Record-breaking deadweight and store cattle prices reflected in the breeding ring at Thainstone this week with the first sale of heifers with calves at foot averaging £821 more on the year.
The annual show and sale, judged by William Moir from Home Farm Cairness, Fraserburgh, saw 160 outfits average £3,137.27, with both the champion and reserve lots selling for £4,000 to the judge.
Winning the champion prize was a British Blue cross heifer with a heifer calf at foot from John and Keith Morrison, Fairburn, Longmanhill, Banff.
The brothers, who have been selling at this sale for a number of years, purchased the heifer from David Barclay, Tullo of Garvock, Laurencekirk, while the calf is by the AI sire, Tomschoice Jet.
In reserve, was a Limousin cross heifer with bull calf from Craig and Katreen Malone, Pitcairn, Cardenden, Fife.
The Gordon family from Lost Farm, Strathdon, won the British Simmental Cattle Society for the best sired Simmental heifer and calf, which later sold for £3,700.
Out with the prize list, top price was £3,950 for a Limousin cross heifer with heifer calf from Alastair Prentice, The Bungalow, New Noth, Gartly.
On the same day, 138 bulling heifers met an equally strong demand and levelled at 351p per kg.
They topped at £2,600 for a pair of 19-month-old Simmentals from Colin and Robert Manson, Brodieshill, Alves.
The sale of pedigree bulls topped at 6,000gns for a Limousin from Albert and George Howie, Knock, Mintlaw, to HP Sleigh and Son, St John Wells, Fyvie, while the same buyer paid 4,200gns for a Limousin from Jim and Sandy Hunter, Wedderburn, Huntly.
Farquharson Farms, Darley, Turriff, paid 5480gns for a Charolais from Charlie McCombie, Auchincrieve, Rothiemay, with another from the same home realising 5,000gns to John Strathdee and Sons, Langlandburn, Buckie.
A Charolais from Neil and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, made 5,000gns to Anderson, Sootiewells, Laurencekirk.
Two Aberdeen-Angus sold for 4,000gns, including one from Perkhill Estate, Lumphanan, to Messrs Glass, Deecastle Farm, Aboyne, and another from Wendy Willox, Gordonston, Clatt., to W&D Keillor, Cowford, Blairs, Aberdeen.
PRIZE LIST
(Judge: William Moir, Home Farm Cairness, Fraserburgh)
Simmental sired heifer with male calf – 1, C&G Gordon, Lost Farm, Strathdon, £3,700; 2, C&G Gordon, Lost Farm, £3,500; 3, A Prentice, The Bungalow, New Noth, Gartly, £3,600. Simmental sired heifer with female calf – 1, C Malone, Pitcairn, Cardenden, £3,500; 2, WJ Morrison, Fairburn, Longmanhill, £3,450; 3, C Malone, Pitcairn, £3,750. Limousin sired heifer with male calf – 1 and reserve champion, C Malone, Pitcairn, £4,000; 2, WJ Morrison, Fairburn, £3,650; 3, PJ & I Stuart, Ledmacoy, £3,600. Limousin sired heifer with female calf – 1, WJ Morrison, Fairburn, £3,750; 2, A Prentice The Bungalow New Noth, £3,950; 3, A Prentice, The Bungalow, New Noth, £3,300. British Blue sired heifer with male calf – 1, WJ Morrison, Fairburn, £3,650; 2, A Prentice, The Bungalow, New Noth, £3.350; 3, PJ & I Stuart, Ledmacoy, £3,400. British Blue sired heifer with female calf – 1 and champion, WJ Morrison, Fairburn, £4,000; 2, WJ Morrison, Fairburn, £3,200. Any other breed sired heifer with male calf – 1, C&G Gordon, Lost Farm, £3,400. Any other breed sired heifer with heifer calf – 1, I&M Keith, Auchtygall, Peterhead, £3,450; 2, C&G Gordon, Lost Farm, £3,500; 3, C&G Gordon, Lost, £3,600.
