Scottish breeders led the charge at the British Blue Cattle Society’s special January sale in Carlisle.
The society said a “blistering trade” was achieved at the sale, held at Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart in Carlisle, with a top price of 12,000gn paid for a bull from Biggar breeders Martyn Hill and Jenny Devine.
The society said: “Despite the ongoing Covid restrictions and with a smaller entry than normal, the sale saw a great demand for bulls which resulted in a fantastic average of £6,021 – up over £1,000 on the previous year.”
The sale leader was two-year-old Devine Optimist from Mr Hill and Ms Devine at Hillend Farm, Roberton.
An embryo transfer (ET) son of Dayfdd D’Ochain, and out of Tweeddale Inhance, he sold to Messrs Tiplady for their Tiplady herd at Langleydale, Barnard Castle, County Durham.
The next best price of 11,500gn was paid twice.
First at this price, selling to Messrs Allinson from Baldersdale, Barnard Castle, was two-year-old Hallfield Nixon from Yorkshire breeder Stewart Gill. He is by Tenace De La Praule and out of Greystone Lilia.
The other bull at 11,500gn was Sunnybank Orlando from Henry Jewitt who runs the Sunnybank herd at Gracies Farm, Ronaldkirk, County Durham.
Orlando is a February 2019-born ET son of the 15,000gn Bedgebury Kent, out of Meadowrig Ladana.
He won first prize bull calf and reserve male champion at the Agri Expo in 2019 and male champion at the Border British Blue Club Calf Show in January 2020.
Orlando’s buyer was Messrs Porter, Low Row, Richmond, North Yorkshire.
Next best at 9,000gn was an entry from the Paterson family’s Auchenlay herd at Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane.
Auchenlay Outlaw is a May 2019-born son of Sandyvale Jaegerbomb, out of Auchenlay Ivy. He sold over the phone to Messrs Sinclair, Maesquoy, Orkney.
Other leading prices included 6,500gn for Kingside Norseman, by Bedgebury Kent, from T & A Cockburn, Kingside Farm, Leadburn, Midlothian. He sold to Messrs Cruickshank, Longmorn, Elgin.
Meanwhile, Messrs Paton, Avonbridge, Falkirk, paid 6,000gn for Blackstane Outlaw, by Tamhorn Enterprising, from Biggar breeders Kelly Blackwood and Duncan Davidson.
The five heifers on offer averaged £3,780 and topped at 4,000gn.