Farming: Bull sale buyers at a premium

LIMOUSIN buyers were selective at Monday evening's Stirling's bull sale which saw the average drop £600 on the year to £3,888 for 56 sold and it was the same story yesterday with the Simmentals, where only the best bulls sold well.

The average of 4,359 was down 560 on the year for 86 sold, but the main difference was in the clearance of 66 per cent compared with 90 per cent in 2009.

Top price Limousin was 11,000gns for the overall and junior champion from Ronald Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling. Ronick Everest by Fieldson Topaz was second at the Highland Show and male champion at Perth in the summer. He was bought by J & P Carr Farms, Piddinghoe, East Sussex.

Jim Gibb, Toftcombs, Biggar, paid 8,500gns for the junior champion, Glenrock Eduardo from Mr and Mrs S D Illingworth, Howgillside, Lockerbie.

The senior champion, Grahams Davycooper from Robert and Jean Graham, Airthrey Kerse, Bridge of Allan, made 8,000gns to Ian and Alan Hunter, Dalchirla, Muthill, who were investing some of the cash made from the sale of their 90,000 Blackface shearling at Dalmally last week.

One of the early bulls sold made the top price of the day in the Simmental ring yesterday. The senior champion from Henry Widdicombe, Starline Apollo by the 20,000gns Slievenagh Talisman, sold for 12,000gns to Jim and John Jeffrey, Kerseknowe, Kelso.

At 11,000gns, the reserve overall and reserve junior champion, Drumacritten Arnold from Willie and Keith Nelson, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, went to Pitgaveny Farms, Elgin.

The Nelson's then teamed up with fellow Northern Ireland breeder Adrian Richardson to pay 10.000gns for the overall champion, Drumlone Anchor got by semen from a bull from 30 years ago called Siegfried. This one was brought out by Kenny Veitch, also of Co Fermanagh.

Snaigow Farming Partnership, Blairgowrie, purchased the intermediate champion, Drumsleed Ace, from Gerald and Morag Smith, Drumsleed, Laurencekirk, for 8,500gns.

Delfur Farms, Rothes, Banff, received 8,000gns for Delfur Avenger from Northern Ireland breeder, Neil McGeoch, Hazelton Simmentals, Dungannon.