Top price and title to Lancs Simmentals
Top price and title to Lancs Simmentals
By Jeremy Hunt
North-west correspondent
THE Wood family from Lancs swept the board at Perth this week, taking the Simmental championship and selling the top price bull for 12,000gns.
Jimmy and Vicky Woods impressive bull Popes Laird collected the title under judge Terry Coghill from Orkney. He was bred from their small herd at Dutton, near Preston, where they also have a butchery business.
"He is a bull of great power and balance, tremendous shape, clean-gutted and bags of character and style," said British Simmental Society secretary Roger Trewhella.
Laird is by Salisbury Challenger and out of the Brinkton Sovereign sired cow Greenside Trixie-Belle 5th. He has a 400-day weight of 766kg – 166kg above breed average – and his beef value of SM37 ranks him in the breeds top 1% on performance records.
Like the 18 bulls that sold for 5000gns and over, he stays in Scotland. Laird was bought by Jimmy and Ian Green, who run 500 suckler cows and about 60 pedigree Simmentals in Morayshire.
In total, 114 bulls sold, from 129 forward, levelling at £3374, compared with last Februarys £2908 for 93 transactions.
Intermediate champion, Burgh-bridge Landmark, from C J Clarkes herd at Ipswich, Suffolk, achieved the second highest price of 8000gns. By Agardsley Elgar and out of a Heywood Andrew cow, he has a beef value of SM25 and goes to Islay with buyers Gavin and Amanda Doyle.
The third price bull, at 700gns, was the first-prize winning Omega Lennox from Canon Henry Moore, Co Tyrone, Ulster, bought jointly by WAPenny, Duns, Berwickshire, and Finlay McGowan, Alyth, Perthshire.
Reserve champ was one of two bulls to make 6500gns. Beechtree Legend, consigned by East Yorks breeder DC Burkill, is by Milnafua Gunfire and has a beef value of SM31. Buyers were W J Fraser and Son, Glenlivet, Banffshire.
Tillymaud Liberation, a son of South Park VIP from Tillymaud Farms, Aberdeenshire, also made 6500gns to D C Marshall, Biggar.
Another high-ranking performance bull is the Dovefields Gallant sired Skerrington Milennium from John Youngs herd at Kilmarnock. He boasts a beef value of SM37 and made 6300gns.
Suffolk breeder Mr Clarke had another top price when Burghbridge Legend, by Heywood Andrew, changed hands at 6000gns.
There were two other 6000gns deals when Blair Castle Estate, Perth, bought Tillylair Lynchpin from I Hunter, and Auchenleck Estates, Glasgow, snapped up Kilbride Farm Lifford from W * Robson and Sons herd in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Four bulls settled at 5500gns including two Blackford bulls by Rosten Barney from W G McPherson, Inverness. The two others at this figure were Orlando Liam from P and M Forrester, Forfar, and Drumsleed Legend from G W Smith, Aberdeen (United Auctions). *