Perth Autumn Show and Sale

Demand for Simmental females increases again

A good show of Simmental females, attracted a packed ringside in Perth on Tuesday 13th November 2007 following immediately after the Charity Auction organised by the Simmental Society to raise funds for the 2008 World Congress which they are hosting in the UK.

The trend for an increased market for Simmental females for both pedigree and commercial breeding continued and ensured a 95% clearance with only 4 failing to find new homes through the ring. A reduced entry due to BTV restrictions, saw the 84 animals forward sell to an average of £1707, with twice the amount of animals of the previous year sold when they averaged £2,138 for the 40 sold.

The 6,000gns top price of the day was judge, Brian Grant, Druid Temple Farm, Inverness’s pre sale Champion Crugmelyn Twilight from Gethan Lloyd, Glanrhyd, Abergorlech Road, Carmarthen. A red and white, April 2006 daughter of Raceview King, she is a past prize winner at the Royal Welsh Show and looks like an outstanding show and breeding prospect for her new owners Jim Goldie and Patricia Ross, Newby Mains, Annan, Dumfriesshire.

There were two bids of 4,800gns. Firstly Peter and Caroline Goldsbrough, Manor Farm, East Cowton, Northallerton, saw Copper Mill Snow Queen also head to Dumfreisshire to join the Maulscastle Farms herd of Simmentals near Annan, together with another four good lots from the sale. Snow Queen is a daughter of Milnafua Diamond out of a home bred cow by Carnkern Titan. The other 4,800gns bid of the day saw Billy and Michael Robsons’ outstanding draft from the Kilbride Farm Herd, Doagh, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, top when Kilbride Farm Eunice 37S sold in calf to Cairnview Snazzy, who was purchased at the spring sale in Perth for 15,000gns. The purchaser was Bryn Jones, Cefnisa, Dolwe, Aberegele,North Wales. Two lots later, Kilbride Farm Kunne 4S also in calf to Snazzy changed hands for 3,800gns to Sandra Francis, Homestead Farm, Shaftsbury Road, Mere, Warminster, Wiltshire to join her Dinton Herd.

Colin Inglis, Dalachy Farm, Aberdour, Burntisland, paid 3,400gns for Joe Wilson’s Carinview Lerica 7th, an Annanwater Pioneer daughter who was showing a high milk EBV and a good set of figures. She joins his recently formed Greencap Herd.

Another good draft from Lachlan Quarm, Annick Herd, Annick Lodge, Irvine topped at 3,000gns when Annick Primroses Sunflower, sold to J. Aitken, Overton Farm, Fintry Glasgow. She is a 2 year old daughter of Sterling Nelson and has had a successful show season to date including a beef interbreed title. Another bid of 3,000gns, secured Dirnanean Tosca T3 for JAC Mill, Brucefiled Farm, Ladybank, Cupar, Fife. Tosca is a Halenook Panache daughter and led another outstanding draft of females from Finley McGowan’s herd at Incheoch Farms, Alyth, Blairgowrie.

The first lot in the ring from Hugo Arnold’s Hockenhull Herd near Chester sold for 3,000gns to Gerald Towers, Turners Arms Farm, Yearby, Redcar, Clevland . She was sold in calf to Dirnanean Solomon and by the home bred Hockenhull Norman and was quickly followed by a bid of 3,500gns for Ian Greens, Corskie Spice from Corskie Farm, Garmouth Fochabers. A twin by Strathisla Nuggat she sold in calf to Popes Laird and joined Messrs Horrell’s, Podhole Herd at Podhole Farm, Thorney, Peterborough.

Main buyers of the day were Mr and Mrs Field from the Castle Hill Partnership, Upper Burytown Farm, Blunsdon, Swindon, Wiltshire, when they bought a total of 23 lots to use as a foundation herd in their new organic farming system. “We chose Simmentals because we needed something quiet.” said Mr. Field “There are lots of children and pathways through the estate and the cattle will come into contact with people on a regular basis.”

“I am delighted with the positive feelings that everyone has for the breed at such a difficult time in the industry.” said Fiona Sloan, Development Manager of the Simmental Society. “The steady increase in quality within the breed is paying dividends for breeders and the buyers are happier with what the breeders are producing. I have every confidence in the Bull sale today, continuing on the same positive note with an outstanding show of quality bulls.”

NORTHERN IRELAND BREEDERS LEAD THE WAY AT A BOYANT PERTH

Following an excellent female sale the previous evening, an outstanding show of Simmental Bulls at Perth showed a record average for an autumn sale at the sale centre. Commercial buyers were prepared to pay high prices for the bulls they wanted and this reflected in a good trade. With the Single Farm Payment being so far off and the next main sales only 10 weeks away, many farmers decided to wait until February before parting with their cash , resulting in a clearance of 65% in comparison to almost 90 % at the previous sale. “The reduced clearance is more of a lack of confidence in the Industry at the moment, said Fiona Sloan the Simmental Development Manager and not a lack of confidence in the Breed. Commercial buyers were prepared to pay very good prices for the bulls they wanted and the quality bulls sold very well. I am delighted with the sale as are most of the vendors and those who didn’t manage to sell this time are the victims of the times we are currently living in and not in producing a lack of quality bulls within the breed. This was the best overall show of bulls I have seen at Perth and we can look forward to a bright future for the breed and even better sales in the spring when bulls will be needed for spring calving.”

Many of the high prices followed the judging of the previous day and the judge, Brian Grant, Druid Temple Farm, Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness stood by his Overall Champion when he paid 16,000 gns for Stralongford Trojan from J.J.Hannah, 55 Keeran Road, Rawe, Irvinestone, Northern Ireland. Trojan had previously had a very successful show season and is by Omorga Murray, a maternal brother to Omorga Samson, who sold in Perth in February for a breed record of 22,000gns. Top price of the day went to the Reserve Overall Champion, Slievenagh Talisman from Robin Boyd, Slievenagh Farm, 78 Ballynafie Road, Portglenone Co. Antrim. Talisman had previously been Reserve Simmental Male of the Year in Northern Ireland and is by the well known sire, Kilbride Farm Newry, a son of Dovefields Gallant. His dam, Slievenagh Madonna is by Cleenagh Flasher. Talisman sold to Henry Widdicome, Ashprington Court, Ashprington, Totnes, Devon, to join his well known Starline Herd.

In all four lots made five figure bids. Next in line came another bull from Northern Ireland, this time Billy and Michael Robson, Kilbride Farm Herd from Doagh, Ballyclare followed an outstanding trade for their females the previous evening when they produced Kilbride Farm Tweed, who attracted a 13,000gns bid from Neil McGeoch , Easter Blacklaw, Old Glasgow Road, Stewarton, Kilmarnock, to join his Hazelden Herd. Tweed is a son of Cleenah Flasher and is similarly bred to the Champion, going back to Kilbride Farm Newry on his Dams side.

Jimmy and Vikki Wood, Popes Farm, Longridge Road, Dutton, Preston, finally broke the Northern Ireland stronghold on the sale when they sold Popes Tonka to John and William Young, Skerrington Mains, Hurlford, Kilmarnock for 12,000gns. Tonka had a successful show season behind him and his sire, Corrick Major was a previous Perth Sale Champion in 2003. He is also a maternal half brother to Popes Laird who has done so well in the Corskie Herd.

Two bulls attracted bids of 9,000gns each. Firstly David Hazelton, Cohannan House, 25 Bovean Road, Dungannon Co. Tyrone, sold his strong red bull, Ranfurly Talisman T3, who had earlier been Reserve Senior Champion to Mr. R. Martyn, Wester Bleaton XX Another extensive show winner from Northern Ireland, Talisman is by Carnkern Titan an out of David’s famous Show cow, South Park King Kong Weikel 2ND. The other 9,000gns bid came from S. Knox and Sons, North Balloch Farm, XX when they purchased Kilbride Farm Tully, to give Billy and Michael Robson their second top price of the day leading to and average for the bulls the family sold 4 to average 6350gns. Tully is also by Kilbride Farm Newry and this time out of a home bred dam, Kilbride Farm Eunice who was a daughter of Kilbride Farm Mark who sold to Snaigow at a previous sale for 7,000gns.

R.E.Jones, Maesllymstyn Foel, Welshpool, who was showing at Perth for the first time was delighted to see his offering, Banwyn T-Rex , a heifers calf by Sterling Nelson sell to Southern Ireland breeder, Garrett Behan, Cloneygowan, Ballyfin, Port Laois, Co. Laois to join his Clonagh Simmental Herd

David Smith, Drumsleed, Fordoun, Laurencekirk, this time beat mum and dad Morag and Gerald to an 8000gns bid for Boswell Tornado a son of Beeches Kestrel and out of his home bred cow, Boswell Kelly. David also went on to win the young stock person of the year for the Perth Sale. Boswell went to the famous Sterling Herd to join Stephen Hitchin’s Boddington Estates, The Manor Boddington in the Costswolds.

Ian Green from Corskie toped off a good overall average for his sale when he sold Corskie Topgun for 7,000gns to Preston Farm, Preston Lane, Linlithgow. Topgun is by Burghbridge Lane . Another from the same camp, Corskie Terry a son of Ballinalare Farm Nightrider, changed hands at 6,500gns to Messrs J.J. Sutherland and S. Stainland, Thurso, Caithness.

Dorothy & Lesley Moffat, Innerwick, Dunbar, again did well at the sale when their 1st Prize winner from the previous day, Innerwick Triumph, a son of Oakhill Lennox, sold for 6,500gns to father and son in law partnership, Danny and Harry Fleming Whitsome Laws, Duns, Berwickshire.

In all 75 of the 118 lots forward were sold through the ring to an average of £4135