Spirits high at Perth bull sales

Livestock producers may have been going through some tricky times lately in terms of marketing stock in line with bluetongue restrictions, but that didn’t dampen the spirits at this week’s February Perth Bull Sales.

And one man that will be going home with a smile on his face will be Bob Lane, Edgmond, Shropshire, after he sold two bulls as a result of embryos bought in Alberta, Canada.

Penguin Mr Elevate (pictured) was the first to cause a stir when he sold for the day’s top price of 32,000gns. By Basin Prime Cut out of DMM Miss Essence, this was a bull many had predicted would take the championship. But his first-prize ticket was enough for Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary’s farm manager Gerry Smyth to continue with the fast bidding pace and secure the bull for the Gigginstown herd, Mullingar.

Mr Lane’s next excitement came all of two bulls later when he sold Penguin Elderado. Out of the same cow line as Mr Elevate, but by F A R Krugerrand, this bull had caught the eye of Rae Grieve, Fife, who secured him at 28,000gns for his Carlhurlie herd.

Having taken the championship under Donald Biggar, the Campbell and Tilson family’s Canadian bred Wedderlie Blackdown sold for 24,000gns to John Moores of The Moss. This Coldstream Bonnie Doon son out of Coldstream Blackbird 9G has a milk index of +13 and terminal sire index of +22.

The next highest bid came from N A and J De Cogan, Co Cork, who took a liking for the second-prize winner Mosston Muir Lord Ringo, this time from Allan Rennie. Homebred on both sides, Lord Ringo’s grandsire was the sire of sale topper, Penguin Mr Elevator, and has a terminal sire index of +25.

In at 11,000gns was John Best, Poynton Pazz, north Wales, who took the first-prize Logie Lustre from Messrs Bruce and Partners. With a terminal sire index of +30, Lustre is by Skail Dot Com and out of a Fair Oaks Lucy line.

• For more news and regular updates from today’s Limousin sale at Perth see FWi’s Taking Stock blog www.fwi.co.uk/takingstock