Twylite Limmy dispersal tops at 6,000gns

The dispersal of the Holling family’s Twylite herd of Limousins at Newark on Saturday (6 June) saw a solid trade throughout, with pedigree and commercial buyers in attendance and willing to pay well for well bred, correct females.

Auctioneer Paul Gentry said trade reflected the uncertainty in the prime beef sector currently, with buyers slightly more cautious than at previous dispersals. “There were some great cattle on offer and those buyers with confidence in the beef industry were prepared to pay well for the cattle they wanted. Unfortunately, the continuing issues in the prime cattle trade are filtering back to the breeding sector and some buyers were less keen to commit.

“Overall trade was good and the cattle on offer were a credit to the dedication of the Holling family to breeding functional, modern cattle suited to a wide range of farming systems,” he added.

Leading day’s trade was a 6,000gns call for the herd’s 2011-born stock bull, Manorhouse Geronimo, a Mayfields Drambuie son out of Manorhouse Velcro, a Hartside Oneman daughter. Bred by WJ Wright, he sold to FS Knight, Stoke Doyle, Peterborough.

Second best at 4,800gns was another of the stock bulls, Confluence Greta. This Greenwell Charttopper son is out of Confluence Bly, a Plaisant daughter and was the choice of P and J H Boyle, Southoweram, Halifax.

X head Females

Topping the female prices at 4,400gns was a heifer and calf outfit, Twilyte Holly, a 2012-born Redskins Enzo daughter out of Hodgro Polygala, a Bapton Javelin daughter. She sold in calf to Annandale Excalibur and was knocked down at 2,400gns to Nigel Johnson, Lutterworth, while her heifer calf, Twilyte Jaynie by Confluence Greta sold at 2,000gns to PR Walker and Son, Lund, Driffield.

Then at 3,700gns sold Twilyte Jazzy, a Redskins Enzo daughter out of Twilyte Bliss, a Jencralodge Supasonic daughter. This January 2014-born heifer headed to Northern Ireland with L McEldowney, Maghera, Co Down.

The same buyer then paid 3,600gns for Twilyte Inara, a November 2013-born heifer by Redskins Enzo out of Scorboro Chanel, a Limo Tanat daughter.

Following her at 3,200gns was Coachhouse Fiona, a Coachhouse Bingo daughter out of Coachhouse Valletta, a Haltcliffe Picasso daughter. This one sold with her heifer calf, Twilyte Lucy, at foot and was bought by F and S Stamper, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

Commercial cattle

On the same day two drafts of commercial cattle with calves at foot also met a ready demand, with 40 Limousin crosses from the Gascoines Group selling to a high of £1,950 twice. The first of these sold to C E Hardcastle, Grantham, while the other was knocked down to John Casey, Beaconsfield.

Meanwhile, the Neachell family’s draft of 26 cows and calved peaked at £1750 when selling to RN Gent, Newark, with another at £1720 bought by John Casey.

Averages; Twilyte dispersal – 59 pedigree cows with calves at foot, £2,156.95; eight pedigree heifers with calves at foot, £2,264.06; 17 crossbred cows with calves at foot, £1,799.12; 42 in-calf cows, £1,430.36; 21 in-calf heifers, £1,329.41; 50 maiden heifers, £1,329.41; three stock bulls, £4,620; 50 young bulls, £1,057.69.