THAINSTONE SEES SIMMENTAL CROSS HEIFERS SELL TO £3950; £3850; £3750, WITH BIG NUMBERS OVER THE £3000 MARK!

by Nicky Moreton | May 3, 2024 | 2024, 2024 Scottish News, 2024 Aberdeen Sales, 2024 News

• Simmentals also top the bulling heifer trade at £2280
• Simmental bull to 5200gns

The demand and popularity for Simmental breeding females with commercial beef producers was very much highlighted at Aberdeen and Northern Marts sale of 424 head of adult breeding cattle at Thainstone on 1st May.

Simmental cross heifers sold to a top of £3,950, with others at £3,850, three at £3,750 four at £3,700, and with a tremendous depth in the day, a big number well over the £3000 mark. Simmentals also dominated the trade for bulling heifers to a top of £2280, and in a small sale of bulls a Simmental made 5200gns. Quite a day!

Commenting, Iain Kerr the British Simmental Cattle Society General Manager said: “There’s an ongoing and increasing demand for Simmental breeding females which is great to see. These Simmental heifers go on to make tremendous long lasting cows that are full of milk, cross with any breed, and produce easy fleshing quality calves that go on to weigh well. With an emphasis on added value, efficiency, and profitability, the Simmental female is really hitting the note with commercial breeders.”

In the Annual Show & Sale of Heifers with Calves at Foot sponsored by East Coast Viners and judged by Mr Colin Stuart, Belnoe, the Simmental Society award for the best sired Simmental Heifer and Calf went to The Gordon Family, Lost Farm, Strathdon with the first prize Simmental Heifer with Heifer Calf which sold for £3750 to the Judge. With a tremendous reputation for selling quality Simmental females this was a remarkable third year in a row, amidst a strong entry, that the Gordons have won this award.

A typical entry from the Gordon family, Lost Farm, Strathdon, pictured prior to the sale at Thainstone on Wednesday 1st May.

However the top Simmental price on the day was a terrific £3950 paid for a Simmental heifer with a Limousin bull calf at foot, from Ian Keith, Auchtygall, Peterhead.

Bulling Heifers met a fantastic demand selling to a top of £2280 for a pair of tremendous 19-month-old Simmental Heifers from A D Sutherland & Sons, Connachie, Kellas. Highlight Simmental prices and sale section leaders included:

Heifer with Bull Calf (93) sold to £3950 for a Simmental Cross with a Limousin Cross from Auchtygall, Peterhead.

Bulling Heifer (96) sold to £2280 for a Pair of Simmental Crosses from Connachie, Kellas.

Heifer with Bull Calf: SimX – Auchtygall £3850, £3750, £3700, £3650 ; Ardhuncart £3750, £3700, £3650; South Blachrie £3600, £3500, £3450; The Bungalow, New Noth £3550, £3450; Lost Farm £3500, £3350; Cranna £3500, £3350; West Cruichie £3250, £3050; Sim – Auchtygall £3550; South Blachrie £3450;

Heifer with Heifer Calf: SimX – Auchtygall £3950, £3900, £3700, £3400; Lost Farm £3750, £3400, £3350; Ardhuncart £3700, £3650, £3600, £3500; South Blachrie £3650, £3500, £3450; The Bungalow £3500, £3150; Cranna £3450, £3400, £3250; West Cruichie £3200; Pitcairn farm £3150;

Cow with Bull Calf: SimX – Auchanland Farm £3350, £3200, £3150; Fairburn £3050, £2500; Sim – Auchanland Farm £3200.

Bulling Heifers: Connachie SimX – £2280, £2220, £2200, £2180, £2150; Berryleys Sim – £2250, £2000; Brodieshill Farm SimX – £2220, £2200, £2050; Essil SimX – £2050, £1900; Culquhassen SimX – £1880, £1520.

Pedigree Bulls – Sim – Drumsleed 5200gns

Charles Gordon (left), Lost Farm, Strathdon, receiving the Champion Simmental award, for the third year in a row, from BSCS representative, Gary Wright, Lagavaich Simmentals.

Results from Show and Sale of Commercial Beef Breeding Cattle, Wednesday 1st May 2024, Sponsored by East Coast Viners
Judge – Colin Stuart Belnoe Glenlivet

Class 1 Simmental Sired Heifer with Male Calf
1st – Ardhuncart Farms Ardhuncart Kildrummy £3,500
2nd – I & M Keith Auchtygall Peterhead £3,950
3rd – Ardhuncart Farms Ardhuncart Kildrummy £3,650

Class 2 Simmental Sired Heifer with Female Calf
1st – C & G Gordon Lost Farm Strathdon £3,750
2nd – A Prentice The Bungalow New Noth Gartly £3,500
3rd – Ardhuncart Farms Ardhuncart Kildrummy £3,700

Champion Simmental Sired Heifer with calf at foot
C & G Gordon Lost Farm Strathdon £3,750

11,000GNS ISLAVALE NIGHTRIDER LEADS ABERDEEN SIMMENTAL SALE

by Iain | Feb 29, 2024 | 2024, 2024 Scottish News, 2024 Aberdeen Sales, 2024 News

• Backmuir sells to 8800gns
• Rockytop bull at 8500gns
• 11 bulls average £5832.27

The May 2022 born Islavale Nightrider from Mr W S Stronach, Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith made 11,000gns to lead the Simmental trade at the Royal Northern Spring Show & Sale held at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie on Wednesday the 28^th of February.

Islavale Nightrider is by Coose Lincoln EX90, and is out of Islavale Faye VG88, a Curaheen Bandit daughter.  With solid figures for both Calving Ease and Maternal (Milk), this bull was snapped up by local commercial producer W & V Leith, North Crannoch, Crossroads, Keith. The herd sire Coose Lincoln EX90 has previously had his first sons at sale sell up to 13,000gns at Stirling in October 2023.

Earlier in the day at Thainstone, pre-sale show judge Andrew Anderson, Smallburn, Duffus had placed Islavale Nightrider 22 as the Overall Supreme Simmental Champion.  For the prolific Islavale herd, this is the third year in a row that they’ve topped the Simmental prices at this sale.

Three Simmental bulls made over 8000gns at the sale with eleven in all selling to average a healthy £5832.27.

Selling at 8800gns was Backmuir Nigel 22 from Reece & Andrew Simmers, Backmuir Farm, Keith.  This bull, May 2022 born, is by the homebred Backmuir Kryptonite, and is out of Wolfstar Islay (TF).  Purchasing Backmuir Nigel 22 was T Alexander, Lyth, Wick, Caithness.

At the 8,500gns was Rockytop Nimrod 22 Gary & Angela Christie, Birchfield, Glass, Huntly.  April 2022 born this bull, by Kilbride Farm Fearless out of Rockytop Gaia’s Juniper, sits in the breed’s top 5% for Maternal (Milk) with a figure of +12.  Nimrod went onto sell to Colin Inglis, Blairsgreen Farm, Saline, Dunfermline. Again, at the recent Stirling sale, Rockytop sold another Kilbride Farm Fearless son for 8000gns.

Another from the Stronachs in the shape of Islavale Nevada made 5800gns when selling to J Watson, New Pitsligo, Fraserburgh. With a breed top 1% figure for Maternal (Milk) of +14, this April 2022 born bull is by Corskie Highlander 16 EX93, and is out of Islavale Illusion ET EX90.

Drumsleed Nemesis 22, from Mr GW Smith, Drumsleed, Fordoun, Laurencekirk, made 5,500gns when selling to Orkney, and M Donaldson, Tankerness.  Sired by Dellfield Kingpin 19, this April 2022 born bull is out of Drumsleed Katelyn 19.

OTHER PRICES INCLUDED:

4,000gns         Lot 58  Pitmudie Nuffield 22 sold to J Watson, New Pitsligo, Fraserburgh.

4,000gns         Lot 61  Tillyeve Nigel 22 sold to The Hay Partnership, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire

4,000gns         Lot 62  Auchorachan Nemisis 22 sold to J & J Henderson, Poyntzfield, Dingwall

AVERAGE:

11 Bulls           £5832.27

SIMMENTAL PRE-SALE SHOW RESULTS

Class 6 – Simmental Bulls born on or after 15^th March 2022 and before 20^th April 2022

1^st. Lot 64 – G & A Christie, Rockytop Nimrod, Birchfield, Glass, Huntly 

2^nd. Lot 66 – Messrs C & M Bruce, Tillyeve Northstar, Tillyeve, Udny, Ellon 

3^rd. Lot 63 – Mr W S Stronach, Islavale Nevada, Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith 

4^th. Lot 62 – D & R Durno & Sons, Auchorachan Nemesis, Auchorachan, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch 

Class 7 – Simmental Bulls born on or after 20^th April 2022

1^st. Lot 74 – Mr W S Stronach, Islavale Nightrider, Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith 

2^nd. Lot 77 – Messrs C & M Bruce, Tillyeve Noah, Tillyeve, Udny, Ellon 

3^rd. Lot 75 – R & A Simmers, Backmuir Nelson, Backmuir Farm, Keith 

4^th. Lot 69 – Mr G W Smith, Drumsleed Nemesis, Drumsleed, Fordoun, Laurencekirk 

Simmental Championship

Lot 74 – Mr W S Stronach, Islavale Nightrider, Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith 

Reserve Champion

Lot 77 – Messrs C & M Bruce, Tillyeve Noah, Tillyeve, Udny, Ellon