An all time UK high for beef bulls
An all time UK high for beef bulls
By Jeremy Hunt
A RECORD-BREAKING UK average of £4375, the highest ever achieved for beef bulls sold at auction, marked a frenzied demand for sires at the British Limousin Cattle Societys show and sale at Carlisle last weekend.
The top price of 20,000gns, and the second highest of 18,000gns, were centre records for Borderway Mart where 147 bulls found new owners and nine deals were struck at 10,000gns and over.
Restocking money had an impact on the trade but plenty of buyers who survived last years crisis were prepared to dig deep at this first major offering of Limousin bulls for over a year. There were 40 bids of 5000gns and more with the highest section average of £4617 paid for the 52 junior entries.
Dumfriesshire pedigree breeders Jim Goldie and sons Hamish and Bruce stepped back into the spotlight to pay the market record with the highest bid for Sarkley Ragtime who was third in his class.
Consigned by Glyn and Liz Pennie from Powys, Ragtime is by the successful French import Jockey and out of the Ronick Gains daughter Sarkley Judy, currently placed third in the breeds national dam summary. Ragtime has top 1% breed ranking with a beef value of LM37.
Hamish Goldie said: "Hes an outstanding bull with breeding and performance behind him. Hell be the new stock bull for our 30 pedigree foundation females."
County Durham breeders Ian Nattress and his sister Helen produced another good string and all eyes settled on their classy Greenwell Ronick, which stood intermediate champion and made 18,000gns.
Long and tight with a tremendous hindquarter he is by the Broadmeadows Ainsi grandson Ronick Member and combines two lines to Talent.
The buyer was Johnny Thompson, restocking his Hartsideanew herd at Penrith, partnered by Gary Swindlehurst, who manages Procters Farm, Clitheroe, Lancs.
After a bidding battle between breed society chairman Peter Henshall, Lockerbie, and Harry Emlsie from Aberdeen it was Mr Henshall who secured Cloughhead Rocket for 15,000gns. From George Huttons Lake District herd he is by Cloughhead Jurassic.
A new name to the Limousin breed, Lancs buyer Jim Crosier pushed Jim Goldie to 20,000gns, but made sure of his second choice bull Cockleshell Simba for 11,000gns.
Paraded by Peter Pitcher of Boston, Lincs, this bull with a beef value of LM42 is full brother to the Genus sire Cockleshell Olympus.
There were three deals at 10,500gns. Ian and Wendy Callion, Stirling, sold the Ronick Luke (Broadmeadows Cannon) son Lodge Raleigh to JS Stephenson, Skipton, North Yorks. The Jockey-sired Dyfri Rembrandt from David and Aled Edwards (Carmarthen) went to R Chadwick, Isle of Man, while the Cannon-sired Eden Romeo (beef value 31) from Johhny Thompson, Penrith, heads for Lockerbie with G and GW Mair.
Kype Sabre earned 10,000gns for Strathaven breeder Ron Cruickshank and stays in Cumbria with buyers RJ and AY Armstrong. Keith Redpath, Kelso, matched the bid to claim Ronick Sid, a son of the imported bull Lascard from Ronald Dicks herd at Stirling.
Mr Dick took the supreme championship with the Cannon son Ronick Respect. Bred out of a Talent dam he made 9000gns to E Wood, Kendal, Cumbria (Harrison & Hetherington). *