CHRIS MARTINDALE ELECTED AS THE 28TH BRITISH SIMMENTAL PRESIDENT

CHRIS MARTINDALE ELECTED AS THE 28TH BRITISH SIMMENTAL PRESIDENT

Shropshire-based breeder Chris Martindale has been elected as President of the British Simmental Cattle Society (BSCS) following the Society’s Annual General Meeting held recently in Stirling at the October Bull Sales. Having served as a Council Member since 2021, he...

PART THREE OF THREE: SIMMENTALS TOPPING COMMERCIAL SALES IN AUGUST AT 32 MARKETS AROUND THE UK!

by | Sep 11, 2024

SIMMENTALS TOPPING SALE SECTIONS AT: SEDGEMOOR; SKIPTON; SELBY; ABERDEEN; GISBURN; HALLWORTHY; CARLISLE; MARKET DRAYTON; DINGWALL; SALISBURY; MALTON; BAKEWELL; RUGBY; HEXHAM; THAME; CROOKLANDS; THIRSK; SHREWSBURY; STIRLING; EXETER; WHITLAND; LUDLOW; FROME; MELTON MOWBRAY; DARLINGTON; CARMARTHERN; AYR; MONMOUTHSHIRE; DUMFRIES; BALLYMENA; PENRITH; AND SWATRAGH

Analysis of Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) data has shown Simmental gives beef producers more. Industry leading age at slaughter, whether sired by a Simmental or out of a Simmental dam, reductions in finishing costs, and lower emissions meeting environmental challenges. The ultimate combination for Daily Carcase Gain has been shown as the progeny of a Simmental bull out of a Simmental dam, and with the highest rates of DCG, attained by both Continental and Native sires, being for progeny out of Simmental dams. It’s tremendous economics for commercial beef producers.

It’s the final part of Simmentals topping store, prime, breeding, cull, and calf sale sections at markets round the country in August 2024. If you have any snippets of Simmentals topping sales in your area then please forward them to information@britishsimmental.co.uk and we’ll be happy to included them in future Market Briefs.

United Auctions, Stirling, on 14th August sold 875 store cattle & young bulls, 258 Breeding Cattle & 221 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. OTM bulls sold to £2010 for a 816kg SIM from North Balloch.

At Melton Mowbray’s sale of 161 store cattle on 13th August, forward Simmental steers from GW Swales & Son sold to £1590 with further steers the same way bred from the same stable also seeing £1550 for a brace, and to feature in the leading prices. The same vendor sold well fleshed Simmental heifers to £1400.
In a sale of 155 calves at Shrewsbury on 13th August a few stronger month old types on offer sold to a top of £520 for a smart Simmental bull from John Phillips.
Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and their fortnightly sale of rearing calves on 12tth August. Forward were 257 cattle and 31 calves. Leading the heifers in the store cattle was a super Simmental from A Wilson, Calf Close Farm at £1550.
In a sale of calves at Rugby Farmers Mart on 12th August, the top price was £330 for Simmental bulls.
On 12th August at Market Drayton and a sale of 134 barren cows, cull bulls and overage clean cattle, bulls peaked at 243p, £2,240.46, for a Simmental from Warner Family.
In a sale of prime cattle at Exeter on 12th August, prime heifers topped at £1526 (612kg x 250ppk) for a meaty Simmental from Freddi Chanin of Thorverton.
Bakewell Market held a sale of 127 barren, OTM, and feeding cows on 12th August. Meated cows generally 210p plus with the biggest cows over £1500. Top gross price was £1753.10 for a Simm from BD & JH Ponsonby, Tideswell Moor.
In a sale of 208 store cattle at Ludlow on 9th August, the top price heifer was a Simm X at £1580 and 317ppk.
SIMMENTAL HEIFER AT £2233 TOPS DARLINGTON CLEAN CATTLE

At Darlington’s prime stock sale on 8th August, 124 clean cattle were forward. A marvellous forty-three cattle sold over £2000! Top gross valued heifer was a thumping 747kg Simmental from J Richmond, Dunsa Bank Farm, Richmond at £2233.

North West Auctions Junction 36 fortnightly sale of calves and stirks on 8th August saw an entry of 92 forward. Stirks sold to a top of £990 on three occasions and including for a Simmental from Bambers Farms, Cockerham.
At Hallworthy’s sale of 165 store cattle on 8th August, top of the day was £1500 given for a trio of older Simental x steers in from the Maunder family of Landrake who sold others to £1240 and £1230.
On 7th August Harrison & Hetherington held their weekly sale of Weaned cattle at Borderway, Carlisle, with 275 stirks forward. Auchengray Farm sold the top priced Simmental heifer for £1400, the day’s top price heifer, and with Mr Paul Davidson, Old Irvine Farm selling the top priced Simmental bull for £1450.
In a sale of 196 calves at Carmarthen on 7th August, one-month-old Simm bulls sold to £458 from Price, Cwrt Mawr, to feature in the leading prices.
A sale of cull cows at Frome on 7th August saw a top gross price of £1772 for a Simm from DAM Marklove, Lydiard Millicent.
In a sale of prime cattle at Malton on 6th August, steers were topped at £2182.95 for a 19 month old Simm, 810kgs, from AW Hardwick
In a sale of calves and stirks at Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd, Ayr on 6th August, the trade for stirks was topped at £1220 for a Simmental Cross Heifer off Messrs McLelland, Knockshinnoch.
At Salisbury Livestock Market on 6th August, the sale of UTM finished cattle saw a very strong trade throughout. Top prices went to a good run from Tony Nutland and family which saw homebred Simmental x steers reach the day’s highest price and return of 265p and £1856.65 with a homebred Simmental x heifer topping her section at 263.5p.
In an ‘exceptional entry of 153 calves forward’ at Monmouthshire on 6th August, plenty of purchasers looking for quality types. Topping the trade was a Simmental bull from Raymond, Mathry, selling for £615.
C&D Auction Marts held their fortnightly sale of Store Cattle in Dumfries on 5th August.
Bulls sold to £1560 for Simmentals from J B Paterson & Co, Hartbush and to 321.6p/kg also from J B Paterson & Co, Hartbush.
In a sale of calves at Ballymena on 2nd August, bulls were topped by a Sim at £985 from A Clarke Randalstown, who had another at £825.
On 2nd August, Penrith & District Farmers’ Mart LLP held their fortnightly sale of Rearing Calves and Stirks with 121 forward. Bull stirks were led at £860 by a Simmental from Church Stile Farm.
On 1st August Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of cast cows and bulls on behalf of Orkney consigners at Thainstone. Beef Cows Sold to £1,770 gross for a 848kg Simmental from J & M Dearness, Knowe, Sanday.
On 30th July at Swatragh a great entry of 80 quality cattle was presented for sale which resulted in another super trade for all stock on offer. Bullocks sold to a top of £1920 per head for a Sim at 746kg (257p/kg).