PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN CATTLE Friday 13th June 2008

LISCON BRAVEHEART AT 5,500GNS LEADS SOLID LIMOUSIN TRADE

Top price 5,500gns – Averages up £539 – 4 bulls over 3,000gns – Females reach 5,000gns

The summer sale of Limousin bulls and females at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on Friday 13th June 2008 met with a very solid trade which saw averages climb another £500+ on the year and an excellent demand that resulted in a near total clearance.

Led by a top price of 5,500gns, six bulls in all made 2,900gns or more at this traditional final fixture of the summer round of official Limousin bull sales. The average for the bulls sold levelled at £2911 up £539 on last year’s £2,372. Females made an excellent trade with cows averaging £2541 up by £1183 on the year for 12 more sold. 30 heifers went under the hammer to average £1275 – a rise of £232 a head for 20 more sold.

Liscon Braveheart

Making the day’s top price of 5,500gns was Liscon Braveheart, an April 2006 born bull bred by local breeder Jim Mulholland, Midtown Farm, Great Orton, Cumbria. Sired by Cloughhead Titanic and out of the homebred dam Liscon Olga, he was purchased by commercial buyers Messrs Graham, Miller Hill, Gilsland, Cumbria. Cloughhead Titanic is a Heros son who Jim Mulholland purchased jointly with Robert & Mike Scott, Thirlwall Castle, Carlisle for 24,000gns at the 2004 May Sale at Carlisle.

Ray Bird, Oaklands, Cropper Top, Sutton on the Hill, Derby purchased Castleden Bede for his Kathray pedigree herd for the next leading price of 4,600gns. Brought out by GD & J Clark, Mill Hill Farm, Stockton Road, Castle Eden, Cleveland this November 2006 born bull is by Otan and out of the Greensons Gigolo sired Castleden Nan and carried impressive figures including +5.00 for milk and an overall Beef Value of LM+35.

The very next lot into the ring made 4,200gns when knocked down to J Strawhorn & Son, Annefield, Amisfield, Dumfries. This was for Ringway Ben, a son of the prolific Ronick Hawk and out of the Cloughhead Rocket sired Ringway Venetia. Ringway Ben was consigned by PJ & E Henshall, Sarkshields, Lockerbie, Dumfries.

Early in the sale, DT&M Stobart, Cracrop Farm, Brampton, Cumbria sold the April 2006 born Cracrop Beamish for 3,100gns. Beamish, out of Brereton Treasure, is by Tomschoice Salem, a former Junior Interbreed Champion at the Royal Show and purchased at Carlisle in October 2002. The buyer of Cracrop Beamish was DM & SV Throup, Low Tren House, Malham, Nr Skipton, Yorkshire who run the Throupbeck pedigree herd. Later in the sale the same buyer purchased the October 2004 born first calver Normande Vergie for 3,000gns. This Scorboro Regius sired female was sold with her Normande Aaron sired bull calf at foot.

An overall first class female trade saw a top price of 5,000gns for Honister Annie, a May 2005 born first calver sold with her Calrossie Rodin sired heifer calf at foot, Ellendale Delightful. Bred by W Richardson of Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere, Cockermouth, this outfit was brought out by KH Twentyman Ltd, Crofthouse Farm, Aughertree, Ireby, Cumbria and heads to DW & EME Armstrong, Highfield Farm, Jolly Tar Lane, Coppull, Chorley, Lancs. Also heading to the Armstrong Herd of pedigree Limousins was the leading maiden heifer, Angiean Capanula, from IK & AM Grisedale, Greenmount Farm, Milton, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, Cumbria. Sired by Mas Du Clo and out of the Cockleshell Olympus daughter, Roughley Ursula, this January 2007 born heifer - carrying a Beef Value of LM+31 - was snapped up for 4,100gns.

At 4,500gns was Normande Ava from N & E Cruickshank, Cowford Farm, Cleghorn, Lanarkshire. July 2005 born, this heifer is by Ravageur and out of Normande Sage and was sold with her Normande Aaaron sired May 2008 born bull calf at foot, Normande Diver to A Harley, Netherwood Farm, Bonny Bridge, Stirlingshire.

Other Leading Females:
Lot 89 Hartlaw Briony 3,000gns to JC & SE Little, The Guards, Ireby, Wigton, Cumbria

Lot 86 Millbrow Cindy 2,800gns to WF Cruickshank & Sons, Clury Farm, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown

Other Leading Bulls:
Lot 7 Cracrop Benny 2,900gns to Messrs Fleming, Moss Tower Farm, Kelso, Roxburghshire

Lot 15 Terrace Brutus 2,900gns to ML Jones, Penparc, Rhydlewis, Llandysul, Ceredigion

Averages:
11 Bulls £2,911.36 (+ £539)
20 Cows and Heifers served and/or suckling £2,541.00 (+ £1183)
35 Bulling and Maiden heifers £1,275.00 (+ £232)