Saler first for NI
Young bull proves pick of Blonde dAquitaines
By Jeremy Hunt
ONE of the youngest bulls in the saleyard proved unbeatable at last weeks early spring show and sale for the Blonde dAquitaine Breeders Society.
Hilltop Nick, bred and shown by local farmer Andrew Stott, was a winner of his class under judge Neil Sutherland (Biggar, Lanark-shire) and made the days top price of 3500gns.
Although only 15-months-old, this son of Hadley Upstart stood out for his overall maturity of conformation, clean lines and fleshing. Capably shown and moving freely on good limbs, he notched up yet another Carlisle success for his dam Letton Forte by taking the junior and overall male championship.
Forte was bought as an eight-month-old calf at the Letton herd dispersal for 800gns. Her progeny have earned back this investment many times over and include another son that sold for 3800gns at just 12-months-old.
Nick, who weighed 712kg on the day – 127kg above breed average – was bought by G and M J S Richardson, Nunthorpe, Middles-brough at 3500gns.
His nearest rival was Bridg-north, Shropshire breeder Roy Kinnishs Kinaston Night-Rider, a long and powerful 22-month-old bull by the Tonnerre son Bacton Gareth.
Bred out of one of the herds best producing females – the Bodenham Macqui-sired Kinaston Vicky – Night-Rider took the senior bull award and reserve overall male title and made 3000gns to Ellemford Farms, Duns, Berwickshire.
This sales overall entry appeared to be depleted, with some northern breeders saying last summers poor weather had pegged the growth rate of bulls prompting more entries to be moved forward to the May sale.
A bull that drew more than a few favourable comments from the ringside, despite standing fourth in his class, was Paragon Blondes Paragon Napoleon from their small herd at Hexham, Northumberland.
Great breeding line
He is sired by the French bull Everest and out of that great breeding line of Adrian McLures tracing back to Westwind. Napoleon is out of the Stocksfield Aristocrat sired Ganaway Inwind and, although bucket-reared, achieved a 400-day weight of 607kg – 82kg above breed average. Napoleon made 2700gns to T D Clark, Kelso.
Standing out for his muscling and clean gut was Ian Archers Marstonmill Nymrod, a Genus Hero son out of a Totteridge dam by Abricot from his herd at Coventry. He weighed 582kg at 400 days and went for 2000gns to R Mitchell and Sons, Hawick, Roxburghshire.
Also at 2000gns was the second prize winning Rayneside Nathan, a successful combination of Totteridge and Druk breeding from L and P A Haygarth, Penrith. Buyers were J W Walmsley and Son, Tadcaster, North Yorks.
And Fred Murray, a regular buyer of Blonde bulls at this sale to work on sucklers at Wooler, North-umberland, also spent 2000gns in the Druk-bred Doncombe Oligarchie from David Knights herd at Chippenham, Wilts.
The supreme ticket went to a maiden heifer from Northern Ireland breeder Adrian McClure. Ganaway Nightingale is another from the alignment between Stocksfield Aristocrat and Mr McLures legendary brood cow Westwind.
Nightingale is full sister to Ganaway Edelweiss, the top beef cow in Northern Ireland for four consecutive years and Ganaway Fiona, the supreme champion at last years Royal Highland Show and Royal Show.
"Westwind was born in 1985 and was bought with her dam as a suckling calf. She been an outstanding asset to the herd," said Mr McLure who runs 30 cows – including four full sisters to Nightingale – in his herd in Co Down.
But buyers were not in the market for a show heifer of this calibre and Nightingale was withdrawn unsold. There was some consolation when the top female price of 1750gns was paid for another entry from the same herd, the reserve female champion Ganaway Nora.
This maiden heifer by Whistley Dollar is out of a full sister to Nightingale. Nora heads for the Isle of Man with J Chadwick.
Averages 18 bulls £1676; two reject bulls £1525, eight cows £887. (Harrison and Hetherington) *
2100gns high at Ayrshire sale
NEARLY 300 Ayrshire cattle went under the hammer last weekend when Carnwath-based dairy farmer Willie Greenshields dispersed his Greenshields herd at Lanark.
The herd is well known as the home of Low Milton Dolly 8th, the highest yielding Ayrshire cow in the UK for five out of the past six years.
Buyers from Northern Ireland competed with Scottish and northern England enthusiasts whose most spirited bidding came for Greenshields Judy 3rd, a 1995-bred cow by Harperfield Blushing Groom. Buyers at 2100gns were Messrs O M Lyndsay who bred the sire in their herd at Lanark and whose bull has been widely used at Greenshields for many years.
Greenshields Brenda 3rd, by the same bull, realised 1550gns to the same buyers.
The young cow Rulesmains Jemima 4th, by Bargower Odds On Favourite, made 860gns to J S Miller, Airdrie. She was bred out of a Ben Ferne Amigo dam and is due in June to Rulesmains Border High Value. She gave 6850kg as a heifer.
Daughters of Blushing Groom were sought after, including the 1994-bred cow Greenshields Clara 3rd which was sold freshly calved and made 840gns to J McGarva, Annan.
Averages: 58 in-calf cows £447, 23 in-calf heifers £411, 26 in-milk cows £623 and nine in-milk heifers £460. (Lawrie and Symington) *
Dodgsontown glee
TWO bulls from the Dodgsonstown herd made the top price and took the championship at the Galloway Cat-tle Societys spring date at Carlisle.
From T V Blair and Son, Roadhead, both were sons of Midas of Dodgsonstown. The champion was unsold, but his herdmate Clinton of Dodgsonstown made 2800gns to P Gilroy, Castle Douglas.
Averages: Six Galloway bulls £1067 and seven Whitebred Shorthorn bulls £997. (Harrison and Hetherington.) *
Saler first for NI
THE first official Northern Ireland sale of Saler cattle was held at Automart, Portadown, where there was a lively trade for pedigree entries and Saler-cross cows. Top call was 2120gns for a freshly calved heifer from Farmstock Genetics, Selkirk sold with her heifer calf by Cumbrian Thunderbird. (Automart). *