Trade was on fire at United Auctions, Stirling, on Monday, as the sale of Charolais, Simmental, Salers and Luing breeds took centre stage. Records were smashed across the board, as both commercial and pedigree buyers came out in force to secure bulls for the upcoming breeding season.
The Simmental breed produced their best sale on record, as 94 bulls sold to a breed record average of £9,832 (€11,842), up over £2,000 on the same sale last year.
Boosting that average was the intermediate and overall champion, Hemingford Prince Charming 23 who sold for a breed record of 56,000gns (€70,826).
Regarded by many as one of the best Simmental bulls shown at Stirling in recent years, this stylish 22-month-old bull was exhibited by Cambridgeshire breeders James and Rachel Griffin.
He is sired by Saltire Jaguar 18, while his dam is the Saltire Gregg 15 ET daughter, Hemingford Joy.
Not only did he display an outstanding phenotype, Prince Charming also offered a terminal index of +110 and a self-replacing index of +119.
After some brisk bidding, he was eventually knocked to the Green family for their well known Corskie herd in Morayshire.
Corskie trio
It was the Corskie family that achieved the next three highest prices. Leading their charge at 26,000gns (€32,883) was the October 2023 born Corskie Prime 23, a son of the Irish-bred Rathnashan Leonardo ET and Corskie La-Eanna. Wrapping up this second-prize winner was the Wood family of Popes' Farm.
Corskie Prime 23, which sold for 26,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography
Irish breeding was also behind the overall junior champion, Corskie Pirate 23, who sold for 20,000gns (€25,295). He is sired by Rathnashan Magnum while his mother is a home-bred daughter of Corskie Dubai 12. Corskie Pier rounded of a fantastic day for the herd, selling for 20,000gns (€25,295).
Charolais on fire
There was a phenomenal demand for Charolais bulls, as 93 bulls sold for an all-breeds record average of £12,153 (€14,638), resulting in a record clearance of 99%. Driving this trade was commercial farmers, who secured some of the highest priced lots, including the highest priced bull at 36,000gns (€45,531).
Burradon Uranium, which sold for 36,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography
Receiving that price tag was Chris Curry from Northumberland for his June 2023-born bull, Burradon Uranium. This stylish first-prize winner is a son of the French-bred stock bull, Tweeddale Rio, while his mother is a daughter of the Irish-bred sire, Clenagh Lyle. Commercial farmer G T Wordie from Aberdeenshire had the last call on this much fancied lot.
Harestone champion
Selling at 35,000gns (€44,266) was the intermediate and overall champion, Harestone Uplift, exhibited by the Barclay family from Aberdeenshire. This June 2023-born bull is a son of Goldies Oasis and a home-bred daughter of Inverlochy Ferdie going back to a long line of Harestone females. He was purchased in a two-way partnership between the Sportsmans fold and Kedzlie Farm Ltd.
Harestone Uplift, overall Charolais champion which sold for 35,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography
Harestone also received the next highest price of 32,000gns (€40,472) for Harestone Umpire, who was earlier awarded the senior champion by Judge John MacGregor from the Allanfauld herd. Born in May 2023, Umpire is home-bred on both sides of his pedigree, sired by Harestone Lynx and out of Harestone Noelle. He was knocked down to James Jeffrey from Roxburghshire.
Salers
Leading the Salers trade at 9,500gns (€12,015) was the overall champion, Cumbrian Texas, brought out by Farmstock Genetics. He is one of the first sons to go for sale from the herd's stock bull, Manor Lane Napoleon. In total, 12 Salers bulls sold to an average of £5,513 (€6,640).
Topping the Luing breeds offerings was Benhar Calypso at 14,000gns (€17,706), the property of McNee Ltd. All seven Luing bulls forward for sale found new homes, selling to an average of £9,540 (€11,491).
Pick up a copy of this week's Irish Farmers Journal to read all about it.
Trade was on fire at United Auctions, Stirling, on Monday, as the sale of Charolais, Simmental, Salers and Luing breeds took centre stage. Records were smashed across the board, as both commercial and pedigree buyers came out in force to secure bulls for the upcoming breeding season.
The Simmental breed produced their best sale on record, as 94 bulls sold to a breed record average of £9,832 (€11,842), up over £2,000 on the same sale last year.
Boosting that average was the intermediate and overall champion, Hemingford Prince Charming 23 who sold for a breed record of 56,000gns (€70,826).
Regarded by many as one of the best Simmental bulls shown at Stirling in recent years, this stylish 22-month-old bull was exhibited by Cambridgeshire breeders James and Rachel Griffin.
He is sired by Saltire Jaguar 18, while his dam is the Saltire Gregg 15 ET daughter, Hemingford Joy.
Not only did he display an outstanding phenotype, Prince Charming also offered a terminal index of +110 and a self-replacing index of +119.
After some brisk bidding, he was eventually knocked to the Green family for their well known Corskie herd in Morayshire.
Corskie trio
It was the Corskie family that achieved the next three highest prices. Leading their charge at 26,000gns (€32,883) was the October 2023 born Corskie Prime 23, a son of the Irish-bred Rathnashan Leonardo ET and Corskie La-Eanna. Wrapping up this second-prize winner was the Wood family of Popes' Farm.
Corskie Prime 23, which sold for 26,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography
Irish breeding was also behind the overall junior champion, Corskie Pirate 23, who sold for 20,000gns (€25,295). He is sired by Rathnashan Magnum while his mother is a home-bred daughter of Corskie Dubai 12. Corskie Pier rounded of a fantastic day for the herd, selling for 20,000gns (€25,295).
Charolais on fire
There was a phenomenal demand for Charolais bulls, as 93 bulls sold for an all-breeds record average of £12,153 (€14,638), resulting in a record clearance of 99%. Driving this trade was commercial farmers, who secured some of the highest priced lots, including the highest priced bull at 36,000gns (€45,531).
Burradon Uranium, which sold for 36,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography
Receiving that price tag was Chris Curry from Northumberland for his June 2023-born bull, Burradon Uranium. This stylish first-prize winner is a son of the French-bred stock bull, Tweeddale Rio, while his mother is a daughter of the Irish-bred sire, Clenagh Lyle. Commercial farmer G T Wordie from Aberdeenshire had the last call on this much fancied lot.
Harestone champion
Selling at 35,000gns (€44,266) was the intermediate and overall champion, Harestone Uplift, exhibited by the Barclay family from Aberdeenshire. This June 2023-born bull is a son of Goldies Oasis and a home-bred daughter of Inverlochy Ferdie going back to a long line of Harestone females. He was purchased in a two-way partnership between the Sportsmans fold and Kedzlie Farm Ltd.
Harestone Uplift, overall Charolais champion which sold for 35,000gns. \ MacGregor Photography
Harestone also received the next highest price of 32,000gns (€40,472) for Harestone Umpire, who was earlier awarded the senior champion by Judge John MacGregor from the Allanfauld herd. Born in May 2023, Umpire is home-bred on both sides of his pedigree, sired by Harestone Lynx and out of Harestone Noelle. He was knocked down to James Jeffrey from Roxburghshire.
Salers
Leading the Salers trade at 9,500gns (€12,015) was the overall champion, Cumbrian Texas, brought out by Farmstock Genetics. He is one of the first sons to go for sale from the herd's stock bull, Manor Lane Napoleon. In total, 12 Salers bulls sold to an average of £5,513 (€6,640).
Topping the Luing breeds offerings was Benhar Calypso at 14,000gns (€17,706), the property of McNee Ltd. All seven Luing bulls forward for sale found new homes, selling to an average of £9,540 (€11,491).
Pick up a copy of this week's Irish Farmers Journal to read all about it.
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