PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN CATTLE Friday 15th & Saturday 16th February 2008

32,000GNS DOLCORSLLWYN BULL LEADS EXCELLENT LIMOUSIN TRADE

140 bulls average £4824 – 13 more bulls sold on the year - 73% clearance rate – 48 Junior Bulls average £5538 – 12 bulls over 10,000gns – New Welsh Record – Sale grosses £675,385

At what was by common consent one of the strongest and most level shows of bulls seen at a Carlisle February Sale and watched by one of the biggest crowds witnessed on both the Show and Sale day.

it was the impressive Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor from Mr G Vaughan, Dolcorsllwyn, Machynlleth, Powys which led the way at a mighty 32,000gns, a new record for a Welsh-bred bull. In the pre-sale Show, he had stood Reserve Junior Male Champion to the Overall Reserve & Junior Champion Haltcliffe Brazil. In addition to the 32,000gns bull, 2 further bulls made 22,000gns with 12 in all above 10,000gns. Overall, 140 bulls averaged £4824 to gross a whopping £675,000+. Although down slightly on last year's record trade, averages were still up by over £700 on 2006 figure.

Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor

Mr Vaughan’s Dolcorsllwyn prefix comprises 50 pedigree cows and there are plans to increase the herd size to around 70. The Herd won the North West Midlands & North Wales Herd Competition Best Large Herd, Best Overall Herd & Best Youngstock categories in 2007. Glyn Vaughan commented: “90% of our herd goes back to the granddam of the bull, Emue, who was bought at the Paddock Dispersal in 1999 for 3,200gns. She was flushed 13 times and this Emue-Broadmeadows Cannon pairing gave us the dam of Brynmor, Dolcorsllwyn Patsi. Emue calved again last year but is now 19 years old so is out to pasture now and enjoying a well-deserved retirement!”

Dolcorsllwyn Brynmor is a Nenuphar son and out of the homebred dam, Dolcorsllwyn Patsi, and carried a Beef Value of LM+32 putting him squarely in the top 10% of breed. This Junior bull was much admired in the pen, very clean, wide on top with a powerful back-end. He weighed in at 866 kilos for his 19 months and was purchased by J Handley, Gunnerfleet Farm, Chapel Le Dale, Ingleton, Carnforth for his pedigree Gunnerfleet Herd. Commenting, Ian Handley said: “We picked him out initially in the pre-sale inspection; I’d never seen a bull as wide on his plates – he has such tremendous width, power, a tight belly and a good second thigh. He looks even better now we’ve got him home and I can’t keep my eyes off him!” Mr Handley runs 70 pedigree cows at present, a number which he’d slowly like to build up by retaining his very best females. Brynmor will run alongside their other stock bull, the 24,000gns Glenrock Ventura.

The top priced bull came from a very strong Junior section which saw 8 bulls make 7,500gns or more. Overall, 48 Junior Bulls averaged £5538. The Intermediate bulls were not far behind with 8 making at least 7,500gns and 43 overall making £5347 apiece. Commenting, Iain Kerr, BLCS Chief Executive said: “Great credit is due to the breeders who put forward a catalogue of bulls full of depth and quality. This gave buyers a great choice of modern Limousin bulls on offer to them. Limousin cattle continue to drive the market place because of the genuine all-round attributes that add value: easy care, easy calving females combined with carcase quality, feed efficiency and conformation at any weight. These are the traits of economic importance that continue to meet modern industry requirements.”

The much admired Intermediate Champion, Dinmore Bandit, was the next top price at 28,000gns. Brought forward by Paul Dawes, Dinmore Manor, Dinmore, Hereford, Dinmore Bandit is an embryo calf out of the notable pairing of Wilodge Tonka and Fleethill Sal. The sire, Wilodge Tonka, was purchased by Mr Dawes for 30,000gns in October 2003 and the dam, Fleethill Sal, was sold at Red Ladies in November 2004 for 17,000gns. She was Female Champion at the Royal Welsh in the same year and was Cheshire Show Champion in 2007. Mr Dawes said that it was nice to reap some reward from his investment in the Limousin breed and praised Richard Bartle for his skills in stockmanship which he said had greatly contributed to this. Paul Dawes added: “Dinmore Bandit is a very mobile bull with great style, presence and a lovely temperament. With this combination of breeding behind him, he should go on to do very well.” He heads to Messrs Jenkinson, Clifton Moor Farm, Clifton, Penrith, Cumbria who run the Whinfellpark Herd. Estate Manager, Nick Scholefield, said that they had been looking for a stock bull with good shape and back-end to use on the much improved female progeny from their current stock bulls. “With a strong pedigree background and good figures of LM+36 behind him, Dinmore Bandit will be used this season on a good batch of our breeding females who are sired by Regal, Wilodge Topgun and Ultimatum. We currently calve down around 110 cows and are looking for him to add extra shape and conformation.” Paul Dawes had earlier sold a full brother to Bandit, namely the first prize-winning Dinmore Bentley, for 9,000gns to DWH Gascoigne Group, 1 Church Street, Southwell, Notts for their mainly commercial herd.

Averages
49 Senior Bulls £3668.57
43 Intermediate Bulls £5347.67
48 Junior Bulls £5538.75
Overall 140 Bulls £4824.18

read full Society report at:-

www.limousin.co.uk/sales/2008/0216carlisle.html