23,000GNS ANNICK COLLEEN’S GINGER & ANNICK GINGER’S NUTMEG SPICE UP A CRACKING ANNICK SIMMENTAL HERD DISPERSAL SALE

• 23,000gns breed record price for a cow and calf unit
• Cow & calf units sell at 23,000gns; 12,500gns; & 9400gns
• Calved heifer sells at 16,000gns
• 19 lots sell at 5,000gns and more
• Cows & calves average £5,343.95
• Cows average £5,423
• Sale grosses £220,710.05
• Cairnview Reduction Sale tops at 7,500gns

The seven-year-old-cow Annick Colleen’s Ginger EX93 along with her heifer calf Annick Ginger’s Nutmeg, sold for a combined 23,000gns to lead the much anticipated Annick Simmental Herd Dispersal Sale held on behalf of the late Lachlan Quarm, Holehouse Farm, Annick Lodge Estate, By Irvine, Ayrshire, at United Auctions Stirling Agricultural Centre, on Saturday 10th September.

Described as a foremost Simmental pedigree herd, the Annick sale catalogue was just filled with quality animals, built around a strength of family lines with a depth of breeding, proven performance, and a high herd health status. It was enough to ensure a packed ringside and a tremendous trade with buyers from all four home countries purchasing and competing for the animals of their choice.

Sold as separate lots, the top price cow Annick Colleen’s Ginger made 15,000gns when selling to the noted Backmuir pedigree herd of Reece & Andrew Simmers, Backmuir Farm, Keith, Banffshire. In a connectivity of breeding, later in the sale the Simmers also bought the first calved heifer Annick Ginger’s Lucia, and Ginger’s daughter, for 16,000gns. A third calver, Annick Colleen’s Ginger by Corskie Callum and out of Annick Prudence’s Colleen EX95, and with her calf at foot being a full sister to the 16,000gns Lucia. Following mum into the ring, Annick Ginger’s Nutmeg, a daughter of the 15,000gns Wolfstar Golddigger, was quickly reunited when purchased by the Simmers at 8,000gns. The combined 23,000gns price is a new Simmental breed record for a cow and calf unit.

One of the most anticipated lots in the catalogue was the February 2020 born heifer Annick Ginger’s Lucia. Full of breeding being out of the day’s top price and being sired by Wolfstar Golddigger, this upstanding, stylish heifer had secured a string of show titles through the summer and most noticeably when placing Reserve Simmental Overall, and Reserve Female Champion at the Royal Highland Show. Having calved a heifer calf by Kilbride Farm Karl the day before the sale, Annick Ginger’s Lucia couldn’t travel to Stirling. However, offered in her absence, this well-known heifer’s breeding and show ring performance was enough to see her race to 16,000gns and again be purchased by the Simmers family. With a touch of irony, the Simmers had plenty sight of Annick Ginger’s Lucia through the summer having narrowly pipped her to the Royal Highland Championship!

Commenting on their top price purchases who will now join the 80 cow Backmuir pedigree herd, Reece Simmers said: “This is a breeding line that we’ve admired for sometime and will be new to the herd. All three purchases have a lot of style, are very feminine, and tremendous examples of the Simmental breed. It’s not often you get a chance to buy quality like this, so we are absolutely delighted to get them.”

As well as the new 23,000gns breed record price for a cow and calf unit, the depth of breeding and quality in the catalogue ensured a strong herd sale with nineteen lots in all selling at 5,000gns and more with further cow and calf units at 12,500gns, and 9,400gns. The nineteen cows with calves at foot averaged £5,344; cows averaged £5,423; with maiden heifers averaging £3,255. In all the sale grossed a very healthy £220,710.

Selling as two separate lots at a combined unit price of 12,500gns, was Annick Desiree’s Joy VG88 at 6,500gns and along with her heifer calf Annick Joy’s Natalie at 6,000gns. This cow and calf unit was purchased by Geoff and Kate Anderson for their Quarryhill herd at Westergreens Farm, Lossiemouth, Moray. This second calver is March 2018 born and is another by Corskie Callum, a Ballinalare Farm Nightrider son, and out of Annick Belle’s Desiree EX92. Again with breeding and proven performance behind her, Joy is the dam of Annick Memphis who was the Junior Simmental and Junior Interbreed Champion at the 2021 Stars of the Future Show. Her March 2022 born heifer calf, Annick Joy’s Natalie, is another sired by Wolfstar Golddigger.

Speaking on their purchases Mr Anderson said, “I went to visit the Annick herd a few weeks ago to have a look around the cattle in their home environment, and I purchased the cow and calf that I had picked out in the field. I was really impressed with them both and the breeding behind them. The cow has great depth of body and a nice square udder and she has a very stylish heifer calf to go with her. Both my wife Kate and I are very pleased with them and they are a great addition to our herd”.

The very next cow and calf unit through the ring saw a combined price of 9,400gns. First up at 6,200gns was Annick Trixibelle 23rd VG89 from the herd’s highly noted Trixibelle line. The April 2018 born Trixibelle 23rd is by Skerrington Visa and is out of Annick Trixi Belle 9th EX92, an Omorga Volvo daughter. Sold as in-calf to Kilbride Farm Karl, Trixibelle 23rd was one of three purchases on the day by Richard McCulloch for his Overhill House herd at Armadale, West Lothian. Trixibelle’s bull calf at foot, Annick Marksman 21, November 2021 born, made 3,200gns when selling to SJ and W Dickinson, High Woodend, Tebay, Penrith.

Selling at 7,500gns was the first calving heifer Annick Fresia’s Kiki VG85. October 2019 born, this heifer is another by the prolific female breeding Wolfstar Golddigger and is out of Annick Whitney’s Fresia EX94, a Corskie Callum daughter. With strong performance and classification figures behind her, this heifer also boasted a show record having stood as Female and Reserve Overall Champion at the Royal Highland in 2021. Fresia was sold with her Kilbride Farm Karl sired bull calf, Annick Nazareth 22. Buying this outfit was Jim Dyet for his Merkland pedigree herd at East Merkland Farm, Strathaven, Lanarkshire.

Next in the trade stakes was another cow and calf outfit sold separately and going on to different homes for a combined total of 7,000gns. The cow was the first-time calving, March 2019 born Annick Trixibelle 26th VG86, who is also sired by the aforementioned Wolfstar Golddigger and boasts impressive performance figures with both her TI and SRI figures placing her in the top 5% of the breed. Bred out of Annick Trixi-Belle 8th, she was purchased by E and M Fairhurst & Son, who went on to take home a further 20 animals in all to their fast establishing Fairhurst pedigree herd at Langliffe Mill, Langcliffe, North Yorkshire. Her bull calf, the 12 month-old Annick Merlin 21, sired by the homebred Annick Dalwhinnie 12, was purchased by Messrs AL and J Blair, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire.

The first of two to sell for 6,200gns was the cow and calf set Annick Whitney’s Fresia EX94 and her heifer calf Annick Fresia’s Neomi who were purchased by JC MacIver, Forres, Morayshire. Whitney’s Fresia, a fifth calver who is also the Dam of abovementioned Annick Fresia’s Kiki, is sired by the 18,000gns Corskie Callum, and out of Annick Kittiwa’s Whitney, who goes back to the homebred Annick Titan. Her eight month-old heifer calf Fresia’s Neomi is another sired by Wolfstar Golddigger.

Matching the 6,200gns price, was Annick Trixibelle 24th. Sold in calf to Kilbride Farm Karl, she is another with outstanding performance figures, backed up by her previous show success, being crowned Senior Champion at the Stars if the Future show in 2019. Sired by Wolfstar Golddigger, she is out of the Corskie Callum-sired Annick Trixibelle 16th and was snapped up by JR Goddard, Hardwick,Norwich.

Two lots sold for 6,000gns, both cow and calf pairs. The first set were the February 2018 born Annick Fleur’s Jasmin VG89 and her seven-month-old heifer calf at foot Annick Jasmine’s Nectar. Another Wolfstar Golddigger daughter, Fleur’s Jasmin is out of Annick Radiance’s Fleur EX93, who goes back to Corskie Callum. Another stand out cow, with her top classification score – the maximum for a second calver, her first heifer calf Annick Jasmines Marigold was the 5,000gns top priced heifer to sell at last Decembers inaugural Next Gen sale. She was purchased along with her Kilbride Farm Karl sired calf Annick Jasmine’s Nectar by Inverdunning Ltd, Dunning, Perthshire was sold back in calf to the same bull.

The other 6,000gns pair were Annick Diamond’s Kylie GP82 and Annick Kylie’s Nicole, purchased by Pitgaveny Farms, Elgin, Morayshire. The May 2019 born Diamond’s Kylie is a first calver, who was sold back in calf to Kilbride Farm Karl. She is another daughter of Wolfstar Golddigger and bred out of Annick Lydia’s Diamond who goes back to Skerrington Visa. Her nine month old daughter Kylie’s Nicole is sired by the 15,000gns Islavale Jackpot.

CAIRNVIEW REDUCTION SALE TOPS AT 7.500GNS

At the close of the Annick Sale, an offering of four lots was put forward by the Cairnview herd of Andy Wilson, Westcroft Farm, Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Leading the way at 7,500gns was the 2018 born second calver Perrywood Joanna who was sold with her impressive seven-month-old twin bull calves at foot, Cairnview Nick, and Cairnview Nack. Originally bred by BA Borlase, Sacombe Hill Farm, Hertfordshire, Perrywood Joanna is by Derrycallaghan Gambler 15, and is out of Perrywood Vixen.  The twin bull calves were both sired by the homozygous polled bull Slievenagh International. Further Cairnview lots made 4800gns, 4200gns, and 3,500gns respectively.

Other top priced Lots

Lots 21 & 21A, sold for a combined 5,800gns with Dam Annick Heather’s Katriona V87 being purchased by GA Francis, Carmarthen, Dyfed for 3,000gns and bull calf Annick Monarch purchased for 2,000gns by KC and P Hawkey, St Wenn, Cornwall.

Lots 27 & 27A, Annick Prudence’s Colleen EX95 & Annick Nelson 22, sold for 5800 to Alex Heath, Market Drayton, Shropshire.

Lots 17 & 17A, Annick Fresia’s June VG87 & Annick Nevada 22, sold for 5,500gns to E & M Fairhurst & Son, Austwick, Lancaster.

Lot 41 Annick Ivy’s Moonbeam, sold for 5,500gns to R McCulloch, Armadale, West Lothian.

Lot 22 & 22A, sold for a combined 5,300gns with Dam Annick Ember’s Kirsty VG87 being purchased by GA Francis, Abergorlech, Dyfed, for 3,500gns and bull calf Annick Magnum 21 purchased for 1,800gns by J & J Munn, Jamestown Alexandria.

Lots 2 & 2A Annick Belle’s Desiree EX92 & Annick Desiree’s Nadia, sold for 5,200gns to E & M Fairhurst & Son, Austwick, Lancaster.

Lots 16 & 16A Annick Diamond’s Jem VG87 & Annick Montreal 21, sold for 5,200gns to E & M Fairhurst & Son, Austwick, Lancaster.

Lots 11 & 11A Annick Fern’s Ivy VG88 & Annick Ivy’s Nancy, sold for 5,000gns to E & M Fairhurst & Son, Austwick, Lancaster.

Lot 37 Annick Icicle’s Leah, sold for 5,000gns to Inverdunning Ltd, Dunning, Perthshire.