Limousin quality outshines the quantity

Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 00:00

IT WAS the turn of Limousin bulls to come under the hammer at Stirling yesterday. There were significantly fewer forward than last year when the clearance rate was poor so Limousin Cattle Society chief executive Iain Kerr was delighted with an average of £5,202 for 75 sold, a rise of £1,445 on February 2011 and a clearance rate of 88 per cent.

Kerr said there was tremendous confidence in the breed which stems not only from their easy-calving and easy-care traits but also the fact they are meeting specifications at every level from processors through to butchers and retailers.

He said: “Last year the breed sold £7.3million worth of pedigree stock, £1m up on the previous year, and as this is the first sale of 2012, we are on target to improve on that again.”

Against a backdrop of falling cow numbers, the Limousin is increasing its share and he added: “The cattle business is not about popularity, it is about profitability and the Limousin breed is ticking all the boxes.”

The sale came alight towards the end when the Newhouse consignment of black and red bulls from Bob and Kay Adam at Glamis came into the ring and averaged £8,377 for nine sold. Their best price was 16,000gns for Newhouse Black Fullback from Keith Redpath, Spylaw, Kelso.

Then Newhouse Black Frisky by was quickly knocked down to Murray Alexander, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, for 15,000gns.

The best of their red bulls was the second-prize Newhouse Fabian, which made 9,000gns to Robert Paton, Easter Greenhill, Falkirk, while Newhouse Black Freelander made 8,000gns to Islay breeder C MacMillan of Ballimartin and Newhouse Black Festival was knocked down for 7,500gns to AL Jones, Gwynedd, Wales.

The senior and overall champion was Elrick Falcon from Mike Massie, Mains of Elrick, Ellon, which made 12,000gns to the Alexander family, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie.

Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, The Dyke, Milton-of Campsie, received 11,000gns for their reserve senior champion, from Malcolm Coubrough, Whelphill, Biggar.

Seventeen-year-old Stephanie Dick from Westerton of Cowie, Stirling, was thrilled when her first ever bull through the ring made 10,500gns. She is the granddaughter of veteran breeder David Dick and Stephick Flashi, which was junior champion, was purchased by W Corrie, Drumhilla Farms, Northern Ireland.

At 8,800gns, J King, South Hill of Drip, Thorntonhall, secured Brims Farley from Gary and Lesley Oag, Brims Mains, Thurso. The Oags also had the intermediate and reserve overall champion in Brims Flashman which made 7,200gns to Billy Aitken, Preston, Linlithgow.

Matt and Craig Ridley run 100 pedigree Limousins at Haltcliffe, Cumbria, and their reserve junior champion, Haltcliffe Franco made 7500gns to commercial producers, J & J Wylie, Knockhouse, Dunfermline.

Salers bulls sold to a top of 5,600gns for a third-prize bull, Whitebog Fantastic, from Alasdair MacKenzie, Whitebog, Fortrose, sold to Sophie Manners, Greenfoot, Hawick.

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