Cattle breeders Bill and IIona Thompson signed off in record-breaking style yesterday with their final annual consignment of entries at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ annual show and sale of spring-calving heifers at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.
They set a centre record price of £5,100 for an in-calf heifer and also took a champion’s ticket in the event, sponsored by Novartis Animal Health.
The Thompsons, of Nether Glasslaw, New Pitsligo, have sold their farm to move south and yesterday was their final appearance at the show and sale, which they have regularly supported over the years.
The record price of £5,100 was for a 29-month-old Limousin cross heifer which was bought by G. Bell of Hass Side, Haas Grove Loaning, Lockerbie.
Show judge Stuart Hunter, of Newbigging, Culsalmond, Insch, selected as the champion heifer a 32-month-old Nether Glasslaw Limousin cross heifer, in calf to the stock bull Rosebank Finley. The champion later sold for £2,900 to R.W. Cameron and Son, Wester Bonhard, Scone, Perth. The heifer was originally bred by Andy Duncan, The Hillocks, Keig. The rest of the Thompsons’ entry of 125 heifers also enjoyed excellent trade with a packed ringside attracting buyers from the Borders to Orkney.
Their stock bulls, the three-year-old Rosebank Finley and the two-year-old Kype Glen, sold for 5,200gn and 6,000gn respectively. The Thompsons still have 75 bulling heifers which will be sold at Thainstone next month.
The champion pair of heifers’ title went to Joe Dow, of South Lasts, Culter, Aberdeen, with a pair of 30-month-old Simmental crosses, which sold for £2,900 each to J.B. Wilkie and Son, Braigiewell, Echt.