Big Holstein event
Borderway mart sees its best ever Char average
By Jeremy Hunt
MORE than half the bulls sold at the Charolais Cattle Societys spring fixture at Carlisle averaged over £3000 on a day that saw an emotional championship victory for the Ellern herd and produced two top bids of 10,500gns for entries from the Gretnahouse and Billingley consignments.
The final average of £2811 for 131 bulls sold was the best ever result for the breed at Borderway mart.
It was a fitting end to an era of Charolais breeding for London-based Eric Stubbs. He brought the last Charolais bull on the farm to the sale – appropriately a direct descendant of one of the herds foundation cows – and stormed through to take the supreme championship from a line-up of new-look Charolais.
Judge, mid-Wales suckled calf producer Gethin Havard, agreed that the Charolais was changing. "The breed looks very different to the one we would have seen here five years ago. Breeders have risen to the challenge and set about producing a modern, thicker type without sacrificing the breeds superior growth rate," said Mr Havard, who is chairman of Brecon and Radnor Suckled Calf Association.
He described the champion, Mr Stubbs Ellern Natur, as: "Out-standing in his loin and hindquarter, beautifully fleshed and carrying the minimum amount of waste."
Natur is by Killadeas Jack and out of a cow by Coat Lezard. "We have been showing here for many years but this is our first Charolais championship. What a way to finish," said Mr Stubbs. Natur made 4800gns to J and A Pate and Partner, Galashiels.
The first at 10,500gns was Gretna Green breeder Alastair Houstons Gretnahouse Noel, a well muscled son of Oldstone Egbert out of the Cockerington Baron sired Edenhurst Ilona. He had a 400 day weight of 691kg and stood reserve supreme champion.
"He has great shape and style. He will be used on pedigree cows and should produce some good show calves from our commercial sucklers," said buyer Duncan MacGregor, Kilsyth, Glasgow, who will share the bull with Archie MacGregor of Allanfauld.
Duncan MacGregors second prize winning bull Corrie Oneil, by Simpsons Gregg, made 6000gns to M P B Ashton, Welshpool.
Pedigree and commercial stockbreeders A M and A Calder, Duns, Berwickshire also invested 10,500gns in Billingley Ottowa from father and son team of Michael and Andrew Stenton, Barnsley.
This was the best price for the partnership which has been breeding Charolais for seven years. Ottowa, by Brampton Gladiator, is double-bred to the great producer Brampton Chopper.
Cambridge breeders Mervyn and Chris Parker hit another purple patch at Carlisle with an outstanding team of bulls by their 22,000gns Perth purchase Maerdy Hamburg. In one strong class they stood first, second, third and fifth.
Pre-show evaluations by breeders walking around the sale yard had the Parkers Bassingbourn Officer tipped to go all the way but he had to be satisfied with a blue card in his class.
Officer was beaten by Bassingbourn Orlando which made 4800gns to A and J McIlwrick, Newton Stewart.
Averages 45 senior bulls £2181 (down £93), 43 intermediate bulls £3300 (up £215), and 43 junior bulls £2980 (up £157). (Harrison and Hetherington.) *
Oscars beefy price
THE day after the Carlisle Charolais breed society sale, a son of Bassingbourn Jetstream made 4000gns at a collective sale of beef bulls at Perth.
The bull, Blelack Navajo, was consigned from Neil Massies herd in Aberdeenshire. He had a 400-day-weight of 738kg and headed back north to Thurso wth buyer G A Clyne.
Bonerbo Oregon, a Belgian Blue bull by Galopeur Des Hayons from John Stevenson and Co, Fife made 3800gns to G J Graham, West Lothian. (United Auctions.) *
Perth A-As to 5000gns
ISLAY farmer Mark French, who has been farming on the island for 20 years, paid the top price of 5000gns at the dispersal of Douglas Crichtons Broadmeadows Aberdeen Angus herd at Perth last weekend.
Mr French, who runs just five pedigree cows alongside commercial sucklers, claimed Netherton Bellsam, a 1995-bred son of TLA Northern Samurai, weighing 1330kg and in the breeds top 1% on EBV.
Broadmeadows Erini, an 11-month-old heifer by Netherton Kojak, made 3000gns to Robin and Nancy Orr, Dunfermline, while a 2400gns call from R Lee, Fortrose, Ross-shire secured Heath House Erica 6th, suckling a heifer calf by Bellsam and in calf to him again.
Midlothian breeders Messrs Logan paid 2300gns for the young cow Eulyn of the Moss – suckling a Bellsam bull calf – and Broadmeadows Joyful, a daughter of the Canadian bull Double A Willie boy, with a heifer at foot. (United Auctions.) *
Plenty keen on top Limousins
SCOTTISH Borders Limousin breeder Richard Oates, who has cornered the market with his regular on-farm sales of BLUP scored bulls, sold 40 head last weekend to average £2761.
Only two weeks after the breed societys main sale at Carlisle there were still plenty of bidders looking for sires with performance figures.
It was a son of Haltcliffe Hercules, the herds most noteable sire, that topped the day at 7000gns. Lumbylaw Needlesandpins is bred out of a Martini dam and has a Beef Value of 24 and 400-day-weight of 573kg. Buyers were K Stewart and Sons, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.
Yorkshire buyers K Hall and Sons, Huddersfield, paid 4800gns for Lumbylaw Northberwick, another by Hercules with a Beef Value of 13. Lumbylaw Newcastle, also sired by hercules out of a Goldies Viscount cow and with a Beef Value of 21, made 4300gns to J Nelson, Castle Douglas, while another by the same sire, Lumbylaw Nevertheless, boasted a Beef Value of 23 to attract a 4000gns call from E Milburn and Sons, Morpeth, Northumberland.
Trade settled again at 4000gns for Lumbylaw Northpole, a Hercules son out of a Goldies Thriller cow with a Beef Value of 25. Buyers were J Baird and Sons, Jedburgh. (Harrison and Hetherington.) *
Big Holstein event
THE largest sale of Holstein cattle in the UK this year brought 764 head under the hammer when the Twelveacres herd was sold for Beecroft Farms, Middlewich, Cheshire.
Top call was 2000gns for the June 1977-bred red-and-white bull Baileys Mr Bonny Red, a son of Elm Park Mister and out of a Citation dam. Buyers were F R Hidderley and Sons, Lichfield.
The two-day sale brought intense interest in the heavy milking Joy family with a selection of high-index ET-bred heifers by Slocum, Juror, Mascot, Patron and Raider.
Leading the females at 1650gns was Twelveacres Slocum Centennial Joy C, due in August to Hanoverhill Spirit. Another from the Joy family by Juror made 1500gns. Both heifers were bought by Mr and Mrs S Lomax who are setting up a new herd at Farndon, Chester. A third Mascot x Joy heifer also made 1500gns to Graham Ward, Madeley, Staffs.
Averages 424 cows £525, eight stock bulls £637, 58 served heifers £639, 142 maiden heifers £429, 49 heifer calves £268, and 11 young bulls £357. (Frank R Marshall and Co.) *