Impressive Carlisle Lims top at 9500gns
Impressive Carlisle Lims top at 9500gns
LIMOUSIN bull sales at Carlisle last week topped 9500gns, while there was 15 bids at 5000gns and over and an average of £2664 for 121 bulls.
This was no mean achievement for Limousin breeders following so closely on the heels of Perth. The average was just £2 down on the 2000 spring sale when 124 bulls were sold. Last week saw fewer bulls forward – 223 catalogued – but discerning buyers were taking more notice of performance data.
Average quality sires without figures, which would previously have sold, are now appealing to fewer buyers. This undoubtedly had an impact on the clearance rate of just 60%.
There were wide variations in the age section averages reflecting higher quality and greater demand for younger sires. The 39 junior bulls averaged £3269, up by £741, but 25 seniors were down £488 at £2113 and 47 intermediates eased by £63 to level at £2572.
The biggest investments came for younger bulls and while several youthful red-card winners under Welsh judge Simon Thomas (Drysgol) were among the most expensive, it was a third prize winner that set the crowd alight.
And it was fitting that it should be a Welsh bull. David and Aled Edwards from Llandovery saw Dyfri Pascal top the trade at 9500gns.
This full-French bred bull is by Jockey and is full-brother to Neutron which sold in the same ring for 14,000gns in 1999. Pascal has a beef value of 34 putting him in the top 1% of the breed. He joins the 20-cow Heathlands herd of Brian Carter at Kings Lynn, Norfolk, who selected Pascal primarily on performance figures.
Proctors Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, Lancs – joint owners of the 14,000gns Neutron – were in action when farm manager Gary Swindlehurst gave 8000gns for Kype Paquebot. He is by Heros son Cloughhead Lord.
Another Lord son from the same home, Kype Ploughman, was sold on the phone to David and Mary Cormack. They are establishing a new herd under the Newstart prefix when David leaves his job after seven years as herd manager for the Ryedale herd following its massive reduction next week.
Jim Goldie sold the Lascard-sired Goldies Pettyofficer at 7500gns to M E Brown, Aspatria, Carlisle, while suckled calf producer John Reed of Bishop Auckland gave 7000gns for Cumbria breeders Matt and Craig Ridleys Haltcliffe Placido, a Rachels Fuzzy son.
A best-yet price for Yorks vendor Geoff Rowson came with a 6500gns call for Rombalds Pedro, last years Great Yorkshire Show reserve champion. This Dauphin son has a beef value of 28 and heads for the Newhouse herd of Robert Adam, Forfar.
Lockerbie-based Stephen Illingworth stood supreme with Tygwyn Picalo. The bull was unsold in the ring, but a half share deal was struck later at 6000gns with C R Raine and Sons, Hexham (Harrison and Hetherington). *