Highland cattle defied all the odds to record a strong trade for both bulls and heifers at their spring sale in Oban – with a record average for yearling heifers leading the charge.
Prior to the sale there were fears that the recently introduced ban on cattle and sheep exports to the rest of the world following an outbreak of bluetongue in the south of England.
But the home trade rallied to counter any of the negatives and indeed it could have been an all-round record breaker had the continental and Irish buyers been able to bid.
Traditionally the main bull sale of the year, this section was topped by a 12,000gns bid and the 11 two-year-old bulls averaged £4772.72 (up £1657.37); seven three-year-olds levelled at £6525 (+£225) and three yearlings averaged £3535 (+£868).
Bulls to 12,000gns and heifers to 8,000gns
Heifers were led by an 8,000gns top, with four seniors averaging £5381.25 (£11.31); seven three-year-olds hit £4035 (+£1502); 18 two-year-olds got £2893.33 (-£483.59); and 21 yearlings had a record level of £2575 (+1134.10) and for 120 more sold.
Auctioneer Raymond Kennedy worked hard to keep the sale on track and he commented afterwards: “That was the most active home trade I’ve experienced at Oban for the breed and it was nice to see a commercially driven trade for the bulls. We also had a 100% clearance for the females.”
It was a great day for relatively new breeder, Oli Harrison, from Alston, near Carlisle, when he led the bull section with the 12,000gns sale of Glen of Applecross, a bull he’d bought with some females bred by the Applecross Trust.
‘Active home trade’ noted by auctioneer Raymond Kennedy
“I buy about 40 or 50 Highland bullocks every year to finish for sale to Waitrose and I liked the breed and the breeders so much I thought I’d start a fold and I now have 30 cows,” he said.
And what a start this three-year-old son of Angie Beag of Muingairigh gave him.
This black bull had been used at home prior to the sale and he was knocked down to Morven Coghill, Blingery Farm, Wick, Caithness.
Angus MacDonald and his son Fraser and daughter-in-law Carrie Ann, of This Farming Life fame, from South Uist, had the second top bull in Muran Buidhe of Ardbhan, which made 10,000gns.
Ardbhan fold sell second top price bull at 10,000gns
He was knocked down to Andrew Ewing, Drumbretton, Annan, who was buying him on behalf of Angel Long, for the Hoof Heart Ranch in Wyoming.
The bull will have semen taken off him in this country for export. He is by Gilleaspuig of Tiretigan a great breeder for the fold and was still going strong at 16-years-old.
A bull bred by the late Hugh MacPhail, of Callachally, Mull, was third top with a 7,000gns price tag. Paying that for this son of Tomintoul 1 of Glengorm was RST Farming, Church Farm, Hardham, Pulborough.
Three bulls hit the 6,500gns mark including the male champion, Harry of Sguir Mor, from Willie MacLean, of Benderloch.
By the former Royal Highland male champion, Eoin Mhor 30 of Mottistone and out of Fern 2 of Ardentraive – a cow which had bred heifers to 5,500gns – this one was bought by Alfie Cheyne, Mayen Farms, Huntly.
By a long way the biggest buyer at the sale – he bought 20 head to start a new fold on the estate that he has owned for 11 years – and he said local lad, Ellis Mutch, would help in managing the new Mayen fold.
Mayen Farms near Huntly take home the goods
Making the same money was two-year-old bull, Ringo Ruadh of Tippetcraig, from the Burns family, Tippetcraig, High Bonnybridge.
Reserve male champion on his only other show outing at Stars of the Future in 2022, the son of Black Prince of Dumyat, out of Lorna Dubh 2 of Craigluscar, he was chapped down to Colledge Eschler, Landello, Wales.
The final bull at 6,500gns was Prionnsa Dubh of Cross Reguill, from JS and R Harris, South Shields, Strathaven.
A second prizewinner, he goes off for work with Hope and Melness Farms, Braesgill, Lairg, Sutherland, which is owned by Anders Povlson.
Putting the 8,000gns ceiling on the female trade was Claggorm 62 of Glengarnock from veteran breeder, Andrew Kirkpatrick, from Beith.
Bred out of a family which had the female championship at the Royal Highland in 2007, this three-year-old heifer is by Ian Ruadh of Glenkinglass, a sire which had cost 3,000gns when bought at Oban a few years back.
This one is off for ET work with Angus MacGillivray’s Highland Cattle Services, which is based at Benderloch, near Oban.
Alfie Cheyne’s shopping list included the second top female in the sale at 7,000gns and the show leader, Ken Brown’s Una Ruadh 13 of Craigowmill, an in-calf heifer carrying to Lasgaire 21 Vom Lehstener Moor, from Kinross. She’s by Ruaridh of Ubhaidh.
Heading with her on the same float home at 6,500gns was the reserve female champion, the three-year-old Lady Ruadh 14 of Pollok, from a fold which is run by Glasgow City Council.
Prionnsa 2 of Balmoral was the sire of this one. Also joining them was the second placed two-year-old heifer, Bachy of Cross Reguill, from the Harris team – she’s by Black Prince of Ranch and out of Bachy of Commore and was taken to 5500gns.
Grant Hyslop, Glentewing, Crawfordjohn, got the same money for Mollaig of Black Glen, a two-year-old which won Biggar Show last year, which went on to be senior female champion and reserve overall senior at Stars of the Future.
By Eoin Mhor 30 of Mottistone and out of Mollaig 2 of Edgerston, she was bought by B and T Kitson, Hutton Rudbym Yarm, North Yorks.
