Strong trade as Simmentals take the ring at Perth

The Simmental breed enjoyed a good trade yesterday at the Perth bull sales with an equal record price of 22,000 guineas and an average of £4,841 for 108 bulls, which was up £482 on the year for 25 more sold.

Breed society secretary Neil Shand said he thought it was one of the best quality shows of bulls seen for a long time and added that thanks to promoting the health advantages of the breed, it was much in demand from commercial buyers.

There were some breeders’ bulls forward too though, with top price of the day going to Finlay and Neil McGowan of Incheoch, Alyth. They were delighted when their first prize bull, Dirnanean Bradley, was knocked down to Iain & Jimmy Green of Corskie, Fochabers.

The second best price of the day was 16,000gns for the reserve junior champion from Billy Macpherson of Blackford, Croy, Inverness, brought out by daughter Anne. Blackford Ben Mhor was bought by new breeder Richard McCulloch of Overhill House, Armadale, West Lothian.

The overall and intermediate champion, Corrick Benson from Cecil McIlwaine of Newtownstewart, Northern Ireland, made 12,000gns to Brian Grant, Druid Temple Farm, Inverness.

Douglas Smith, 27, has just five cows of his own in the Boswell herd which runs alongside his parents’ better-known Drumsleed herd at Fordoun, Laurancekirk, so he was delighted with his best price to date of 10,000gns for Boswell. He was bought by Terry Coghill of Muce, Birsay, Orkney.

The first bull in the ring was Newbiemains Apache from Jim & Patricia Goldie of Newbie Mains, Annan. He made 9500gns to D & I Cornthwaite of Balgray Hill, Lockerbie.

Hector MacAskill of Woodhall, Dunbar, sold the best from his pen, Woodhall Brandon, for 8500gns to D Leslie of Redhill Farm, Elgin.

The Borlase family from Perrywood Farm, Hertford, received 8000gns for Sacombe Balmoral from A Jukes of Swallowhill House, Sandbourne, Kent.

John Dykes, who runs the Mendick herd at South Slipperfield, West Linton, sold Mendick Butch for 7800gns to Boddington Estates, The Manor, Cheltenham.