A good turnout of buyers and spectators gathered at Dingwall Mart this week for the centre’s 20th anniversary show and sale of store cattle.
Dingwall and Highland Marts sold 1,223 store cattle and 103 OTM cattle, which included the pre-sale show judged by Katrina Donaldson from Huby at York.
Averages soared on the year despite the recent downturn on prime prices, with buyers present from throughout Scotland and the north of England.
All classes from short keep to grazing stirks met a firm enquiry, which then later were in particular demand.
Miss Donaldson awarded the overall champion prize to a British Blue cross heifer scaling 530kg from the Munro family at Invercharron, Ardgay.
This one was purchased at Dingwall in October from Shewglie Farmers, Glenurquhart, and went on to sell for £1,900 to Cameron Maciver.
The same buyer paid £1,500 or 433.7p per kg for the reserve champion, this time a home-bred Limousin cross bullock from Ian Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch.
Bred out of a British Blue cross Limousin dam, he scaled 380kg.
Jason Ballantyne from Clynelish, Brora, was the recipient of the AMR Young Bunchrew Trophy for the best pair of heifers with breeding potential.
In total, bullocks (796) averaged 283.9p per kg and also sold to £1,900 gross for a 740kg Aberdeen-Angus cross from Murza, Bower.
The 423 heifers averaged 277p per kg and sold to 433.7p per kg for a 392kg British Blue cross from Invercharron, Ardgay and £2,100 gross for a 540kg British Blue cross from Murza, Bower.
Results
Best bullock – 1, I Grant, Seaview Cottage, 380kg, £1,500; 2, C Hamilton, The Crossings, Killearnan, 620kg, £1,880; 3, W & I Gunn, Murza, Bower, 550kg, £1,820. Best heifer – 1, Firm of J Munro, Invercharron Mains, 530kg, £1,900; 2, W & I Gunn, Murza, Bower, 540kg, £2,100; 3, K & J Grant, 2 Lochend, Barrock, 485kg, £1,560.
