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The much anticipated second staging of the Simmental Next Generation Sale of Females & Weaned Calves is fast approaching and will take place this year on Friday 2nd December 2022, at Harrison & Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle.
Hitting the ground running, the inaugural Next Generation Sale proved to be a tremendous success with served and maiden heifers averaging £4400, and weaned bull calves averaging over £6000 with a lead price of 16,000gns. Moreover, the sale attracted a fantastic show of Simmental cattle full of style, quality, and with a depth of bloodlines.
With 66 entries catalogued this year, the British Simmental Cattle Society is delighted to announce that the pre-sale show judge is Chris Weatherup, Ballyclare, Co Antrim who, along with his father Leslie, runs 35 breeding females with the noted Lisglass Simmental pedigree herd. The Weatherups also run 60 breeding Texel cross ewes and 150 store lambs on their 130 acre holding.
The Lisglass herd, established in 1989, has certainly made its mark in the Simmental breed. A list of achievements would include exhibiting a hat-trick of Balmoral Supreme Champions, breeding the ‘Simmental Champion of Europe’ in the shape of Lisglass Goldstar (shown by Gordon Clarke), and holding the Northern Ireland home sale Simmental top price record of £25,000 for the bull Lisglass Kirk.
It was very much the commercial value of the Simmental breed that drew the family into pedigree breeding and with Chris’s father Leslie starting out by farming store heifers which were mostly Simmental cross. Commenting Chris said: “Dad was so pleased with the way they performed in their growth and ability to finish that he decided to purchase two pedigree Simmental heifers at Automart Portadown. Over the years the pedigree herd has grown and we’ve looked to invest in the future of the herd with some top female lines being purchased at production and dispersal sales”.
Speaking on his general breeding philosophy Chris went on to say: “Our aim is to breed modern, easy fleshing, structurally sound, docile Simmental cattle with good milking ability. They must have plenty of length and growth to meet the demands of today’s market. We use a combination of a stock bull and AI, and our stock bulls over the years have included Blackford Explosion, Omorga Prince, Raceview Stanley, Dermotstown Delboy and currently Omorga Jaguar. The bulls we use have to be correct with good locomotion, and have style and presence with good breed character”.
“We want to breed Simmentals that go on and perform well and which brings repeat customers both commercially and pedigree. Of course it’s a bonus on top if you can breed that one that is a little bit ‘special’ and catches the eye. In the commercial sector, it’s a proven fact that Simmental is the leading continental beef breed for age at slaughter. I think there is a huge potential for choosing modern Simmental bulls when you are getting the advantages of high growth rates for age, and with super weights and carcases. It’s all about efficiency and performance giving increased profit”.
Speaking of the job ahead at Carlisle, Chris said: “The Next Gen Sale has all the potential to be a year on year showcase event for British Simmental providing quality, performance, and genetics for existing and new breeders. In judging the females come December I’ll be looking for cattle with femininity, length, growth, good mobility, and just carrying that ring presence, style and breed character. It’s a sale that offers something for everyone and I’m delighted to have been asked to judge and am really looking forward to it.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The provisional timetable for the Next Generation II Sale is as follows:
Inspection: Thursday 1 December 3pm – 5pm
Preview: Thursday 1 December 5pm – 7pm
Show: Friday 2 December 9:30am
Sale: Friday 2 December 11:30am
The online catalogue of entries is now available @ http://abri.une.edu.au/online/cgi-bin/i4.dll?1=3E373E37…
Please keep an eye on the Society’s Facebook page from here for further updates and previews of the Simmental Next Generation II Sale of Females & Weaned Calves due to be held at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on Friday 2nd December.
