Gretnahouse Tequila selling for 50,000gns (€60,000) slammed the female breed record price of 27,000gns held by Decrespigny Debutante since 1989 and set a new Charolais centre record at Carlisle at the Gretnahouse dispersal sale. The atmosphere at the sale, held at Harrison and Hetherington at Carlisle on Saturday 18 November 2023, was electric, as a packed ringside watched this November-2022 born Lochend Nighthawk daughter out of homebred Gretnahouse Orangina claim the female breed record title, a fitting tribute to a life time’s work, dedication and breeding achievements of the late Alasdair Houston.
Gretnahouse Tequila selling for 50,000gns (€60,000) slammed the female breed record price of 27,000gns held by Decrespigny Debutante since 1989 and set a new Charolais centre record at Carlisle at the Gretnahouse dispersal sale.
The atmosphere at the sale, held at Harrison and Hetherington at Carlisle on Saturday 18 November 2023, was electric, as a packed ringside watched this November-2022 born Lochend Nighthawk daughter out of homebred Gretnahouse Orangina claim the female breed record title, a fitting tribute to a life time’s work, dedication and breeding achievements of the late Alasdair Houston.
Gretnahouse Tequila heads to another famous breeder, Boden & Davies Ltd, who run Sportsmans Pedigree Livestock.
Boden and Davies Ltd also paid 10,000gns and 14,000gns respectively for two Westcarse Jimmy maiden heifers.
The first, Gretnahouse Tigresse, is an April-2022 born Gretnahouse Iugesse daughter and full sister to the 20,000gns Gretnahouse Primate who sold to the Goldies herd.
Gretnahouse Tara, the October 2022-born Westcarse Jimmy-sired daughter, sold for 14,000gns.
The second was Gretnahouse Tara, out of Gretnahouse Peauty by the 17,000gns Balthayock Gladiator, who was born in October 2022.
Average price
Twenty-two bulling heifers averaged £7,159.09 and other leading bulling heifer prices included 7,000gns for Gretnahouse Tusilla, an April 2022-born Gretnahouse Iusilla daughter who accompanied Gretnahouse Tiree at 4,500gns to the home of J W Miller.
Messrs J S Fraser picked up a Lochend Nighthawk-sired August 2022-born daughter Gretnahouse Tallahassee for 6,000gns and November 2022-born Gretnahouse Tosiris for 3,000gns.
The youngest animal in the yard, November 2022-born Gretnahouse Tinkabel, a Westcarse Jimmy daughter, was purchased for 5,000gns by Farmstock Genetics alongside September 2022-born Wesley Equinox-sired Gretnahouse Tootsie for 4,000gns.
Spring-calving cows
Twenty-five spring-calving cows with calves at foot exceeded five figures at an average of £10,516.80, topping at 23,000gns for a mother and daughter outfit.
Gretnahouse Unpopular sold with her April 2023-born heifer calf at foot for the combined price of 23,000gns.
J B & E Peilie Ltd, Penrith, Cumbria, paid 12,000gns for the heifer calf at foot Gretnahouse Unpopular out of the famous Paradise family, which was responsible for the 25,000gns Ubeauty.
This heifer calf was sired by Lochend Nighthawk and born in April 2023.
C Smeaton & Sons, Forfar, Angus, selected the popular 17,000gns Balthayock Gladiator-sired March 2019-born dam at 11,000gns, Gretnahouse Popular, sold back in-calf to Lochend Nighthawk.
Gretnahouse Raradise (cow) sold for 13,000gns, while her heifer calf was knocked down at 5,000gns.
At 13,000gns was Gretnahouse Raradise scanned backed in-calf again to Lochend Nighthawk. This March 2020-born West Carse Jimmy daughter was purchased by D Coppinger, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and her heifer calf at foot, April 2023-born Gretnahouse Uradise, was snapped up for 5,000gns by J Wight & Sons, Midlock, Biggar, Lanarkshire.
Strathisla Farms, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, purchased dam Gretnahouse Ogaradise, a March 2018-born Westcarse Jimmy daughter for 7,000gns, and Strathisla stockman Mr A G Borthwick purchased Lochend Nighthawk daughter at foot April 2023-born Gretnahouse Ugaradise for 3,500gns.
Lochend Nighthawk, the Gretnahouse stock bull, sold for 28,000gns.
W & C S Robb, Mauchline, Ayrshire, paid 7,500gns for a March 2023-born bull calf Gretnahouse Ultra whose full brother sold for 9,500gns, while the dam Gretnahouse Okra was added to E Vaughan’s Partridge Nest Farm, Newcastle Under Lyme, purchased at 5,800gns.
Autumn-calving cows
Twelve autumn-calving cows with calves at foot averaged £5,512.50.
Northern Ireland breeders C Todd, Lisburn, Co Antrim, paid 10,000gns for March 2019-born Gretnahouse Peauty, out of Gretnahouse Beauty (ET), the mother of the 15,000gns Gretnahouse Henman - she was sold with her September 2023-born bull calf at foot Gretnahouse Uproar.
Gretnahouse Utopia, an April 2023-born son of Lochend Nighthawk, sold for 16,000gns.
Next in the leading autumn-calving prices was 7,200gns for Gretnahouse Obaywatch, the last daughter of the influential Gretnahouse Baywatch by Blelack Fabulous, with her October 2023-born bull calf at foot, Gretnahouse Urchin. This pair sold to Claire Ferris, Millisle, Co Down.
W Mundell & Son, Clovenfords, Galashiels, paid 5,500gns for the March 2017-born Balthayock Gladiator-sired Gretnahouse Nana, with her Lochend Nighthawk-sired September 2023-born heifer calf at foot Gretnahouse Uana.
At the same money of 5,500gns, G Harvard, Brecon, Powys, added Gretnahouse Onnabel, a Blelack Digger daughter, with her twin bull calves at foot, to his Charolais herd in mid-Wales.
Averages
The average sale prices hit some very high levels:
25 spring calving cows with calves at foot @ £10,516.80 (€12,088).12 autumn calving cows with calves at foot @ £5,512.50 (€6,335).3 in-calf cows @ £5,005 (€5,752).11 in-calf heifers @ £5,937.27 (€6,824).22 bulling heifers @ £7,159.09 (€8,228).1 stock bull @ £29,400 (€33,793). 
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