Llancillo Hall Oyster Lass 2 who was suckling a December-born heifer calf.

A selection of ET-bred calves reached 1900gns for the three-week-old bull calf Llancillo Hall Benefactor 19. He is out of Llancillo Hall Beatrice 10 and by the Australian sire Injemira Advance. Buyer was D J Farr, Pontrilas, Herefordshire.

The Quan family, another leading name in the breed trading from Pontrilas and trading as the Quan Farming Company, secured the four other ET-bred calves – two heifers and a bull, to average 1200gns apiece.

Averages: 56 cows £1465; five in-calf heifers £1701; 21 yearling heifers £821; five ET-calves £1420 and two bulls £1555. (Brightwells).