Simmentals were again to the fore in numbers and leading prices on 3rd May at Thainstone as Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 503 head of adult breeding Cattle.
The British Simmental Cattle Society’s award for the best sired Simmental Heifer and Calf went to The Gordon Family, Lost Farm, Strathdon with the 1st prize Simmental Heifer with Bull Calf which sold for £3700.
Charles Gordon (right), Lost Farm, Strathdon, receiving the Champion Simmental award, for the second year in a row, from BSCS Chairman of Shows & Sales North, Stewart Stronach.
Bulling Heifers met a fantastic demand selling to a top of £2600 for a pair of tremendous 19-month-old Simmental Heifers from D & G Manson, Brodieshill Farm, Alves. *The Mansons will host a Simmental Open Day on 8th July.
Over 90% of the bulling heifers forward were Simmental sired.
The section for Cow with Bull Calf sold to £3,150 for a Simmental Cross with a Limousin Cross from Rennieshill, Newmachar.
The commercial demand for Simmental females continued unabated with a strength in depth throughout the entry and a strong trade to match. Leading Simmental prices included: Heifer with Bull Calf: SimX – Lost Farm £3750, £3700, £3600, £3500, South Blachrie £3650, £3600, Bungalow, New Noth £3600 (X2), £3550 (X2) Heifer with Heifer Calf: SimX – Pitcairn Farm £3750, £3500, South Blachrie £3650, £3450 Lost Farm £3650, Farirburn £3450, Bungalow, New Noth £3400.
This was the second year in a row that Lost Farm has topped the Simmental prices and lifted this award at the corresponding sale. The Gordons are well recognised for selling strong consignments of well-bred outfits to returned buyers at both the spring and autumn Thainstone fixtures, and from their 50-cow suckler herd of mainly Simmental cross females.
Class 1 Simmental Sired Heifer with Male Calf 1st – C & G Gordon Lost Farm Strathdon £3,700 2nd – C & G Gordon Lost Farm Strathdon £3,500 3rd – A Prentice The Bungalow New Noth Gartly £3,600 Class 2 Simmental Sired Heifer with Female Calf 1st – C Malone Pitcairn Cardenden £3,500 2nd – W J Morrison Fairburn Longmannhill £3,450 3rd – C Malone Pitcairn Cardenden £3,750
At Gisburn’s May Show & Sale of Rearing Calves, an entry in excess of 200 calves (10 weeks and under), was kindly judged by Duncan Bailey and sponsored by Thornton Breakers. The Champion Calf, sired by a Denizes bull, was a 24-day-old Simmental bull from J & RJ Parsons, Brogden which went onto sell for £505.
The overall average for rearing calves on the day was £281 for ‘all shapes and size’ with the auctioneers saying that the sale ‘proved again that in Gisburn, we have something for everyone and someone for everything’!
• Homozygous polled bulls sell to 5800gns, and 5500gns • Eight bulls average £4699, up by £703 on the year • Midhope lead the females at 4200gns
The British Simmental Cattle Society’s annual show and sale at McCartney’s Worcester Livestock Market on Saturday 29th April, saw a top price of 5800gns attained by first time exhibitor John Gosmore, Newton House Farm, Tattenhall for his September 2021 born bull Newton House Moneymaker.
Newton House Moneymaker 5800gns
Polled genetics were again to the fore and in demand with Newton House Moneymaker being a homozygous polled bull by Kilbride Farm Hans 16 (PP). His dam, Lissadell Luxury VIP (P), was bought in October 2020 at the Premier Sale in Roscommon for 8000 Euros. With a combination of breeding, polled genetics, and good performance figures, Newton House Moneymaker was sold to commercial producer Messrs Gowling, Little Oxendon Farm, Market Harborough, Leicestershire. The Gowlings, who run Simmental cross cows, were attracted by the polled genetics, the milk within the Simmental breed, and will use the bull to breed female replacements.
Commenting afterwards John Gosmore said: “We were delighted to achieve the day’s top price at what was our first Society Sale. Newton House Moneymaker was just a very correct bull with a nice head and character. He walks well and has a very good temperament. There’s an interest in polled Simmental genetics, and we trust that this bull goes on to do well for the Gowlings.” Newton House Moneymaker was shown on the day by Paul Mullarkey of Lissadell Simmentals and who had come over from the Republic of Ireland to help the Gosmores.
In all, eight Simmental bulls were sold on the day to average £4699 which was up by £703 on the year, and with three bulls at 5500gns and more.
Thorncliff Monty 5500gns
Another first-time exhibitor was Wayne Mosley, Thorncliff, Chelmorton, Derbyshire who sold Thorncliff Monty for the joint second top price of 5500gns. Earlier in the day, and capping a fine debut for the Thorncliff herd, this May 2021 born bull had been placed Overall Supreme Champion in the pre-sale show and in front of the judge Dafydd Jones who runs a 250 cow Simmental based commercial suckler herd, along with the Tywi pedigree herd, at Danycapel, Dryslwyn, Carmarthen. Thorncliff Monty, a twin to a male, is by the AI sire Woodhall Ferrari and is out of Higherem Hayley, a Banwy Wonderboy. At the fall of the hammer, the day’s Champion was purchased HJ Marklove, Hansells Farm, Purton, Swindon. Commenting, the judge Dafydd Jones said: “My choice of Champion was in my opinion a modern type of Simmental bull. He’s a smart, clean bull, not too heavy through the front, is very well muscled, and has good locomotion. I’ve no doubt he’ll breed good carcase animals in addition to the typical Simmental maternal traits.”
Blue Cedar Majestic 5500gns
Also at the 5500gns mark was another homozygous polled bull in the shape of Blue Cedar Majestic 21 (PP) from Nigel Darling, Intwood Farm, Norwich. Fully homebred, this March 2021 born bull is by Blue Cedar Kelso 19 (PP), a Sneumgaard Imperator (PP) son, and out of Blue Cedar Wendy 2nd (PP), a Celtic Comet (P) daughter. At the fall of the hammer this bull was purchased by Ian King who runs the Pinkmead pedigree herd at Curbridge, Southampton. Speaking after the sale breeder Nigel Darling said: “We’re seeing a good interest in homozygous polled genetics and this bull also had good performance figures for calving ease and growth. This sale comes on the back of Melton where we sold another homozygous polled bull and who was sired by Imperator.”
With over forty cows and calves to sell in the herd’s Reduction Sale following the bull sale, it was a busy but successful day for the Wroxall herd of CH Evans & Son, Kington Grange Farm, Claverdon, Warwickshire who made 4500gns when selling Wroxall Milky Bar Kid 21 for 4500gns. August 2021 born, this calf is by the heterozygous polled bull Coose Gambler, and is out of Wroxall Hartpury, a Wroxall Electric (P) daughter. With a calving ease figure in the top 10% of the breed, this bull was purchased by Richard Bell, for the 300-cow Bowley Herd of CM Mercer, Bowley Court Farms, Hope-Under-Dinmore, Leominster, Herefordshire, and who run up to 12 Simmental bulls.
Selling at 4200gns was Key Marvel 21 from Messrs GD Key & Sons, Abbey Farm, Loddon, Norwich. This August 2021 born bull is by Islavale Jupiter, and is out of Innerwick Genesis, a Castlegale Titan daughter. Key Marvel was knocked down to CR Bayliss, Moorend Farm, Weston Beggard, Herefordshire.
Midhope Megan 4200gns
In the small show of females the top price of 4200gns went to regular Worcester consignor Mr WJ Hollingsworth, Midhope Hall Farm, Sheffield, for his Reserve Female Champion, Midhope Megan. This January born heifer, scanned two months in calf to Strathisla Mandarin, is by Delfur Chas 11, and is out of the Woodhall Everhart daughter, Midhope Indigo. Buying the top price female was Mr S & Mrs D Shapland, for their Brynsworthy pedigree herd at Brynsworthy Farm, Barnstaple, Devon.
Top price in export sale to the Coose herd, Republic of Ireland
Cows and calves sell to length and breadth of the UK
The genuine reduction of the noted Wroxall Simmental herd of CH Evans & Son, Kington Grange Farm, Claverdon, Warwickshire saw a more than solid trade throughout gross just over £120,000 for the 32 cows forward with calves at foot, along with five cows in calf, and three in-calf heifers.
Wroxall Iona Zilla & Wroxall Nii-Zilla 6000gns
Leading the way at a combined 6000gns was the homozygous polled Wroxall Iona Zilla at 1800gns and with her stylish heifer calf Wroxall NII-Zilla at 4200gns. This unit was snapped up by the noted Coose herd of John Tuohy, Whitegate, Co Galway, Republic of Ireland. Wroxall Iona Zilla PP is February 2017 born and is by Losning Iver (P) and is out of Wroxall Daisy-Zilla. PD’d in calf to Forsdale Gallipoli, Wroxall NII-Zilla (P), is her fourth calf. This September 2022 born heifer is by Wroxall Jerome 18.
The Wroxall Sale came about due to the end of the family’s tenancy at Abbey Farm, Kenilworth after more than some ninety years, and the consolidation of the herd at its new new home at Claverdon. Founded in 1969 the Wroxall Simmental herd was based around initial importations from Switzerland. Increasingly the herd has concentrated on the polling gene and as such the sale at Worcester offered functional, working cattle with a high health status, and a catalogue packed with a great selection of modern-day Simmental, and polled genetics. A packed ringside, and buyers online and on the telephone, ensured a strong trade with exports sales and animals selling to all corners of the UK. Some 40 lots, mainly pedigree Simmental cows with Simmental, and Blue calves at foot, grossed over a very healthy £120,000.
Selling at a combined 4600gns was another homozygous polled female Wroxall Jazz Superior PP, and with her third calf, the heifer calf Wroxall Nautical-Superior (P) at foot. January 2018 born, Wroxall Jazz Superior is by Wroxall Electric (P), and is out of Wroxall Gertrude-Superior (P). PD’d in calf to Coose Gambler, Wroxall Jazz Superior made 2900gns when selling to the north of Scotland and R&N Barclay, Harestone Farm, Insch, Aberdeenshire. Her September born heifer calf Wroxall Nautical-Superior, sired by Forsdale Gallipoli, made 2700gns when also purchased by the Barclays.
Wroxall Jessica Lilly (P), sold with her heifer calf at foot Wroxall Nilly-Lilly (P), made a combined 3500gns. March 2018 born, Jessica Lilly is sired by Wroxall Cocker-Leeky-Soup (PP), and is out of Wroxall Forget Me Not-Lilly. PD’d in calf to Wroxall Maxi Power, she was bought for 2300 by AD Heath for the Eaton pedigree herd at Eaton House, Market Drayton, Shropshire. The September 2022 born Wroxall Nilly-Lilly (P), sired by Wroxall Cocker-Leeky-Soup then made 1200gns when selling to Paul Rowden, Simboro House, Totnes, Devon.
Also at the 3500gns mark was the first calved heifer Wroxall Janie Patience (P), who was sold with her January 2023 born heifer calf Wroxall Pamela (P) at foot. Wroxall Janie Patience (P) is by Wroxall Electirc 13 (P), and out of Wroxall Gabriella-Patiance (P) was sold PD’d in-calf to Wroxall Maxi Power. Her calf at foot, Wroxall Pamela (P), was sired by Coose Gambler. This outfit was another to be snapped up by R&N Barclay, Harestone Farm, Insch, Aberdeenshire.
The averages in the Wroxall sale were as follows:
12 cows with autumn born calves £3537 18 cows with spring born calves £2867.08 5 Cows-in-calf £2310 3 In-calf heifers £2800 2 Unregistered cows with calves at foot £3035
• 24 bulls sell to average £5828, up by £195, and a new Stirling May Sale record average. • Two bulls sell at over 10,000gns with eleven at 5000gns and more. • 16,000gns leads the all-breeds prices at Stirling • 16,000gns the top Simmental price, and top all-breeds price, at a May Stirling Sale
Following up his Supreme Championship in the pre-sale show, the January 2022 born Overhill House Neil from Richard McCulloch, Armadale, West Lothian, duly delivered the goods in the sale ring when making 16,000gns to lead the Stirling May Simmental Sale, and to take the top price across the breeds at United Auctions multi breed fixture on Monday May 1st.
Overhill House Neil 16,000gns
This stylish, red coated, young bull is by the 24,000gns Islavale Heston, and is out of Overhill House India, a Curaheen Drifter daughter. In November last year, Overhill House Neill won the Overall Junior Championship at the Stars of the Future Calf Show. With top figures for calving ease and maternal (milk), this package of looks, pedigree, and performance figures saw some sharp bidding before the hammer fell and with Overhill House Neil being knocked down to Andrew Leedham for his Grangewood pedigree herd at Pickering, North Yorkshire.
The strong sale demand for Simmental bulls was again evident with the 24 bulls sold averaging £5828, up by £195 and, for the third year in a row, to a new record average for this May Simmental Sale fixture. As well as topping the sale day, the 16,000gns price was an all-breeds record for the Stirling May Sale
A terrific day’s trading for Overhill House saw the herd attain prices of 16,000gns; 7000gns; and 6500gns for three quality Simmental bulls. Commenting on Overhill House Neil after the sale, a delighted Richard McCulloch said: “Neil is the best bull we’ve bred to date within the Overhill House herd. From day one he was just an outstanding calf that had those ‘look at me qualities’ and just kept going on and improving. For me he’s the overall package in a modern Simmental bull. He’s dark red in colour, has a real Simmental breed head, has four good correct legs, is super clean, and has a back end to die for. He’s been sold into a good pedigree home, and I look forward to seeing how he gets on within the Grangewood herd.” The sale saw the Overhill House herd gross £30,975 for three Islavale Heston sons and with this 24,000gns sire consistently breeding sale bulls at the 7-8000gns mark. Of attaining the record sale price for any breed at the Stirling May Sale, Richard McCulloch went on to say: “The record price is just a bonus on top of what was a great sale for the herd and three good bulls that were brought out so well by my stockman Scott Gilmour. The standard of Simmental bulls forward at the sales just keeps getting better and better and with an obvious and increasing interest in the breed. From here we’re just going to continue to cull hard, be selective and with the aim of keeping the quality as high as we can at pedigree sales.”
Placing Overhill House Neil as the pre-sale Supreme Champion, was the pre-sale show judge for the day, Gary Wright of the noted Lagavaich herd, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch.
The 16,000gns was also the top price that Andrew and Yvonne Leedham, who run the 35 cow Grangewood pedigree herd along with their son Callum, have paid to date for a Simmental bull. Speaking after the sale, Andrew Leedham said: “He’s a terrific Simmental bull and just what we were looking for. We first saw him at the Stars of the Future Show and having been keeping an eye on his pictures and videos on Facebook. In addition to the qualities of the bull he has great figures including ease of calving and we think he’ll be very well suited to our Ranfurly Impeccable 14 17 daughters within the herd. From here we will consider taking semen from him and may ease him into the herd to use in this next month or so.”
Delfur Macbeth 10500gns
Taking the second top price of 10,500gns, and again from a strong line up of bulls, was the October 2021 born Delfur Macbeth from Delfur Farms, Aberlour. This calf by Woodhall Instinct, and out of Delfur Annie, carried a Maternal (Milk) figure of +10. Purchaser was the noted commercial producer JR Graham & Partners, Greenshields, Biggar, Lanarkshire. Selling at 9000gns was another from the Delfur team in the shape of the first prize winner in class six and pre-sale Reserve Supreme Champion, Delfur Marvel. October 2021 born, Delfur Macbeth is another by Woodhall Instinct and is out of Delfur Jill, an Islavale Cassius daughter. This bull headed back to Aberdeenshire when being knocked down to high-quality commercial producers Farquharson Farms, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire.
Delfur-Marvel 9000gns
On the day the Delfur herd sold three bulls to gross £25,500 and to average £8925, and with the 10,500gns price being the herd’s highest to date at this May Sale fixture. Under the herd manager Garry Patterson, the Delfur herd has been achieving some leading sale prices for Simmental bulls and with the quality and potential within the herd’s females now coming through. The herd presently comprises of 120 cows but with plans to gradually increase that number. When it comes to the sales Delfur Farms takes direct aim at breeding what the commercial producer is looking for and bulls carrying style, thickness and correctness, and with easy calving lines. Any bulls sold to breeders are a bonus on top!
Copper Mill Maverick 7000gns
Selling at 7000gns was Copper Mill Maverick from P Goldsborough, Oakrigg Farm, Old Carlisle Road, Moffat. Another bull with strong calving ease figures, the August 2021 born Copper Mill Maverick is by Rathnashan Linguine and is out of the Samark Superman daughter, Copper Mill Janice. Buying this bull was J&J Marshall, Grantown on Spey, Morayshire.
Overhill House Nash 7000gns
The second bull at 7000gns was another from Richard McCulloch and this time Overhill House Nash. This January 2022 born bull stood second in his class to the day’s Champion and Overhill House teammate, and in a class that saw Overhill take first, second, and third. Another calf by Islavale Heston, Nash is out of Overhill House Emma, a Blackford Ben Mhor daughter. With figures putting him in the top 5% of the breed for calving ease, and top 10% for Eye Muscle Area, Overhill House Nash was bought by JTM MacKay, Thura Mains, Caithness. Overhill House Noah who stood third in the same class made 6500gns when selling to Cumbria and WA Vaughan, High Dovecote, Walton, Brampton. Making up a strong trio of Overhill House bulls, and with strong performance figures, Noah is again by Islavale Heston and is out of the Annick Talisker daughter Overhill House Hanna.
Selling at 6000gns was another from the Delfur Farms pen and this time the October 2021 born Delfur Matey. This bull stood second in his class to the Reserve Supreme Champion and 9000gns teammate Delfur Marvel. Sired by Banwy Bonzo, Matey is out of another Islavale Cassius daughter, Delfur Kayley. Purchasing what was another dark red bull with easy calving figures, was MJ&J McLaren, Fintalich, Muthill, Crieff, Perthshire.
Getting knocked down at 5800gns was Broombrae Munro from Gordon Clark, Auchtermuchty, Cupar, Fife. This October 2021 born bull, who stood fourth in a strong class, is by Corskie Kalgary 19, and is out of Broombrae Delight K1. With a top 5% figure of +11 for Maternal (Milk), this bull was snapped up by Glenkiln Farms, Crocketford, Dumfries.
Other Leading Prices:
Lot 463 5000gns Denizes Montana to A Nicholson, Dunphail, By Forres
Lot 465 5000gns Coltfield Mighty to H MacDonald, Mains of Dalvey, Morayshire
Lot 467 5000gns Dargill Master (P) to J& I Cameron, Hillside Farm, Kilmacolm
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