Simmental breeders enjoyed another strong trade at Stirling yesterday where the sale average continued to rise on the year.
The sale met a 77% clearance rate, with the 95 bulls cashing in to average £7,498 (+£238 on the year) and saw 21 lots make five-figure prices.
Breed president Norman Robson, Kilbride Farm, said it was another record average for the February sale, with the last nine society sales at Stirling and Carlisle producing increased averages.
He said there was a certain emphasis on bulls with good figures.
Record February average for Simmentals at Stirling Bull Sales
Sons of the home-bred bull Denizes Hamish from the Barlow family’s 80-cow herd in Lancashire proved popular, with the 5 forward cashing in to average £16,800.
Leading the sale at 37,000gns, for Michael and sons John and Matthew, was the reserve intermediate champion Denizes Nugget 22.
A son of Hamish, which has produced 19 bulls to date to average £19,578, this June 2022-born bull is the second calf out of the Team Celtic sired Ashland Topaz Janet, purchased for 2,800gns in Dungannon.
The buyers were Jimmy and Vicki Wood of the Popes herd near Preston.
Denizes consignment levels at £16,800.
Next best for the family at 14,000gns was Denizes Newton 22, an August 2022-born bred out of the Denizes Trixie Belle line which has bred bulls to 20,000gns.
He sold to K Park and Sons, Dalpeddar, Sanquhar.
Other sales included Denizes Neff 22, which made 13,000gns to John Jeffrey’s Kersknowe herd at Kelso, while Denizes Nacho 22, sold for 12,000gns to JL Drysdale, Forestmill, Alloa.
Alex and Ross King’s Wolfstar herd from East Lothian sold at 17,000gns, 14,000gns and 11,000gns.
Dearest was first prize winner May 2022-born Wolfstar Nobleman 22, an embryo bred out of Wolfstar Forget-Me-Not, which already bred bulls to 17,000gns.
He is by the AI sire Curaheen Bandit and sold up to Orkney with Tom Lyth, Heatherhouse, Tankerness.
Pitgaveny Farms, Elgin, paid 14,000gns for the reserve junior champion Wolfstar Nasa 22.
Wolfstar peaked at 17,000gns for first prize winner
This one is an AI son of the privately purchased Islavale Guy, which has bred sons to 17,000gns.
Heading to up to Aberdeenshire at 11,000gns with Sandy Milne from Standingstones, Durris, is Wolfstar Nonu 22, by Glenturk Lord of the Rings.
The senior champion and reserve overall winner Backmuir Nate 22 from Reece and Andrew Simmers, Backmuir, Keith, sold for 13,000gns to DC Houdley, Kirtleton House, Lockerbie.
He is by the 18,000gns Wolfstar Jackaroo 18, which has bred bulls to 15,000gns, and is a heifer’s calf out of Backmuir Kreole’s Koala.
Delfur Farms at Rothes paid 13,000gns for September 2022-born Kilbride Farm Nebulus 22, from the Robson family’s 100-cow herd in Co Antrim.
This one is by Kilbride Farm Jetstream 18, a bull which bred bulls to the same money last year, out of Kilbride Farm Eunice.
Two bulls from the Green family’s Corskie herd at Garmouth sold at 12,000gns apiece.
Corskie herd peaks at 12,000gns twice
First at this money, when sold to T Clark and Sons, Abbey Farm, Crieff, was September 2022-born Corskie Nitrate 22.
He is by the 10,000gns Kilbride Farm Haka 16, which has bred sons to 32,000gns.
The other at this money by the same sire was Corskie Newry 22, out of the 10,700 euros Tawley Hanna, purchased in Roscommon.
He sold to Jim and Patricia Goldie of the Newbiemains herd, Annan.
Gary and Angela Christie’s 60-cow pedigree Rockytop herd from Midtown of Glass, Huntly, also peaked at 12,000gns for second prize intermediate winner Rockytop Nero 22.
He is one of the first calves to be sold off Glenturk Kingpin – a stock bull which came to Rockytop as a calf at foot with his dam.
Buyers were Brian and Stuart Grant of the Dellfield herd at Druid Temple, Inverness.
Gail Campbell’s Saltire Nemesis 22 from North Berwick reached 11,500gns when bought by AG Whiteford, South Keithney, Inverurie.
He is by the AI bull Saltire Impressive, which was sold in 2018 for 14,000gns and has bred daughters to 26,000gns.
The Newbiemains herd topped at 11,000gns for Newbiemains Neymar 22, by the private purchased Annick Klondyke, to IHG Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick.
Also at 11,000gns, was Kersknowe Noah 22 from John Jeffrey, to Aucheneck Estates, Glasgow, and Broombrae Noble N12, from Gordon Clark, Cupar, to Knox Farms, Crookwell.
Bulls at 10,000gns included the overall champion from Richard McCulloch’s Overhill House herd at Armadale, West Lothian.
This was May 2022-born Overhill House Nikey 22, by the 26,000gns Pistyll Kingsman, which sold to J and E Dyet, East Merkland, Lanarkshire.
Islavale junior champion sells for 10,000gns
The Stronach family’s junior champion Islavale Novak 22 from Keith made 10,000gns to Thomas Gray, Balquharrage, Lennoxtown.
He is by the EX90 classified Coose Lincoln, out of the Curaheen Giant dam Islavale Jazz.
Gavin Brown’s Springfield Neptune 22 from Penicuik sold for 10,000gns to J and R Stanger, South Seater, Sandwick.
