Perth bull sales preview
By Jeremy Hunt
The autumn trade for beef breeding bulls may not always have quite the zing that we’ve come to expect in the spring, but next week’s offering at Stirling could have a few surprises in store. While some of the big title holders from this summer’s shows are up for grabs, the three-day sale includes a major reduction from the noted Mosston Muir Aberdeen Angus herd as well as an entry of 122 Beef Shorthorn heifers – a record number for this sale.
But although consumer interest in native-bred beef is fuelling demand and looks set to consolidate beef producers’ investment in native beef bulls and females early in the week, the big guns will be keeping their powder dry until the entry of 172 Charolais bulls goes under the hammer on Wednesday morning.
Going first certainly isn’t the favoured choice of any bull seller but local breeder Andrew Hornall’s draw has certainly played into the hands of those on the rostrum who couldn’t have a better bull to kick off the proceedings than the winner of the junior male championship at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
Falleninch Flint, also winner of the breed title at Stirling Show, is by Falleninch Bigboy and has a Terminal Sire index of +41 and a calving ease EBV of -7.3%.
Buyers looking for another garlanded summer show winner have the chance of securing the all conquering Maerdy Grenadier – the Maerdy Dynamite son from Esmor Evans that swept the board at the Royal Welsh Show standing breed champion, junior interbreed champion and finished by taking the reserve overall breed championship.
Grenadier has a Terminal Sire index of +47, a Self-Replacing index of +40 and a calving ease EBV of -9.7%.
Jimmy Green fields one of the biggest teams of Simmental bulls from his Corskie herd at Fochabers. His nine entries include Corskie Conna, a Ballinalare Farm Knightrider son that had a very successful summer show season culminating in the reserve breed ticket at Ingliston. He has a Terminal Sire index of +67, Self Replacing Index of +70 and a calving ease EBV of +1.1%.
After last October’s Simmental sale topper at 22,00gns, Finlay McGowan is back with a string that includes polled bulls. Among them is Dirnanean Cadet, a polled son of Dirnanean Telstar and out of Hockenhull Girlie 13th whose last three sons sold at Stirling have averaged 9600gns. Cadet has a Terminal Sire index of +65, Self Replacing index of +70 and calving Ease EBV of +1.3%.
One of the youngest Simmental bulls in the sale is Annick Capercaillie. He’s a son of the 15,000gns Cairnview Snazzy who has certainly repaid his investment. Snazzy’s 27 sons have averaged almost 6000gns so far.
While Limousin devotees will be in Scotland after a heady two-day fixture at Carlisle, the Stirling sale offers black genetics “in a red coat” with the reserve junior male champion from this year’s Highland Show – Messrs McLaren’s McLaren’s Black Glenogil. He is by Hudscales Darren and has a Beef Value of +36.
While there’s a predominance of single entries from many Aberdeen Angus vendors, Neil Massie has an entry of seven from Blelack and F J Fraser and Son bring six from their Idvies herd.
The Idvies bulls include sons of Lockerley Legolas, a bull bought in 2009 for 24,000gns and shared with Rawburn.
Monday’s Mosston Muir Aberdeen Angus herd reduction for Tom Rennie is sure to attract a full house and while the females will be a major attraction, the big show winner Mosston Muir Innes is also on the market. This Canadian embryo import is a combination of top breeding from the successful Hoff and Willabar herds.
But females don’t come much better than Rawburn Edith K180. This April 2010-bred cow from John Elliot has the highest Terminal Index of any female offered in the UK. She’s by Rawburn Randolph – one of the best bull John Elliot reckons he’s bred. So this is a cow that really could set the sparks flying.
A Beef Shorthorn bonanza includes 27 bulls and the bumper entry of 126 females. There are 14 females from the Gibbs’ Glenisla herd and 13 from C Coombs Dunsyre herd at Carnwath.