15,500GNS DELFUR PRINCE LEADS RECORD SIMMENTAL AVERAGE AND 100% CLEARANCE AT STIRLING MAY SALE!

• 25 bulls set new £8795 May Sale record average, up £2075 on the year
• 100% clearance of bulls forward
• Seven bulls make 10,000gns and above
• Islavale bulls take Championship and Reserve
• Fifth consecutive year a new record Simmental average set at the Stirling May Sale

 The 15,500gns Delfur Prince 23 (ET), from Delfur Farms, Rothes, Aberlour led another record breaking Simmental trade at the Stirling May Sale held at United Auctions, Stirling Agricultural Centre, on Monday 5^th May.

Following hard on the heels of the at the time all-breeds record average at Stirling in February, the May Sale saw a total clearance of the 25 bulls forward to level at £8795, up by £2075 on the year.  The £8795 is a record Simmental average for the May Sale, and remarkably is the fifth year in a row that a new breed record average has been set at this fixture.  Seventeen bulls in all made 7500gns or more, with seven bulls making over five figures.

15,500gns top price Delfur Prince

A strong pen of bulls from Delfur Farms saw them make 15,500gns; 10,000gns x 2; and 7500gns to gross £45,150 and average a fantastic £11,288.  Earlier in the day these Delfur bulls had placed first, second, third in Class Six of the pre-sale show judged by Gavin Brown of the noted Springfield Herd at Penicuik, Midlothian.  November 2023 born, the 15,500gns top priced Delfur Prince 23 (ET) is one of the first sons at sale by the 28,000gns stock bull Islavale Magnum, and is out of the consistent breeding Delfur Hells, a Clonagh Tiger Gallant daughter, whose progeny include Delfur Roxy, the Simmental Junior Female Champion at the 2024 Stars of the Future Calf Show.

Purchasing the top price was Mr & Mrs L Moffat for their noted 65-cow Innerwick herd at Dunbar, East Lothian.  Commenting Dorothy Moffat said:  “We had picked him out in the catalogue beforehand as one to look at and we thought he really stood out in the show ring.  He’s a bull with an impressive width and flesh, and has both bloodlines and figures which we think are suited to the Innerwick herd.  In October 2022 we purchased Delfur Maverick for 16,000gns jointly with Bruce Lambie, Fallhills. Maverick has done exceptionally well, so we are very pleased to buy another from bull from Delfur.”

Speaking generally after the sale Delfur herd manager Garry Patterson said:  “We’re really pleased with the sale and to see Delfur bulls go to top pedigree and commercial herds.  The 28,000gns paid for Islavale Magnum was a big investment but it’s very encouraging to see his first progeny at sale sell so well.  He was originally bought to breed females for the herd so to have the quality of these bulls for sale is a real bonus on top.  The herd presently comprises of 80+ pedigree breeding females and our aim continues to be to breed bulls with a bit of style, length, not overly shapey, of a nice size, with style, and that calf easily.”

Commenting on the sale, BSCS General Manager Iain Kerr said:  “It’s fantastic to see another strong Simmental trade, and again driven by commercial buyers.  Commercial producers are basing their suckler herds with Simmental genetics and seeing the benefits in milk, easy calving, fertility, and the ability to rear a quality calf year on year. At the same time, there’s the recognition of the breeds proven abilities in age at slaughter and daily carcase gain, and adding this all up it’s striking a chord with commercial producers and driving demand for the breed.”

13,000gns Pitgaveny Presto 23

Taking the second top price at 13,000gns was the first prize winner Pitgaveny Presto 23 from Pitgaveny Farm, Elgin, Moray.  Presto’s sire is the 14,000gns Islavale Kristoff who was the Overall Male Champion at the Scottish Simmental National Show held in Turriff last year.  Out of Pitgaveny Jingle VG 86, and with solid performance figures across the board, Pitgaveny Presto 23 now heads for the islands having been purchased by noted commercial producers G&M Porter, Carrabus Farm, Bridgend, Isle of Islay.  Of the sale, Geoff Anderson said: “The 13,000gns is the top price the Pitgaveny herd has attained at sale to date, so we’re very pleased. Presto is a good sized bull with plenty of power and depth but he’s also a sweet bull and we think will breed good, milky cows.”

It was another terrific day for the Islavale herd of WS Stronach, Berrleys Farm, Grange, Keith, who took the top honours with both the Overall Supreme, and Overall Reserve Champions in the pre-sale show. The Islavale bulls each went on to sell for 12,000gns themselves, and in another notable herd achievement all four of the sales top priced animals were by Islavale sires!

Overall Champion 12,000gns Islavale Pegasus

Both entirely homebred, and both by Islavale Lucifer 20 EX 93 (who has bred bulls sold up to 13,000gns), the Supreme Champion came in the shape of the December 2023 born Islavale Pegasus. Out of the classified Curaheen Bandit daughter Islavale Damaris 12 EX92 (EX2), this stylish, red bull carries very good performance figures being top 15% for Maternal (Milk), and top 20% for both Terminal Sire, and Self Replacing Indexes.  Purchasing the Champion bull was regular buyer Liam Muir, Upper Onston, Stromness, Orkney, and for a client in Caithness with a commercial suckler herd of 120 cows.

Overall Reserve Champion 12,000gns Islavale Pilot

Following his team mate through the class and to take the Overall Reserve, was the December 2023 born Islavale Pilot 23. By the same sire as the Champion, Islavale Pilot 23 is out of Islavale Candy 4 EX92, a Curaheen Giant daughter. Again a bull with good figures, Islavale Pilot 23 is in the breed’s top 15% for Terminal Production Index, and the top 10% for Self-Replacing Index. Also making 12,000gns, Islavale Pilot was bought by J&J Marshall, Grantown On Spey, Morayshire.

Judge Gavin Brown, left, with his Islavale Champion & Reserve

Full concentration on the job at hand from the judge Gavin Brown, Springfield Herd

Of his Islavale Champion and Reserve bulls, the judge Gavin Brown said:  “These two Islavale bulls were just standouts in their class, and with only days between them in age, there was also very little between them in terms of placing.  Both animals had great width throughout and carried terrific flesh.  Both with style, the Reserve may just have had the edge in that respect but my choice of Champion just had that extra bit of growth about him that had me place him first and give him the Overall nod.  Two very good Simmental bulls.”

10,500gns Dunmore Peter

At 10,500 was the November 2023 born Dunmore Peter 23 from J&E Aitken, Overton Farm, Fintry, Glasgow.  Got by AI, this calf is sired by Clonagh Tiger Gallant, and is out of the Team Celtic 11 daughter Dunmore Lollipop 20.  With top figures for calving ease, and strong Terminal Sire, and Self Replacing Indexes, this bull was sold to England when purchased by Nunappleton Estate, Home Farm, Roebuck, York.  Just two lots previously the Aitken’s also sold Dunmore Prime 23 for 8500gns to the Dewisland herd of M Evans, Upper Harglodd, St Davids, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.  Again, this bull had terrific calving ease figures.  The 10,550gns, and 8,500gns both surpassed the herd’s previous top price at sale of 8000gns attained in February 2023.

10,000gns Delfur Prime Time

Two further bulls from the Delfur pen made 10,000gns.  The first of these was Delfur Prime Time 23, another son of the 28,000gns Islavale Magnum 21, and who stood second in his class to the day’s top price (by the same sire).  Out of Delfur Kora, a cow line with tremendous milk, Delfur Prime Time 23 was purchased by John Forbes, Achnacloich, Boultach, Caithness.   Commenting Mr Forbes said: “This was a rangy bull with length, great proportions, and with a nice depth to him.  He’s got character, is from a good line of cows, and is the dark colour we want for breeding replacement females.  We run 110 Simm cross females, and 30 Luings which we put the Simmental bull on.”

10,000gns Delfur Partyboy

Making it a Delfur 1,2,3 in Class Six was the November 2023 born Delfur Partyboy 23.  This heifer’s calf is by the easy calving bull Banwy Bonzo, who has bred bulls to 16,000gns, and is out of the Innerwick Ivor 17 daughter Delfur Mystique.  Delfur Partyboy was bought by G&AG Proctor, Balnageith, Forres, Moray also at 10,000gns.

At 9,000gns was Braegarrie Proclaimer from DL&S Currie, Pinclanty, Girvan, Ayrshire.  Standing second in class five to the day’s second top price, this August 2023 bull is by herd sire Overhill House Link 20, and is out of Braegarrie Gabriella, a Teviot Bouncer daughter.  Woth good figures for Calving Ease, and Maternal (Milk), Braegarrie Proclaimer was bought by R Forrest Ltd, Preston, Duns, Berwickshire.

9000gns Braegarrie Proclaimer

Over from Northern Ireland, HJW&JC Moore, Coolesker, Beragh made 8800gns when selling the youngest Simmental bull in the sale, Omorga Rory 24.  Got by AI, Omorga Rory is by the easy calving Denizes Hamish 16, and is out of Omorga Lily (ET).  With a Terminal Sire Index and a Self Replacing Index both in the top 1% of the breed, this bull was sold to Shropshire and E Roberts, Haughton Farm, Ellesmere.

Selling at 8500gns was Broombrae Pilot P24 23, from the Tippetcraig herd of Mr & Mrs George Burns, Tippetcraig, High Bonnybridge.  A first time selling Simmentals at Stirling, this September born calf was purchased at foot from the first part of the Broombrae Dispersal Sale of Gordon Clark, Auchtermuchty, Cupar, Fife, held at Stirling in February 2024.  By Camus Harold 16, and out of Broombrae Delight J5, Broombrae Pilot P24 23, with a top 1% figure of +15 for Maternal (Milk), was purchased by SA&J Stewart, Kininmonth, Cupar, Fife.

OTHER LEADING SIMMENTAL PRICES

8200gns            Lot 107 Denizes Rolls Royce sold to W S L Muir of Upper Onston, Stenness, Stromness, Orkney

Denizes Rolls Royce 8200gns

7800gns            Lot 86 Cwarre Paladin sold to A McAllister of Blairmore, Balfron, Glasgow

7800gns Cwarre Paladin

7800gns            Lot 96 Pitmudie Prince sold to C McCrae of Mid Glen, West Glen, Langbank, Renfrewshire
7500gns            Lot 77 Delfur Phoenix sold to EJ & AM   Fox of St Johns Kirk, Symington, Biggar
7500gns            Lot 79 Blackford Polaris sold to A Sharp & Sons of Farmton, Tough, Alford, Aberdeenshire.
7500gns            Lot 101 Pitmudie Poldark sold to M Orr & Sons of Bangour Farm, Broxburn, West Lothian.