North-east farmer Gary Patterson achieved the top price of 55,000gns at the Limousin spring show and sale in Carlisle over the weekend.
Mr Patterson – who farms at Upper Forgie, Aultmore, Keith – took the top price for his December 2012-born bull Aultside Hulk.
The price equals the previous record achieved for a Scottish Limousin bred bull sold at auction – Grahams Samson in 2003 – and marks the highest priced British Limousin bull ever sold for export from the United Kingdom.
Saturday’s sale was the first time Mr Patterson had entered a Limousin at Carlisle and the second ever Limousin he had sold at a Society sale.
The Aultside herd, which Gary farms with his father, comprises three pedigree cows alongside a commercial 180-head herd.
“The 55,000gns price is way beyond my wildest expectation in coming to Carlisle. IT’s unbelievable really and especially to do so with the high standard of bulls put forward by the breeders at the sale,” said Gary.
After being awarded the intermediate championship and reserve overall supreme champion titles at the pre-sale show by judge Martin Irvine of the Anside herd in Banffshire, the beast sold to Irish farmer Dan Tynan for his Ardlea herd.
Mr Tynan has the largest pedigree Limousin herd in Eire at Beechill Farm, Doon, Mountraith, Co Laois.
“The bull is really classy, he’s got style, width, four good legs and walked very well,” said farm manager Kevin Bohan, who bid for the bull and is currently president of the Irish Limousin Cattle Society.
“We liked his pedigree, with some new bloodlines for the herd, and were looking for a bull that would be easy calving and easy fleshing.”
An embryo calf, Aultside Hulk is by the 50,000gns sire Wilodge Cerberus and out of Spittalton Flush. He was placed reserve overall senior champion at the Stars of the Future Show in Stirling in 2013.
Auctioneers Harrison and Hetherington sold 114 bulls at the sale – up 14% on the previous year – with averages also up £397 to £6,290 and all bulls selling to a gross of £717,101.
A clearance rate of 74% was achieved with 17 bulls achieving 10,000gns or more, and junior bulls averaging £7,422.