‘BUMPER’ MARKET BRIEFS!! SIMMENTALS TOPPING UK COMMERCIAL SALES AND INCLUDING AT: FROME; MELTON MOWBRAY; BAKEWELL; SEDGEMOOR; HEXHAM; WORCESTER; BALLYMENA; EXETER; ABERDEEN; HUNTLY; GISBURN; STIRLING; SKIPTON; OSWESTRY; PENRITH; NEWTON STEWART; LANCASTER; HALLWORTHY; DUMFRIES; MARKET DRAYTON; CARLISLE; AYR; DUNGANNON; & THIRSK.

The commercial trade for all classes of cattle continues to be on fire at sale centres around the UK and Simmentals are featuring strongly within that. This latest ‘bumper issue’ of market briefs feature 24 markets around the UK where Simmental sired cattle having been topping sale sections over this last month. There’s many more market topping prices not covered here where the sale leading cattle are bred out of Simmental females!

Milk and maternal are the Simmental signature traits. Backed up with growth rates and age at slaughter, the modern British Simmental is adaptable to all geographies and systems around the UK. Remember, Simmental is the no-nonsense beef breed! Easy to look after, efficient, flexible, giving you added value, and with a hard-working ethos that gets the job done!

In a sale of prime cattle at Frome on 22nd March Simmental heifers with shape and cover from Waddon Farm sold to 257p/kg grossing £1603 and featuring at the top of the prices.

At Melton Mowbray’s sale of store, and breeding cattle on 22nd March, breeding and feeding cows yet again saw a tremendous trade, with G Saxelby & Son leading the day’s trade for cows topping at £1845 for a pure Simmental.

Bakewell’s sale of 63 barren, OTM and feeding cows on 20th March saw an overall average of 201.86p /kg or (£1,332.00). Leading the way at £1759.50 was a Simm from P Cafferty, Ashover.
In a sale of barren cows at Sedgemoor on 20th March, a smart red and white purebred Simmental cow topped the day at 203.5ppk from R Bigwood. Others at 201.5ppk for a well fleshed Simmental cross from AJ & TLJ Hawkins.

Hexham’s sale of store cattle on 18th March saw the trade for young bulls led at £1390 for a Simmental from Messrs JA & L Ogle, Wydon.

Buyers simply queuing up for cattle at Worcester on 18th March. Stronger cattle are hitting heights never experienced in the store ring. Strong Steers sell to £1600 (yes £1600!), and led by Simmentals from AV Verity.

At Ballymena’s sale of calves on 17th March, the trade for younger bulls saw a 2-month-old Simmental top at £520.

A big entry of calves at Exeter on 17th March saw the top bull calf being £305 for a super Simmental bull from Messrs MR & KM Pring of Broadclyst.

Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of cast cows and bulls on 16th March from Orkney. Beef Cows sold to £2,030 gross for a 1020kg Simmental Bullock from D Petrie, Westhouse, Warth, Twatt.

At a sale of cast cows and bulls at Thainstone on 16th March, beef finished cows (109) averaged £1836.14 and sold to £2350 for a 1016kg Simmental cross from Nittanshead, New Pitsligo.

On 16th March, United Auctions had a sale of store cattle and OTMs at Huntly. OTM’s sold to a top of 226p per kg for a 770kg SimX from Whinbrae, Huntly. Top gross being £2420 for a 1320kg Sim bull from Tillyminate, Gartly.

A fantastic entry of 246 rearing calves were forward at Gisburn on 16th March, and simply put were ‘a right’ trade! David Mattinson sold the highest price calf of the day, a beautiful Simmental bull calf at £460.

At Stirling on 15th March, United Auctions sold 1459 store cattle, young bulls and 125 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Out of Spec Cattle averaged 232.69p and to £2190 for a SIMX from Abbey. OTM cows were led by Linross with a Simm at £2270, whilst OTM bulls were topped by Neuk with a Simm at £2170.

On 15th March at Melton Mowbray, a sale of calves and weanlings saw a tremendous run of Blue and Simmental sired calves from the regular supporters see Chandler & Dickman take the days leading prices; with a Simmental Bull calf away to £365 and more from the same good home to £350.
Skipton’s sale of feeding cows on 15th March saw a nice run of Simmental cross Cows from RD Elliott Tadcaster feature in the top prices, with 8 selling from £1560 to £1790 and 3 of them being £1700 plus.

In a sale of cull cows at Frome on 15th March, the top price was £2045 for a Simmental from EM Horn & Son, Swanmore. On the same day in a sale of prime cattle, Simmental steers with shape and cover from RE & AM Hicks sold to 266p/kg, and 262p/kg from JC Stainer. Simmental heifers from RE & AM Hicks sold to 258p/kg and £1545.

A sale of calves and weanlings at Oswestry on 15th March, saw a ‘good show of weanlings’ with C A Wildbore, Carreghofa topping with his Simmental steers aged 9-12 months selling to £630, and also £590 & £565.

Melton Mowbray saw a large yarding of rearing calves and weanlings forward with 164 rearing calves on offer on 14th March. A tremendous run of Blue and Simmental sired calves from the regular supporters saw Chandler & Dickman take the days leading prices; with a Simmental Bull calf leading the way at £365 and more from the same good home to £350.

On 13th March, Penrith & District Farmers’ Mart LLP held their fortnightly sale of 82 OTM Cattle. An excellent number of cast cows was forward to a very active ring of buyers. An overall sale average of 193ppk was achieved, topping at 287.5pk from first time vendor Messrs J G & S M Tallentire, High Griseburn, with a Simmental cross British Blue young cow totalling £1837.30 with this consignment averaging 258ppk/£1466.61. At the same sale, a TB exempt Simmental X, 6 year old cow from Messrs R W Sowerby & Son, Sycamore Rise made £2036.96.

At Craig Wilson Ltd’s sale of store cattle at Newton Stewart on 10th March, 70 Heifers averaged 270.2p k/g peaking at £1420 for a pen of Simmental Crosses from A Henry, Barrachan.

Young bulls are becoming ever frequent in the Hexham ring now on a Friday, and on 10th March, Messrs JA & L Ogle, Wydon sold two lots of Simmental cross bulls to the day’s top price of £1400.

A sale of store cattle on 10th March at Lancaster commenced with an entry of young feeding bulls. Yearling Simmentals from Barlow Bros, Croston sold at £1320. In the steers, Nether Kellett also sold Simmentals at £1680.

SIMMENTAL STEER SETS EXETER RECORD OF £2010
Exeter on 10th March saw close to 600 store cattle and stirks penned and sold with demand as strong as ever for all types on offer. Steers topped at a very impressive South West high and market record of £2010 given for a Simmental from Robert Hawkins of Ottery St Mary whilst much later born (15m) Simmental bullocks still saw a notable £1500 for Andrew and George Palk of Marldon. The same vendors saw their Simmental heifers (21m) sell to £1500 for a super bunch of five.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts sale of prime cattle at Thainstone on 9th March, 30 to 36 Month bullocks sold to 287p per kg for a 690kg Simmental Cross from Denhead of Muiresk, Turriff. Heifers sold to 283p and £1850.82 gross for a 654kg Simmental from Denhead of Muiresk. Denhead of Muiresk also sold young Simmental bulls to 287p, 284p, and 279p. On the same day at a sale of cast cows and bulls, boning cows averaged £1034.36 and sold to £1345 for a 718kg Simmental. Dairy cows averaged £1590 and sold to £1790 for a 816kg Fleckvieh from 4 Sibster, Wick.

412 Stores at Hallworthy on 9th March saw top spot going to A Hart of St Austell with a 23 month Simmental steer, deep bodied and well fleshed to £1735. W E Uglow of Trelash sold a super young Simmental x to £1445. Heard Bros of St Issey in close with a super pen of four Simmental x Steers to £1295. Younger Steers from J Buckland & Son of St Buryan saw his pair of 10 month Simmentals to £1200. W E Uglow saw a single Simmental x Heifer away at £1445.

C&D Auction Marts, Dumfries held their sale of primestock on 8th March. Dairy cows of all classes met a competitive trade selling to 208p/kg for a Fleckvieh from Slacks.

In a sale of cull cows at Frome on 8th March, Simmentals from CSA Holdings, Trowbridge led the way at 235p/kg.

On Wednesday 8th March, Market Drayton’s sale of store cattle saw the steers topped by a 652kg Simmental at £1,670.00 from Mr David Bradshaw.

In a sale of calves and stirks at Craig Wilson Ltd’s Ayr market on 7th March, Simmental Cross: £1260 Lochridgehill, heifer stirks were led at £1260 by Simmental X’s from Lochridgehill. In a sale of breeding cattle on the same day, the cow and calf trade was led by a Simmental and Heifer at £1800 from Fowler. In-calf females were topped by a Simmental at £1450 from Holmes.

At Hexham’s Primestock Sale on 7th March, making a very successful first trip, and featuring in the very top end of prices, was Messrs T M Lough & Son, Whittle, Shilbottle who sold Simmental cross cows to £1825.13. The same home sold a Simmental Bull to £1730.58.

On Monday 6th March and a sale of store cattle at Caledonian Marts, Stirling, heifers averaged 270 ppkg and selling to £1610 for a pen of Simmentals from A l & J Blair, East Kerse, Lochwinnoch.

Exeter’s sale of prime cattle on 6th March saw Keith and Hilary Harvey lead the way in the heavy heifer section with a dairy crossbred Simmental grossing £1514 (660kg x 230ppk) with beef bred Simmentals making to 246ppk and 244ppk for Adrian and Bradley Bowden and John Cullen respectively. The OTM primes on offer saw the best coming from Chris Stacey of Buckfastleigh with his Simmental heifer reaching £1381 (638kg x 217ppk).

C & D Auction Marts held their fortnightly sale of store cattle in Dumfries on Monday 6th March 2023. Bulls per kg were led by a Simm at 301.20ppkg from Abune The Brae.

United Auctions sold 1045 cattle at their sale at Huntly on 4th March. OTMs sold to average 191.9p per kg and a top gross of £2000 for a Simm from Whinbrae, Glens of Foundland.

The store cattle sale at Worcester on 4th March saw another ‘rip roaring’ trade and led by Simmental X’s at £1525 from G L Bomford & Son.

At Thainstone on 3rd March a sale of 145 store cattle on behalf of Orkney consignors saw heifers sell to a top of £1,760 gross for a 644kg Simmental from J & E Miller, Nigley, Evie.

The sale of stirks and calves forward at Exeter on 3rd March saw the 170 forward meet with a solid trade. Top of the day was a trio of fantastic Simmental x steers (11m) from Richard Beckley down from Black Dog topping at £1025. Best of the heifers topped out at £850 again for Richard Beckley presenting Simmental crosses (12m).

At H&H’s Primestock Sale at Carlisle on 6th March, topping the prime bulls and the sale overall at £2423 was the heaviest animal of the day a 1038kg Simmental from Messrs Houldey, Kirtleton House, Lockerbie and purchased by Alan Jarvis. Black & White sold to £1733.15 for a 681kg Fleckvieh of Bluestone Farming, Nethermains Farm, Duns purchased by Jewitt Meats.

At Aberdeen & Northern Marts sale of cast cows, bulls, and prime cattle on 2nd March at Thainstone on behalf of Orkney consignors, beef cows sold to £2,270 gross for a 888kg Simmental from Firm of Paterson, Veltigar, Tankerness.

Gisburn’s sale of prime cattle on 2nd March saw heavier bulls sold to a high of 281ppk for a 796kg Simmental from H & F Eccles & Son.

At the sale of store cattle at Hallworthy on 2nd March, younger steers from J Noy of Helston with a cracking run of Simmental x Steers at 12 months saw his best to £1230 x3 and a pair of ‘posh Simmental steers’ to £1100.

C&D Auction Marts held their weekly sale of Primestock on Wednesday 1st March 2023 at Dumfries. Beef cows sold to 278p/kg for a Simm from Millhill.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 1st March, weanling prices remained brisk and peaked at £1170 440kg for a Sim Male presented by J Toland. Suckled Cows & Calves sold to £1760 for a Fleckvieh Cow with a Bull Calf at foot.

On Wednesday 1st March, Harrison and Hetherington held their weekly sale of weaned cattle at Carlisle. Topping the sale at £1460 was a Simmental bull from Messrs Cowx, Town End with another from the same home at £1440.

In a sale of store cattle at Ballymena on 28th February, the trade for heifers at over 500kgs was topped by P Brankin, Aghalee with a Sim at £1590.

At Thirsk on 28th February, 197 store cattle were forward. Young bulls sold beyond expectation making up to £1520 including Simmental X from R Inglis, Howden.

SIMMENTAL TOPS CARLISLE’S PRIMESTOCK SALE AT £2759!
The Primestock sale at H&H’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle, was topped by a 19-month old Simmental bull at £2759 from Messrs Houldey, Kirtleton House, Lockerbie on 27th February, and which sold for £315 more than the next top price beast.

Exeter on 24th February saw the show of stirks and suckled calves meet another fantastic trade for all types forward. Top of the day was Simmental cross steers (11m) from the Morris Family of Northlew topping at £1030.

On 24th February, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 1523 store cattle, young bulls and young and weaned calves at Thainstone. Young bulls sold to 289.9p per kg for a 238kg Simmental cross from Aulton, Craigellachie and £1300 gross for a pair of 510kg Simmental from Peasiehill, Arbroath. On the same day at a sale of store cattle on behalf of Shetland consignors, bullocks sold to 311.7p per kg for a pen of three 348kg Simmentals from A & D Hunter, Scatsta, Brae. Heifers Sold to £990 gross for a pair of 360kg Simmental and 275.1p per kg for a pen of three 338kg Simmentals from A & D Hunter, Scatsta, Brae. Cull Cows sold to £1545 & 220p per kg for a 702kg Simmental from P & E Anderson, East Gate, East Burrafirth.

On 23rd February, at Aberdeen and Northern Marts Thainstone centre and a sale of cast cows and bulls on behalf of Orkney consignors, beef cows sold to £1,790 gross for a 758kg Simmental from B Ridland, Aikerness, Evie.

At Ballymena on 23rd February, an 8-year-old Simmental cast cow from Ranfurly grossed £2289.50 at £2.41ppkg and was bought for further feeding for a specialist French market.

At Huntly on 23rd February, United Auctions sale of store cattle and OTMs, saw the OTMs sold to a top of 246.8p per kg for a 770kg SimX from Haddo Estates, Tarves.

At a sale of prime cattle on 23rd February at Stirling’s Caledonian Marts, bulls (under 30 months) sold to 275ppkg on two occasions for a Simmental from J & S Barr, Leyden, Kirknewtonand, and to £2040 for a Simmental from P J & W Cameron, Woodhall, Innerwick.

On 23rd February at Ayr, Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 729 Store Cattle. A packed ringside of buyers witnessed an animated trade from start to finish. Top Price of the day was £1900 for a Simmental off Auchengarth. The Simmental bullock prices included: £1900 and £1740 Auchengarth, £1810 and £1750 Muirlaught, £1700 Cloquhairnan, £1530 West Newton, £1510 Dykefield. Simmental heifer prices included: £1690 and £1595 East Kerse, £1650 Coilsholm, £1450 Overtoun.

Sedgemoor’s sale of store cattle on 22nd February saw a good entry of 148 head meet a superb trade. Top was £1330 for Simmental steers from KA Cook, Morebath, who sold others at £1155.

On 22nd February, United Auctions, Stirling sold 1953 store cattle, young bulls and 166 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Bullocks (1054) averaged 288.88p to 332.50p per kg for a pen of 397kg SIMX from Clunoag.

Frome’s sale of prime cattle on 22nd February saw the heifer trade led by a well-fed Simmental x heifer from JD & JS Padfield at 251p/kg, grossing £1578.

At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 22nd February, suckled cows and calves sold to £2000 for a Sim Cow with a Bull Calf at foot presented by W Murphy; while springing Heifers sold to £1800 for a Sim presented by E Hagan.

In a sale of feeding bulls at Bakewell on 20th February, the top price was £1500 for a nine-month-old Simm X from Mosley & Co, Chelmorten. Second top price was another nine-month-old Simm X from the same home at £1400.

On 20th February at Market Drayton, the small sale of cull bulls was led at £2,175.62 by a Simmental from JH.&JE.Sands & Son, St Martins.

Photos from BSCS library