Gigolo is sire of moment but Cannon son is champ
Gigolo is sire of moment but Cannon son is champ
BULLS by the fashionable sire Greensons Gigolo made some of the top prices at the British Limousin Cattle Societys show and sale at Carlisle. But it was an outstanding son of the influential bull Broadmeadows Cannon that drew the top bid of 7800gns.
Show judge David Dick had been faced with a strong string of Gigolo sons from mid-Wales breeder Matthew Jones Bailea herd. They scooped a fair share of the tickets – in one class Gigolo sons (including one owned by the Gethin family) took the first three places.
But Cannon is not prepared to hand over to the heir apparent just yet and that was clear when Richard "Bart" Bartle and Christine Williams Nouvelle Nolimits confirmed his superiority by taking the junior title and finally the supreme championship.
Gigolo sons consistently impress on hindquarter development but Nolimits equally showed tremendous shape and great width.
"Hes a very good bull indeed," said Mr Dick who runs the Ronick herd at Mains of Throsk, Stirling. "Correct all through with wonderful muscling and showing excellent locomotion and free movement."
The Shropshire-based Bartle-Williams partnership has already produced some excellent progeny from Hartside Dream, dam of Nolimits. Another son has made 7200gns. Nolimits heads for Bishop Auckland to work in A Halls suckler herd at Hamsterley.
But Gigolo sons, who demonstrate their sires superior muscle scoring and EBV (LM62) won the hearts of many buyers. At 7200gns B Owen, Tywyn, Gwynedd, took Bailea Nobel, a second prize winner bred out of a Ronick Dominic dam. And Jim Hallam, owner of the Blackwood herd in Cheshire, invested 6200gns in Bailea Norseman, a great-ended bull out of a cow by Knolland Reality.
Norseman headed the class that saw two more Gigolo sons in second and third place, namely Bailea Nostromo and the Gethins Camlas Nigel from their herd at Newtown, Powys. Nostromo was unsold but Nigel realised 5500gns to D and J Thomson, Aberfeldy, Perthshire.
Several Welsh breeders brought out some of the days best bulls including mid-Wales based Chris and Fiona Jerman with their Glangwden Neil, a son of the Normande Fortress-sired Scorboro Ingot and out of a Ronick Cosmos cow. He stood reserve junior champion and made 6000gns to A R Prichard, St Nicholas, Cardiff.
The Jones family have not yet sold a Gigolo female from their herd and their value is being proved through sons they are producing by the imported bull Imposant. Bailea Noggin is one of this generation. He stood third in his class and made 5200gns to Evans Bros, Oswestry, Shropshire.
Judge Mr Dicks own Ronick Noteworthy is a Calice son out of the great producer Broadmeadows Ainsi, dam of Cannon. This November 1997-bred bull had a 400-day weight of 538kg and heads for Co Antrim with Thomas Clyde at 5000gns for his Clydesdale herd.
Senior bulls are often unfairly discounted as buyers prefer to invest in the younger entry but the depth of quality on offer here saw the 32 seniors increase their average by £400 to £2632. Among the most fancied was Powys breeder D W Evans Whitelow Nemesis, by a home-bred son of Cloughhead Charlie. He was taken at 5000gns by G C White and Son, Barnard Castle, Co Durham.
And leading Cheshire stock breeder Denis Lomas brought out a stylish son of Fanfan that lost nothing in shape despite his impressive scale.
Out of a Goldies Gigolo dam he won his class and made 4800gns to the Firm of Slaughland Farm, Midlothian.
Averages: 32 senior bulls £2632; 41 intermediate bulls £2583; 41 junior bulls £2722. (Harrison and Hetherington) *