Caledonian Marts at Stirling on Saturday hosted what general manager John Kyle described as “probably the best spring show and sale we have had the place was buzzing”.
The prices achieved certainly reflected his view, with the open champion selling for £4,600 and the Clyde and Central Young Farmers’ champion fetching £4,000, a record for the competition.
The Young Farmers’ championship and top price went to brothers John and James Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blairdrummond, with a 470kg Limousin cross heifer bought at the Cally in November and bred by Willie Walker of Camgreggan, Girvan.
It sold to north-east show competitor Aileen Ritchie, Tamala, for £4,000 or £8.51 per kg.
For his reserve champion judge Blair Duffton, Huntly, chose a 445kg British Blue cross shown by Stephanie Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling.
This one was bought at the Cally from breeder Colin McCallum, of Strathnafanig, Tarbert, in September.
It also sold to Aileen Ritchie, this time for £3,300 or £7.41 per kg.
The ‘opposite sex to the champion’ award also went to the Graham brothers with yet another Cally purchase, this time from mart chairman James Cullens, of Dollarbank, Dollar.
This was a Limousin cross bullock calf weighing 535kg and sold to James Nisbet, of Sorn Mains, Ayrshire, for £1,700 or £3.11 per kg.
The open championship was won by a home-bred Limousin cross heifer from Hugh Dunlop, Holehouse, Ochiltree. Turning the scales at 380kg it sold to regular Cally spring show visitor Nigel Bunkum, Tragarrick, Cornwall, for the day’s top price of £4,600, or a very respectable £12.10 per kg.
The reserve open champion, a Limousin cross bullock calf from Shona Stevenson, showing for the family business of T Laird & Son, Sunnyside, Cumnock, weighed 410kg and sold to Gareth Scott, Meikle Ittington, of Ardrossan, for £1,850 or £4.51 per kg. Many of the total entry of 47 on Saturday would be bought with further showing in mind.
Results were as follow.
*Clyde and Central Young Farmers competition
Limousin champion John & James Graham; Charolais champion Raymond Kennedy 390kg to A Ritchie,Tamala, for £1,450; British Blue champion Stephanie Dick.
Bullock born 21/02/14 to 29/03/14 J & J Graham 535kg to J Nisbet, Sorn Mains, £1,700; 2 J MacKay 505kg to Paterson, Stoneykirk, £1,800; 3 S & B Harvey 455kg to A Waddell, Herdmans, £1,250.
Bullock born 7/04/14 to 15/05/14 1 K & A Morton 455kg to B Duffton, Huntly, £1,150; 2 C Gray 475kg to B Duffton £1,220; 3 S Dunn 520kg to T Clark, Wellhead, £1,200.
Heifer born 04/01/14 to 17/03/14 1 J & J Graham 470kg to A Ritchie, Tamala, £4,000; 2 S Dick 445kg to A Ritchie, Tamala, £3,300; 3 J Mackay 430kg to B Duffton, Huntly, £1,220.
Heifer born 17/03/14 to 06/04/14 1 A Weir 530kg to T Clark, Wellhead, £1,250; 2 K & A Morton 475kg to B Duffton £1,350; 3 R Wood 420kg to T Clark, Wellhead, £1,100.
Heifer born 13/04/14 to 31/05/14 1 R Kennedy 390kg A Ritchie, Tamala, £1,450; 2 J Rettie 450kg to B Duffton, Huntly, £1,400; 3 N Reid 430kg to B Duffton, Huntly, for £1,080.
*Open competition classes
Bullock born 13/03/14 to 28/05/14 1 T Laird & Son 410kg to G Scott, Meikle Ittington, for £1,850; 2 H Dunlop 425kg to N Bunkum, Treggarick, £1,900; 3 H Dunlop 385kg to B Duffton, Huntly, £1,650.
Heifer born 25/10/13 to 17/04/14 1 T Laird & Son 400kg to D Davidson, Keith, £2,600; 2 T Laird & Son 380kg to AR Kennedy, Overton, £1,550; 3 C Malone 535kg to W Dandie, Learielaw, £1,420.
Heifer born 19/04/14 to 01/07/14 1 H Dunlop 380kg to N Bunkum, Treggarick, for £4,600; 2 H Dunlop 405kg to B Duffton, Huntly, £1,500; 3 A MacGregor 315kg to J Dowie, Baluskie, £2,500.