Charolais bull sales prove doom merchants wrong

A top price of 25,000 gns and a £62 increase in the sale average saw the Charolais breed meet a steady trade at United Auctions' Stirling bull sales yesterday.

A Charolais bull leaves the parade ring on the third and final day of the Stirling sales. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

An 82 per cent clearance rate saw 111 bulls selling to average £6,121 – a result which prompted outgoing breed chief executive, David Benson, to say that the “doom and gloom” merchants who had been predicting that Charolais had grown too large for the current commercial specifications had been proved wrong.

Taking the top price of the day was the reserve overall and reserve senior champion from Alasdair Houston’s Gretnahouse herd at Gretna Green – selling to Brendan and Greg Feeney’s Bastonia herd in southern Ireland.

Bob and Kay Adam’s Newhouse herd at Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar topped at 22,000 gns, selling to David Stobbart, Gladsmuir, Carlisle.

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Two bulls weighed in at 16,000gns, the first from Major Walter’s Balthayock herd at Perth, which went to Neil and Kirsty Blyth for their Marwood herd at Middleton House Farm, Hartlepool. The second came from Northern Irisih breeder Will Short’s Woodpark herd which sold to Jan Boomaars for the Vexour herd in Surrey.

Two bulls also hit the 12,000 gns mark – with John Irvine and son Raymond, of Inverlochy, Tomintoul, selling at this price to W and CS Robb, Chalmerston Farm, Mauchline, Ayrshire.

The second 12,000gn was made by Colin Wight of Carwood Farm, Biggar, who sold to J&W Kellas, of Raws Farm, Dufftown.

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