PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN CATTLE Friday 1st June 2007

SALE FROM THE GUNNERFLEET, SHIELDRIGG, WINTLES, IRONSTONE, GREENFIELD & LUMBYLAW LIMOUSIN HERD

Strong demand for Limousin females sees near total clearance
165 females sold from catalogued entry of 176

A solid trade for young Limousin females underpinned the production sale held at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on behalf of six Limousin breeders on Friday 1st June, 2007. A good ringside crowd saw a ready demand for the 2005 and 2006 in-calf and maiden heifer crops on offer and this resulted in a 94% clearance of the 176 head entered. Animals were purchased for pedigree and commercial herds, and for export to Eastern European pedigree herds. In all 165 animals sold to a gross of £219,113.

Topping the sale at 3,700gns was the September 2004 born Ironstone Venetia. Sired by Rake Terence, Venetia is out of the dam Ronick Mistress, a full sister to the famous Ronick Hawk. This served heifer, combining excellent pedigree bloodlines with a Beef Value of LM+35 was purchased by G & CR Davies of Oakfield, who run the Tinboeth pedigree herd at Llananno, Llandrindod Wells.

In all, the Ironstone consignment on behalf of Smiths of Bloxham, Newlands Farm, Milton Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxon saw 15 served heifers sold to an average of £1515 with 41 maiden heifers making £1375 apiece. Three further lots hit the 3,000gns mark or more. Their youngest catalogued entry, the March 2006 born maiden heifer, Ironstone Bambi, made 3500gns when selling to an undisclosed buyer. This maiden heifer, got by AI, is sired by the 43,000gns Haltcliffe Ullswater and is the first calf out of Glangwden Ulreka, who was purchased at the Red Ladies sale at Carlisle in 2005 for 14,000gns.

At the 3,000gns mark was the April 2004 born first calver, Grahams Virginia, sired by Grahams Poncho and out of Marjolaine. Sold with her three month old heifer calf, Ironstone Caroline at foot, sired by Ardlea S255. She was snapped up by RA Whitehead, 5 Princes Road, High Walton Road, Walton Le Dale, Nr Preston. Also making 3000gns was the maiden heifer Ironstone Annabelle when selling to the Beaconsfield herd of RP & DL Hutchinson Ltd, Greenhill Farm, Balderton, Newark, Notts. Sired by Miscombe Marcopolo, this calf is out of Ronick Mistress, the dam of the day’s top priced animal. This August 2005 born maiden heifer sported a Beef Value of LM+30 which places her within the top 10% of performance recorded animals in the breed.

Leading the Gunnerfleet offering on behalf of Mr J Handley, Gunnerfleet Farm, Chapel –le-Dale, Ingleton, via Carnforth, Lancs was the October 2005 born maiden heifer, Gunnerfleet Alissa who made the day’s second highest price of 3,600gns. A Goldies Tony daughter and out of the Tunnelby Monkeytricks dam dam Gunnerfleet Silissa, she was purchased by well-known show calf producer JW Smith-Jackson, Hightown, Melkridge, Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Next best was the 2,500gns Gunnerfleet Bellissa, daughter of the French sire Silex, and out of the Heros sired dam Gunnerfleet Mellissa. January 2006 born and with a Beef Value of LM+32, this animal joins the Newmeadows herd of purchaser A Renton, 3 Tannagh Brae, Duns, Berwick. Overall, 17 maiden heifers from Gunnerfleet averaged £1559.