Borderway British Blues hit 10,000gns, Angus at 3,800gns

Averages lifted on the year in the British Blue and Aberdeen Angus ring on Friday (30 September), with top calls of 10,000gns and 3,800gns for the breeds respectively.

A strong 91% clearance saw 10 Angus bulls level at £2,740, up £528 on the year with three more sold, while Belgian Blue trade was buoyed by two money makers, outstripping last year’s peak of 5,000gns.

See also: British Blues peak at 6,900gns at Chelford

British Blue

Leading the sale at 10,000gns was Homilton Jupiter, a naturally born calf from Ruaig Vodka by Drift Domino.

His dam is one of the Homilton herd’s best breeding cows from Roly and Mel Carr, Capheaton, Northumberland, and joins the Linthorpe herd of KW Gamble, Knott Lane, Easingwold.

Homilton Jupiter from Northumberland breeder Roly Carr was this year’s headline grabber making 10,000gns © Catherine MacGregor

Next best at 7,000gns was reserve male and reserve supreme champion, Almeley Jeronimo, a 25-month-old from Graham Morgan, Tillington, Herefordshire.

He is by Drybarrows Cawdale and out of home-bred Almely Esmerelda and knocked down to T Laird and Son, Cronberry, Ayrshire.  

Making 7,000gns for the Morgans was Almely Geronimo © Catherine MacGregor

Also outstripping last year’s peak was Stonbyres Kingpin, a Tamhorn Enterprising son out of Stonebyres Gypsy from Blair and Shona Comrie, Stonebyres, Lanark, at 5,200gns.

Boasting a carcass profitability index of +20 above a breed average of +12 this caught the eye of Wright Bros, Leverton, Boston.

Also of note was Goodyhills Kasabian at 4,500gns from NB and I Armstrong, Silloth, Wigton, going home with A Baillie, Kirkowan, Newton Stewart. He is by Stonebyres Hartley and out of Knells Gaga.

See also: British Blues top 4,500gns twice at Welshpool

Lead female in the Blue ring was January 2015 heifer and female champion Tanat Kindly at 3,000gns, from Wyn Jones, Llanrhaeadr, Oswestry and going to Nigel Leighton, Barnby on the Marsh, Goole.

She is a dark-blue roan heifer by Phenomene de Martinpre and out of Faughanvale Cindy.

Aberdeen Angus

Females topped the Angus board at 3,800gns for an offering from Middlesbrough-based David and Penny Evans, Nunthorpe.

Tree Bridge Earlston R522 is by Irish-bred herd sire Goulding Jayney Mac, out of home-bred Tree Bridge Pathfinder, with a winning bid from David Hughill, Swainby, Northallerton.

Topping the Angus trade at 3,800gns was Tree Bridge Earlston from David and Penny Evans © Catherine MacGregor

Second best at 3,600gns was HW Jumbo Eric P460 from H W Angus, Dunblane, Stirlingshire. With a self-replacing index of +49, this Netherton Black Magic son out of Rawburn Joy Erica M014 caught the eye of E Nixon, Workington, Cumbria.

Two bulls then followed at 3,200gns. The first was a Rawburn Double Oseven son out of Aynho Rossiter Eric B125 daughter Wedderlie Possum. He boasts a self-replacing index of +51 and went to WJF Vance, Wigtownshire.  

Matching this was McCornick Everest R125, the second-placed junior bull from Newtown Stewart-based Martin McCornick. He is a Halbeath Kitemark N500 son out of McCornick Evening Star N886.

Averages: British Blue, 6 Bulls, £5,950; 1 Female, £3,150; Aberdeen Angus, 10 Bulls, £3,003; 1 Female, £1,365

(Harrison and Hetherington)