Buyers record spend at Perth for Charolais
Buyers record spend at Perth for Charolais
By Jeremy Hunt
North-west correspondent
THE CHAROLAIS average bounced to a new record last week when 226 bulls changed hands at Perth to level at £4144 and achieve a top price of 25,000gns.
Buyers spent a record-breaking £1.1m on Charolais bulls and females and lifted the bull average by a hefty £715. But it was left to Welsh vet Esmor Evans and his two wagon loads of 50 bulls to pick-up the best spoils of a rock-solid trade.
The size of Mr Evans entry may have attracted some discontented murmuring from other sellers, but the Welsh wizard came out on top.
He sold the top-priced bull for 25,000gns and saw the cash-registers ring up £186,000 for the sale of 40 sires to produce an all-time record average for one vendor of £4661.
Four Northern Ireland breeders joined forces to make the top call for Maerdy Rudman, a son of the top-rated French bull Hermes, and out of a full sister to the £25,000 Maerdy Impeccable.
Cyril Millar of Coleraine, who partnered Stuart and David Bothwell, Gilbert Crawford and John Currie, summed up thebulls appeal: "Power, strength and great potential – he just turned us on," said Mr Currie.
The Goldie family is already re-establishing their pedigree herds following foot-and-mouth culls last spring and Jim Goldie was one of the joint buyers of the second highest price bull, when he, and Drew and Bob Adam (Forfar), snapped-up Blelack Rustic at 20,000gns.
Consigned by Aberdeenshire breeders Neil Massie and Sons, this son of Blelack Montgomery stood reserve intermediate champion and has a beef value in the breeds top 1%. The Massies sold 14 bulls to average an impressive £6360.
A determined 14,000gns call from Suffolk-breeder Paul Clements clinched the deal on Moyness Rendezvous, which collected the intermediate ticket for owner Sandy Innes, Nairn.
Rendezvous, by Maerdy Impeccable, has a beef value in the breeds top 10%, with a figure of 33. The Innes string of eight levelled at £5210.
The late Maerdy Grimaldi has made a big impact on Mr Evans herd and it was a son of his – Maerdy Rumbull – that drew a 10,000gns nod in a two-way split for Aberdeenshire breeders Bob Leggat and John Wilson.
Rumbull is out of the Royal Show champion cow Maerdy Empress, who is by the breeds unforgettable sire Tattenhall Impeccable.
Another Grimaldi son, Maerdy Ruler, realised 8000gns to the Goldie-Adam partnership.
The Maerdy influence was everywhere. Harestone Rialto – by the 12,000gns Maerdy Neptune – stood senior and reserve overall champion for Neil Barclay, Banchory. He heads back to northern Scotland with buyers WR and M Mill of Thurso at 8500gns.
East Sussex vendors BA and PT Heath were rewarded for a 500-mile trip with an 8000gns call for their Dingle Hofmeister-sired Sackville Rex. Buyers were DM Keay and Son, Kirriemuir.
Also at 8000gns was Midlock Ralf, an Alanfauld Nutcase son from John Wright, Biggar. Buyers were J and W Brown, Glasgow.
Local breeder Major David Walter offered the breeds top- rated beef value bull. Balthayock Randolph, by Hofmeister, has a performance index of 50 and changed hands at 8000gns to Orkney buyers Derek and Kathleen Gaudie.
The overall champion Lochend Royalflush made 8000gns and has a beef value of 33. He is out of Beeford Angelina, the breeds highest rated cow with a beef value of 45. Buyer was F Johnson, Co Durham (United Auctions). *
Top price bull and jackpot for Esmor Evans – Maerdy Rudman – sold for 25,000gns at Perth last week, one of 40 sales from the Welsh vets herd in Flintshire.