20,000GNS GRANGEWOOD PLATINUM LEADS SIZZLING SIMMENTALS TO A RECORD TRADE AT CARLISLE!

20,000gns Grangewood Platinum equals Simmental bull record in England

New Simmental centre record average at Carlisle of £9788 (+£5,185)

7 bulls sell at 10,000gns or more

100% clearance of bulls

Breed records tumbled again at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on Saturday 10^th May as a sizzling Simmental trade was led by the 20,000gns Grangewood Platinum from Andrew, Yvonne, & Callum Leedham, Boghead Farm, Tarbolton, Ayrshire.

September 2023 born, Grangewood Platinum 23 is a son of Ranfurly Impeccable, and out of Grangewood Tollies Iris. Earlier in the day this bull, with solid figures across the traits and top end Terminal and Self Replacing Indexes, had stood first in his class in the pre-sale show judged by Aled Davies of the noted Hirwaun herd, Wern Villa, Ponthirwaun, Ceredigion.

20,000gns top price Grangewood Platinum

Come sale time a packed ringside saw Grangewood Platinum race to 20,000gns before being knocked down to Jim & Patricial Goldie for their noted Newbiemains herd at Newbie Mains Farm, Annan, Dumfriesshire.

Commenting afterwards, a delighted Jim Goldie said:  “We have previously purchased Grangewood Paddington from the Leedhams and he’s breeding exceptionally well, and leaving some very stylish calves.  Platinum is a similar type of bull that will keep the structure in our cows, and add a bit of fleshiness.  I thought he was the standout bull today for a pedigree job.  He’s a nice, long, clean bull with a great bone structure, and with good feet and legs.”  The Newbiemains herd consists of around 160 cows and run six stock bulls in all.

For the Leedham family the 20,000gns is their highest sale price to date, surpassing the 19,000gns they previously received for Grangewood Barron, and with this being the second year in a row that they’ve topped this Carlisle May Sale fixture.  Confirming a good day the very previous lot, Grangewood Phoenix 23 another Ranfurly Impeccable son, made 8500gns when selling to to Messrs Adkin & Sons, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. Speaking after the sale Andrew Leedham said: “We couldn’t have asked for more on the day, it was a terrific sale with a lot of interested people from England and Scotland looking for Simmental bulls.  We’re very pleased to have achieved this top price and Grangewood Platinum has always been a great bull to work with having a terrific temperament.  He’s off to a great home and we look forward to seeing his calves in due course.”

A host of records tumbled on the day as the 20,000gns equalled the record price for a Simmental bull sold at a Society sale in England and which had only been set the previous week at Worcester.  The £9788 is a new English and Carlisle sale centre Simmental record average, and was up by a remarkable £5,185 on the year.  Half of the bulls forward made 10,000gns and more, and with the sale seeing a 100% clearance rate of the fourteen bulls offered.

Following on from a cracking May Sale trade at Stirling, where they sold four bulls to gross £45,150 and including the top priced bull at 15,500gns, Delfur Farms, Rothes, Aberlour enjoyed another top day when they sold two bulls, for 12,000gns, and 10,000gns respectively, with both being sired by the 28,000gns herd stock bull Islavale Magnum.  Selling at 12,000gns was the October 2023 born Delfur Peaky Blinder 23 (ET) (TF).  This calf is out of Delfur Weigela E12, an Auchorachan AC DC daughter, who is considered ‘one of the best cows in the herd and with tremendous milk’.  In the pre-sale show, this bull had stood second in his class to the day’s top priced bull.  With a Terminal Production Index of +101; and a Self-Replacing Index of +108, both in the breed’s top 10%, Delfur Peaky Blinder 23 was purchased by Messrs Hogg & Partners, Earlston, Berwickshire.

12,000gns Delfur Peaky Blinder

The very next lot saw the day’s winner of class three, and Overall Male Champion, Delfur Pocket Rocket 23 sell for 10,000gns. Another by Islavale Magnum, and out of Delfur Katie, this November 2023 born bull came to the sale with a show record behind him having been Reserve Senior Male Champion at the 2024 Stars of the Future Calf Show in Stirling.  Combining phenotype, pedigree, and performance, Delfur Pocket Rocket has a Terminal Sire Index of +115; and Self Replacing Index of +122, putting him in the breed’s top 5% for both. He also carries an excellent top 10% Maternal (Milk) figure of +10.  Buying the Champion and taking him south, was the commercial producer Messrs Swerling, Giles, Buckinghamshire.

10,000gns Delfur Pocket Rocket

Commenting on his choice of Male Champion the judge Aled Davies said:  “This was a long, clean, well fleshed bull with a good backend, and who had width all the way through.  He had a nice head, walked extremely well, and was a worthy Champion on the day.”

Judge Aled Davies in action at Carlisle

Also at the 12,000gns mark was the upstanding heterozygous polled bull Hepplewhite Premium 23 (P) from local breeders and long-time supporter of Simmental sales at both Carlisle and Stirling,  John & Olive June Trafford, Springfield, Greysouthern, Cockermouth, Cumbria.  This July 2023 born bull is by the homozygous polled Highcross Matador 21 (PP), and out of the heterozygous polled Hepplewhite Champagne 35^th (P), a Castor Herminius (PP) daughter. Buying this bull was Messrs Johnston, By Falkirk.  The demand for polled Simmental genetics has been a feature of the May Sales, and this was continued when Hepplewhite Prancer 23 (P) (TF) made 10,000gns when selling into Northumberland, and Messrs Ord, Morpeth.  This June 2023 born bull, and the winner of the first class, is by Castor Herminius (PP), and is out of the Sneumgaard Imperator (PP) daughter Hepplewhite Champagne 24^th (P).   Of his purchase Mr Ord said:  “This was a good looking bull in himself with strong performance figures and being heterozygous polled.  He’ll be used in our 120 cow suckler herd which comprises of a mix of both Simmental and Angus genetics.”

12,000gns Hepplewhite Premium 23 (P)

10,000gns Hepplewhite Prancer 23 (P)

The noted Popes herd of Jimmy & Vikki Wood, Popes Farm, Dutton, Preston, Lancashire also enjoyed a top day when selling the two youngest bulls in the catalogue for 10,500gns, and 10,000gns respectively.  Selling at 10,500gns was the winner of class four and the day’s Reserve Male Champion in the shape of Popes Ragnar 24.  March 2024 born, this smart young bull is by the €52,000gns Clonagh Lucky Explorer, and is out of Penton Kristina 19.   Heading to Seascale, Popes Ragnar 24 was bought by Messrs Holliday, Cumbria.

10,500gns Popes Ragnar

At 10,000gns, and similarly bred, was Popes Radius 24 who stood second in his class to his team mate.  Again by Lucky Explorer, this February  2024 born calf is out of the Camus Harold daughter Popes Nellys Lulu.  Taking this bull home was  Messrs Cowx & Son, Wigton, Cumbria, who said: “This is a long, clean, smart young bull and we like the milk that the Simmental gives.  We presently run 30 cows which are a mix of pure Simm, and Simm cross.”

10,000gns Popes Radius

The day for the Wood family didn’t finish there as they had also secured the Simmental Overall Supreme Championship with their fourteen-month-old heifer, Popes Radiant Eyes.  Another calf by the €52,000 Clonagh Lucky Explorer, and out of Popes Jasmine Eyes, the days Champion was purchased for 5000gns by James Iliff, Whitegreave, Stafford. Commenting on his Overall Supreme Champion, the judge Aled Davies said: “For my Overall Supreme Champion I was looking for the one that I’d like to take home, and this young heifer just ticked that box.  She’s what I’d describe as a lovely, sweet, stylish heifer, very modern, with that bit of ‘wow’ factor, and having all the attributes to go on and be a top breeding female.”  This was the second year in a row that the Popes herd have won the Overall Supreme Championship at this May fixture and following on from Popes Picasso last year.

5000gns Popes Radiant Eyes Female & Overall Supreme Champion

The very first bull in the ring, Lyvennet Panther 23 (P), from Messrs RCS & CFE Addison, Greystone House, Penrith, got the trade off to a good start when selling for 8000gns to Messrs Ellwood & Son, Millom, Cumbria.  Another heterozygous polled bull, the March 2023 born Panther is by the 8000gns Greencap Klassik 19 (P) and is out of Lyvennet Dixie 3 (P).

A more than solid trade for the Simmental commercial heifers forward topped at 3200gns for a December 2023 heifer from Peter Burgess, High Keenley Fell Farm, Hexham, and purchased by Messrs Morton, Penrith, Cumbria.

Overall Championship Presentation. From left to right: Judge Aled Davies of the Hirwaun herd, Hannah Wood with the Female & Overall Champion Popes Radiant Eyes, Garry Patterson with the Male Champion & Overall Reserve Delfur Pocket Rocket, and Iain Kerr BSCS General Manager

Averages

14 Bulls                                          £9787.50
5 Heifers                                        £3654.00
14 High Health Heifers                   £2871.42