When it comes to producing a solid Stirling Bull Sales trade, the Charolais rarely disappoint.
As with every breed over the February series of sales the auctioneering team at United Auctions had to work a little harder than usual to winkle out the bids, but Tuesday they had a good run of 15 five-figure bulls to enliven proceedings, and a good average of £6,821 for 136 sold through the ring.
This was a clearance rate of 76% and a £283 rise on last year’s equivalent sale.
The Charolais were the only breed of the nine forward over the two weeks of the February Stirling sales to record an increase.
British Charolais Cattle Society chief executive David Benson said: “This has been a fantastic sale supported by the commercial buyers. We have worked hard to position the Charolais as the terminal sire breed of choice, and it is paying off.
“Performance figures are proving themselves to be important, especially for easy calving.”
Top price of the day was 18,000gns for a bull from a small herd in the far north of Scotland. Freelance stockman Ronnie MacKay, Lyth Mains, Lybster, Caithness, may only have had one entry for the sale but it was a good one. Clyth Indestructable is an AI son of Goldies Eddy and is a heifer’s calf out of Clyth Frolic.
Her dam is Clyth Vanilla, bought as a calf inside her mother Holestead Rebecca for 1,600gns in Perth in 2002.
With only five cows in his herd, Mr McKay regards his enterprise as a hobby, but has built his herd on good foundations. Clyth Vanilla is the dam of the 16,000gns 2008 Perth junior champion Clyth Diplomat.
Clyth Indestructable’s new owner is GW Turner, Brampton Hall, Ripon, Yorkshire.
There were two trades at the 16,000gns level, with the first going to North Ireland breeder Brian McAllister, Kells, Ballymena, for Burnside Indian, a son of the aforementioned Clyth Diplomat.
The buyer was pedigree and commercial breeder Michael Durno, from Auchorachan, Glenlivet. Indian’s dam Sandelford Deva was bought privately for 6,500gns and is a full sister to bulls which have sold to 25,000gns.
The second 16,000gns sale came when a delighted Chris Curry, Low Burradon, Thropton, Northumberland, saw his Burradon Insomniac knocked down to pedigree breeder John Jeffrey, Kerseknowe, Kelso.
This one is by a well-proven sire, the 12,000gns Gwenog Banjo, whose sons have previously sold to 26,000gns and 22,000gns. Insomniac is one of the last crop off Banjo by natural service.
The junior champion from Neil Massie and son Graeme at Blelack, Aboyne, sold for 14,000gns jointly to Chris Curry and his near neighbours the Campbell family at Thrunton.
Blelack Imperialist is by the Galcantray Champagne son Blelack Forbes and out of Blelack Bluerinse.
Early in the sale Alan Lawson, South Farm, Hallington, Newcastle, saw healthy bidding for his Alsnow Imperial. This Puntabrava Federico son was knocked down to commercial producers RB Millar & Sons, Prieston, Tealing, Dundee, for 12,000gns. Federico is by famous sire Dingle Hofmeister and is shared with the Burradon herd.
There was to be another sale at 12,000gns when the overall and intermediate champion from Hamish Goldie, South Bowerhouses, Dumfries, fell under the hammer to JA Wilson & Sons, Kinclune, Glenkindie, Alford. Goldies Iavan is by Blelack Edition and out of Dingle Hofmeister daughter Goldies Eleanor.
Senior champion Balthayock Imperial from Major David Walter, Balthayock, Glencarse, started a good run for the herd selling at 11,000gns to GT Wordie, Cairnborrow, Huntly.
Imperial is by Blelack Forester, a bull shared with the Newhouse and Balmyle herds.
Major Walter is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of performance testing, and Imperial is rated in the top 5% of the national herd with a Terminal Sire Index of +64 and a Self Replacing Index of +56.
Alastair Houston, Gretna House, Gretna, sold at 11,000gns to H McDonald, Mains of Dalvey, Alvey, Morayshire.
Gretnahouse Ivor is by 12,000gns stock bull Wesley Equinox, a 12,000gns purchase at Carlisle in 2011.
Another in the cluster selling at 11,000gns was Harestone Ingot from Neil Barclay, Harestone, Insch. This is one of the first sons by February 2012 reserve Stirling champion Inverlochy Ferdie. The buyer was J Warnock & Sons, Dreva, Biggar.
The last 11,000gns deal of the day came at the end of the sale with junior bull Elgin Isaac from Roy Milne, Kennieshillock, Elgin, going to CA Smith, Wester Coull, Tarland. Isaac is by Balmyle Bollinger, and his dam Elgin Electra is a full sister to the 20,000gns Elgin Davinci.
There was one 10,500gns transaction with Archie MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, selling to T & H McKellar, Craigroy, Dallas, Moray. This was for Allanfauld Iceberg , a son of the 11,000gns Woodpark Elgin, a bull shared with Wallace Brown.
To round off the 15 sales at five figures there were three on the 10,000gns mark.
The first was one from Major Walter, Balthayock, selling Ugies Echo son Balthayock Ignatius to Caylers Charolais, Royston, Hertfordshire. Ignatius is out of Balthayock Felicity, a daughter of the 22,000gns Balbithan Vespasian.
The next was the junior reserve champion Goldies Icon from Hamish Goldie, which is off to join new owner JA Connolly, Brigadoon Charolais, Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland.
The third at 10,000gns was Neil Barclay’s Harestone Inverness, another son of Inverlochy Ferdie. The buyer was JA Cruikshank, Coleburn, Longmorn, Elgin.
Meanwhile, an entry of 15 Charolais females sold to average £2,867.
The top price was the 400gns paid for the pre-sale female champion Goldies Happy by Blelack Edition.
This 27-month-old heifer was sold to a Mr Ceregan and has been served by Goldies Formidable.
The reserve female champion Goldies Havanna, also from Mr Goldie, sold for 3,800gns.
By Blelack Edition and in-calf to Goldies Gladiator she sold to Mr A Wright, Pinmore Mains, Girvan, Ayrshire.
* Champions were as follow.
Judge: Michael Massie, Mains of Elrick, Ellon.
Overall and intermediate champion: Hamish Goldie, South Bowerhouses, Ruthwell, Dumfries, with Goldies Ivan, by Blelack Edition.
Reserve overall and reserve intermediate champion: Neil and Stuart Barclay, South Road, Insch, with Harestone Imran, by Inverlochy Ferdie.
Senior champion: Major David Walter, the Garden House, Balthayock, Perth, with Balthayock Imperial, by Blelack Forester.
Reserve senior champion: Roy, Jim, Matthew and Sam Milne, Kennies Hillock, Lhanbryde, Elgin, with Elgin Ivanhoe, by Caylers Gladiator.
Junior champion: Neil and Graham Massie, Blelack Farm, Logie Coldstone, Aboyne, with Blelack Imperialist, by Blelack Forbes.
Reserve junior champion: Hamish Goldie, with Goldies Icon, by Goldies Uppermost.
Female champion: Hamish Goldie, with Goldies Happy, by Blelack Edition.
Reserve female champion: Hamish Goldie, with Goldies Havanna, by Blelack Edition.